8 BULLETIN 334, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Wliere propagating is to be clone on a sufficiently large scale, out- 

 door coldframes may be used instead of cutting boxes. Miss Eliza- 

 beth C. White, of New Lisbon, N. J., who has brought together the 

 best existing collection of selected wild-blueberry stocks, has been 

 propagating them with much success in muslin-shaded coldframes 

 by the method of tubering, and she has much simplified the handling 

 of the cuttings, both before and after rooting. The cuttings are made 

 in the late fall, packed in boxes in loose, moist, clean sphagnum moss, 

 and stored during the winter in a cool cranberry house at a tempera- 

 ture of about 40° F. As soon as the frost is out of the ground beds 

 of clean sand are laid down in the coldframes and the cuttings are 

 pressed into the sand until the upper side is level with the surface. 

 The whole is then covered with an inch layer of sifted peat (about 

 2 parts) and sand (1 part). The frames are completely shaded by 

 muslin on a framework about 7 feet above the ground (PI. VII) , and 

 ventilation is not begun until most of the shoots are rooted, about 

 midsummer. The shades and sash are removed in early October, 

 and in late autumn, after most of their leaves have fallen, the rooted 

 plants are taken out of the frames, so that these can be made ready 

 for a new lot of cuttings very early the next spring. The stronger of 

 the rooted plants taken out of the frames are set at once in their 

 permanent places in the field plantation. Those less strongly rooted 

 are placed in nursery beds at a spacing of about 10 inches each wslj, 

 where they remain during the winter and the following growing 

 season. 



WINTER CUTTINGS. 



The rooting of leafy cuttings of the blueberry in summer is very 

 difficult, because in a temperature above 70° F. the cuttings blacken 

 and die. With the aid of a shaded greenhouse, winter cuttings can 

 be started early enough to make roots before warm weather comes 

 on. Similar results can be secured in coldframes so located, shel- 

 tered, and manipulated as to prolong their low temperature as late 

 as possible into the season. 



The essentials of a successful coldframe for blueberry propaga- 

 tion are: (1) That it be located on the cool, shaded, north side 

 of a building or in some other situation where it will not receive 

 reflected heat from neighboring structures. (2) The frame must re- 

 ceive an abundance of light but no direct sunlight, a condition best 

 secured in the case of isolated frames by the use of clean white 

 muslin shades. Frames on the north side of a building will also 

 require shade in early morning and late afternoon from March to 

 September. On sunless days all shades should be removed, so that 

 the cuttings will receive as much light as possible. (3) There should 

 be ample space for the circulation of cool air between the frames 

 and the shade. A shade at the height of about 7 feet from the 



