174 THE GOLD MINE 



by the cleft graft system insert a bud of some choice 

 variety. The root will rather rejoice that a head has 

 been given it, and will throw out roots to match it, 

 while there will be no danger of its reproducing itself. 

 Thus the roots of common vigorous sorts can be made 

 to accelerate the production of the costlier kinds. Graft- 

 ing should be done late in the fall or winter. The 

 grafts and cleft in the root should be carefully waxed 

 and laid away in damp moss. Then place in a cool 

 cellar till spring. It would be better not to have them 

 freeze, though freezing Avould not seriously injure 

 them. 



A paeony si>ecialist just writes me, ^'I have some 

 plants the eyes of which alone are worth $1 to $2, 

 and what shall I do with them V^ I gave him the 

 foregoing process, which I am sure will succeed. 



Suppose you get a choice root of some variety for 

 which you pay $3 to $5. It has only one good vigor- 

 ous root, and perhaps half a dozen eyes — ^more eyes 

 than the root can carry to advantage. I^ow you can cut 

 off the eyes and put in moist earth in the cellar, and 

 each one will throw out tiny roots, and in the spring 

 you can put it out carefully. Shelter it a little from 

 plunging rains, and it will make a plant. It may take 

 two or three years to make a saleable plant of it. By 

 grafting you would have speedier resiilts. 



RAISING FROM SEEDS. 



We must pay more attention to this. There is no 

 I'eason why we should not produce more rare sorts. 



