iz MARKET NURSERY WORK 



PROPAGATION OF STOCKS 



Though carried out on a much larger scale, the propagation of 

 stocks from cuttings is identical with that laid down for roses, 

 with this difference : that whereas the eyes are all left in the rose 

 cutting, all but the two top ones are removed from the stock cutting. 

 This is done to discourage and prevent as far as possible the growth 

 of suckers, but it appears never to be entirely successful, for however 

 carefully the eyes have been eliminated we never yet saw a batch 

 of stocks suckerless. Still, it is a precaution we are bound to 

 take, for it is the only means of checking them that we know of. 

 The cuttings are made from practically all the wood that can be 

 obtained, except the unripened ends, though we think that perhaps 

 we do not sufficiently discriminate and that the percentage of 

 rooted cuttings would be higher if we more carefully selected our 

 wood. That which is ripe and hard not only strikes best, but makes 

 the best stocks. Cuttings are obtained in abundance from the 

 head-growths of budded stocks, and this can be largely supplemented 

 by going to the heath and hedgerows for plump, red growths of 

 the wild dog rose. But do not be tempted to cut and carry home 

 those long, soft, sappy growths thrown up late in the season they 

 are worse than useless. 



The making of thousands of these is a sound investment, for 

 it finds profitable occupation for the hands when the weather 

 precludes all possibility of land work, and if a much larger number 

 is produced than can be used the market is always hungering for 

 them by the thousand. Our own practice has always been to 

 strike 3000 for every 1000 we want to grow for ourselves, and 

 we have worked out the fact that by so doing we virtually had 

 our own stocks for nothing. 



Cuttings are made 9 inches in length. They would root just 

 as freely, perhaps more so, if they were only 6 inches long, but 

 that economy would be more than wiped out when the time came 

 for budding, for the 9-inch length is a good stem for the stock and 

 leaves room for the budder to get at it without hindrance, thus 

 greatly accelerating his pace. The 6-inch stem with a bushy head, 

 and i inch at least below ground, presents greater difficulties to 

 rapid budding, and this is appreciable where, say, one hundred 



