298 



PLANT PROPAGATION 



61. Similarly practice the notch method. 



62. Toward spring confine some rabbits or mice around the trunks of 

 seedling or worthless apple trees 3 to 10 years old. and if necessary by 

 withholding food force them to girdle the trees. When the wounds are 

 large enough remove the rabbits and protect the wounds from drying 

 out till the buds of peach and other trees earlier than apple begin to 

 open, then bridge graft. 



63. In the greenhouse or out of doors, practice inarching on any 

 convenient plants. 



64. Herbaceous grafting. — Select vigorous, potato and tomato plants 

 of early varieties about nine inches high. Cut the former stems square 

 across about four inches above ground and split them about IJ^ inches 

 downward. With a sharp knife cut a four-inch tomato cion from the 

 growing tip and make its lower end wedge-shape, to fit the cleft in the 

 potato stem. Tie snugly with raffia and wrap with damp sphagnum. 

 Shade a few days. Note results weekly till the plant matures or dies. 

 Perform a similar operation with tomato as stock and potato as cion. 

 Make critical notes. 



65. Callusing of grafts. — Make grafts of various kinds — splice and 

 cleft at the collar, whip on root, side on root — and after wrapping or 

 waxing according to the method employed, cover with two or three 

 inches of moist sand on the greenhouse bench. In a week or ten days 

 note what has happened and make comparisons. If thought desirable, 

 plant in five-inch pots a week or two later and note results still later. 



66. Making and storing root grafts. — In autumn or early winter, 

 make any convenient number of whole-root and piece-root grafts; tie 

 in bundles of one kind each ; label with variety name, date and stu- 

 dent's name, pack in moist sand and store in a cellar till spring. Make 

 notes ; plant and continue note taking as to development and compar- 

 ison as to growth. 



Budding 



67. Practice dormant budding in spring on seedling stocks grow- 

 ing in nursery rows one or two years. 



68. In midsummer, or somewhat later, select bud sticks from truly 

 named peach trees and shield bud in seedling stocks grown during the 

 same season. 



69. In June or early July practice the same method on apple or 

 cherry stocks. 



70. Within two weeks cut the raffia around all but one or two 

 of the best-looking buds. Make examination of each at intervals of a 

 week and note results. 



Packing Plants for Shipment 



71. Mail shipment of plants. — Place the washed plants with their 

 roots parallel and together in a close pile. Cover all around with, say, 

 one-half inch of sphagnum. Wrap with oiled paper and tie with string 

 at each end. Cover with manila paper, tie with stout cord. Write ad- 

 dress on package and also on a shipping tag to be fastened to the pack- 

 age. A test of good packing is to have the plants in good condition a 

 week or ten days later when unpacked. 



72. Packing express shipment. — Tie loose plants (e. g., cabbage, to- 

 mato) in bundles of 10, 25, 50 or 100, so as to be easily counted and 

 not to be too bulky— say four or five inches in diameter. Have a little 

 wet moss in the center of each bundle. If plants are in pots, water 



