PROPAGATION OF FRUIT TREES 277 



Quinces are raised from cuttings ; these, i foot long, are inserted in March. 

 Raspberries are increased by suckers taken from the old plants. 

 Walnuts and Chestnuts are raised from seed sown in April. 



Propagation by Layers and Suckers 



Layering.— I. Various modes ; (.»;) tongue-layering, i.e. cutting the branch half-way through below 

 a bud or joint and making an incision upwards, keeping it open with soil, or a small stone ; (j) ringing, 

 i.e. taking off a ring of both the outer and inner barks not less than half an inch wide, leaving nothing 

 but the wood ; [z) notching, i.e. mal<ing a transverse cut half-way through the branch just below a 

 joint, and with a slanting cut upwards taking out a piece of wood. In layering, all buds not wanted to 

 grow must be removed, especially from the part below the soil ; the layers in each case must be secured 

 with a peg inserted near the point of manipulation, covered with good soil 3 to 4 inches deep, and 

 kept moist to encourage rooting. The layers may be of one-year-old (i) or two-year-old wood (2), left 

 entire or shortened (dotted cross-lines). 



Layering for Securing Stocks of Apple, Pear, Plum, and Quince for Budding and 

 Grafting. — ]. Stock plant, kept very low or cut down level with the soil for encouraging as many 

 good shoots as possible ; [a] shoots not layered ; {t) shoots layered. The process here shown is tongue- 

 layering, but the notching process is as commonly practised ; the layers are generally left with one or, at 

 the most, three buds above the soil, as indicated by dotted cross-lines, though sometimes they are left 

 entire. K. A shoot of the previous year's layering then left entire, now detached and planted for 

 budding or grafting in due course. L. A layer of the previous year, then left with three buds above the 

 soil, detached in the autumn following and properly planted. 



Layering Shoot-Tips. — m. Cane from plant of blackberry, with point of the cane bent over and 

 covered with good soil in August ; roots are freely emitted, and in the autumn a strong bud, " crown " 

 or "eye," is formed for next year's growth, the parent cane being severed at the ground level. The young 

 plant can then be planted where desired. Currants and gooseberries may be layered in the same way, 

 selecting the points of firm shoots and layering them in freshly turned soil in summer. Secure with a 

 peg if necessary, and by autumn a quantity of roots will have formed ; the plants can then be detached 

 and transplanted. , 



Suckers.— N. Root stock of filbert; {d) stem sucker, not usually desirable as it can seldoin be 

 detached with good roots ; («) attached sucker produced at some little distance from stem, and with a 

 fair amount of roots, such being suitable; (/) sucker or " spawn" properly detached, and with good 

 roots for lifting and planting. Suckers of similar nature from plum, damson, and other trees are 

 sometimes used for increase of the respective varieties, or for stock. Apple, pear, plum, and quiiice 

 stocks are sometimes raised from suckers. The stock-plants, called " stools," are cut down level with 

 the ground or nearly so, and the resulting shoots, when one year old, are earthed up with good soil 

 about 4 or 6 inches high, and emit roots freely in summer. Lifted in the autumn following and planted 

 they form suitable stocks for budding or grafting in due course. 



