184 



MORE ABOUT STARTING NEW PLANTS 



and develops a cluster of leaves. From this new plant, 

 the main stem continues to creep further and again strikes 

 root, and so on. 



a. Suckers are vigorous branches that spring up from 

 roots or from stems near the surface of the ground. Plums, 

 white poplars, and lilacs form suckers freely. The prop- 

 agator cuts off the root 

 connection, and trans- 

 plants the sucker to 

 start a new plant. 



131. Layering is an- 

 other kind of propaga- 

 tion by stems. Certain 

 plants, like the black 

 raspberry, can be made 

 to take root at the tip 

 of the stem if the stem 

 is bent over and the tip 

 covered with moist soil. 

 This is layering. When 

 the new roots are of fair 

 size, the connection between the old plant and its offspring 

 is cut, and the young plant may be transplanted. 



132. Grafting is the art of uniting parts of two different 

 plants. The part to be propagated is called the scion, and 

 the part of the other plant to which the scion is to be 

 united is known as the stock. The union is effected by the 

 rapidly multiplying cells of the cambiums of scion and 

 stock. These cells must be kept moist in order to multiply. 

 There are two common kinds of grafting, cleft grafting 

 and tongue grafting. 



a. Cleft grafting is performed usually on limbs about 

 the thickness of a man's wrist. From the stock a limb is 

 sawed off smoothly, and the stump is split with a knife or 



CLEFT GRAFTING. 



