THE TASIOUS kinds Or PLANTING HATERIAL. 281 



Origin. — According to its origin planting material for foresters 

 may be either seedlings, or individual rhizomes or root-cuttings or 

 suckers, cuttings or layers. It is not every forest species that can 

 be propagated by layers, still fewer by cuttings, suckers or root- 

 cuttings, and only the grasses by rhizomes. 



In layering, it is best to do so directly in the forest, when there 

 are already some trees on the ground suited for that method of 

 propagation ; and, as a rule, the use of layers for forest purposes 

 should be Hmited to that single case. 



Root-cuttings are awkward things to use and should generally 

 be avoided, except the soil and locality be very favourable and it 

 is only a question of covering the ground as quickly as possible, no 

 matter what the class of forest raised is to be. For successful 

 use of sissu root-cuttings see page 233. 



Rhizomes, provided they are young and not too large, are as 

 suitable as seedlings ; otherwise these last are the very best class 

 of material to use, both because they produce larger, more vigorous', 

 longer-lived and sounder individuals, and because, cuttings of 

 certain species excepted, they are invariably more successful. The 

 exception made above in respect of cuttings refers to the few species 

 which, like willow, figs, Ac, are readily multiplied by that method 

 of propagation. 



Outward form. — According to their outward form planting 

 material may be either rooted or without roots. Cuttings and layers 

 may or may not be rooted, according as they have been previously 

 schooled or not ; but the lower nodes of culms possess adventitious 

 roots, which, when covered with soil, extend themselves and perform 

 all the functions of roots. Transplants of course necessarily com- 

 prise all rooted planting material. Transplants may be used with 

 naked loots or have their roots enclosed in a ball of the original 

 undisturbed earth in which they have grown. Plants from pots 

 or baskets or tiles are special classes of transplants of the latter 

 category. 



Then again transplants may be used more or less completely 

 headed down or with the crown more or less entire. Only seed- 

 lings and rhizomes with developed culms are so headed down. 



Lastly, the stems composing planting material may be used 

 singly or in bunches or bouquets of two or more together. 



Size and age. — The classification, according to size, of rootless 

 cutting has been given on pp. 208-209. Transplants may be 

 divided into three principal size-classes : — (1) small plants, those 

 which are not more than a foot high; (2) middle-sized plants, those 



