in the Government Plantation at 'Nymj^JienJmrg. 425 



the approach of winter, the seedlings must be covered with 

 dry leavesj to the depth of 6 in., to protect their roots from 

 the cold. In March, when the ground is thawed, the young 

 plants are taken up, cut down to one eye, shortened a little 

 at the roots, and then planted into a piece of rotten ground, in 

 rows, at distances of from 2 ft. to 2^ ft. apart, and about the 

 same distance in the row; they require no farther attention 

 during summer than being watered and weeded. I must ob- 

 serve, that, in cases where two or three eyes have been acci- 

 dently left on the plant, they must be afterwards cut out 

 when they begin to push, leaving only that which makes the 

 strongest shoot. During winter they are again covered over ; 

 and in the ensuing spring cut down, for the last time, to one 

 eye, without being transplanted ; after this they become strong 

 enough to withstand the winter, and are allowed to form a 

 crown. 



In our severe climate the following mode of grafting, called 

 Pfeifehi (flute-grafting, greffe enjliite, Thouin), is found to be 

 preferable for the mulberry, [fig. 90.) The twigs which are 

 cut off for grafting are kept in a cellar. As 

 soon as the sap rises in the wildings, a grafting 

 twig is selected of the same thickness as the 

 wilding, or even thicker ; on this twig a cir- 

 cular incision is made, half an inch above, and 

 another half an inch below, the eye, and the 

 bark between the incisions, together with the 

 eye, peeled off. The same operation is per- 

 formed on one of the branches of the wilding, 

 close to the stem, in the crown. The bark of 

 the wilding is then exchanged for that of the 

 grafting twig, and the wound bound up with 

 matting or tape, covered with grafting wax, to 

 keep out the external air. If the bark of the 

 grafting twig is too long, it may be reduced to 

 fit the wood exactly. The advantage of this 

 method is, that the grafted part cannot be dis- 

 tinguished from the rest, and the tree, in case 

 the graft fails, loses nothing of its strength, as 

 is the case in the usual mode. In the fourth 

 year all the trees are re-transplanted, with a 

 view of improving their roots, and giving 

 them more space. At the same time, the branches are short- 

 ened to where the crown is to begin, and, the roots being 

 trimmed a little, the trees are planted from 3 to 4 ft. apart. 

 There are now about 10,000 trees of this size in the plantation. 



