METHODS (>K PROPAGATION 65 



The Cantonese gardeners are excellent manipulators of this method 

 and a great majority of the shrubs and trees of South China, including 

 citrus fruits, are thus propagated. Lychee trees and limbs from 

 which to propagate are first selected, but except in very rare cases, 

 not with any very careful observation wirh regard to limb or bud 

 variation. In the spring about the time the trees are coming into 

 Mower complete rings of bark are girdled from branches, preferably 

 not more than two inches in diameter. The strip of bark which is 

 removed is about an inch in width and a callus is allowed to form for 

 a day or two before the earth is bound about the new layer. A 

 special preparation of binding mud is made by mixing wet, sticky, 

 canal or pond earth with chopped-up straw or leaves; and little balls 

 of this are bound about each injured branch. 



As this process is carried on in the season of dark, cloudy 

 days and considerable rainfall, little further attention is given to the 

 tree. If dry, sunny weather continues for any period the little balls 

 of earth must be watered. The roots begin to form within a few 

 weeks and the new layer is said to be well rooted in about one hun- 

 dred days when it is removed from the parent tree with a saw. The" 

 Chinese say that the layer should be planted out before th^ little roots 

 emerge from the ball of earth and become dried. 



After removing the layers from the parent trees they are set 

 out in nursery beds of specially chosen soil which inclines to a heavy 

 and sticky rather than to a light character. The plants are set our 

 about a foot apart each way in these beds (fig. 36 j which are located 

 with reference to protection from cold, wintery winds. Here they 

 remain until at least one year from the following spring. When they 

 are raised for permanent planting (fig. 37), a ball of earth at least a 

 f.)Ot in diameter, held in place by means of rice straw, remains at- 

 tached to the roots. 



This nursery business, as seen for example at the village of 

 Fang Yung (Fung Chung f$ ) has become quite an industry and 

 the business methods whereby trie industry is conducted would be a 

 fascinating. study. For example we have been told that many of the 

 trees produced at Fang Yung are layered from trees growing in Chiao 

 T'ang Sz (Kau T'ong Sz %$??]) in Pan Yu (P\m U &J,j district 

 where very interesting contracts are made between the nurserymen 

 and the growers for the production of stock. The nurserymen layer 

 the trees in the groves from trees which they may select and pay for 



