42 MISC. PUBLICATION 568, IT. S. DEP'T. OF AGRICULTURE 



another tree. If the union is successful, the tissues will heal and the bud 

 will develop into a branch. Stem and root cuttings are treated some- 

 what differently in that they are usually layered in sand to induce the 

 formation of new roots and leaves. When these have developed sufficient- 

 ly, the pieces are planted out as individual plants. 



In general, pieces selected for scions, budwood, or cuttings must be not 

 less than 8 inches long. They must be straight, clean-looking, and free 

 from insect pests and diseases. They must be cut at a slight angle with 

 a sharp knife to leave no rough edges. The cut ends can be dipped into 

 melted paraffin to help conserve the moisture. The pieces are then 

 wrapped together in damp (not wet) sphagnum moss so that each piece 

 is entirely surrounded by the moss and so that no two pieces touch. If 

 the moss is too damp, the stems will decay. Each lot is wrapped separate- 

 ly in stout, waterproofed paper, with the ends of the paper lapped over 

 and tied securely to prevent evaporation of the moisture. If the lots 

 are to be kept for any length of time, they must be further protected by 

 a wrapping of moist gunny sacking and a second layer of waterproof 

 paper. For shipping, the package may be inserted in a cardboard mail- 

 ing tube. 



In recent years, budwood and scions have been successfully shipped by 

 enclosing them in cylinders of thin pliofilm. The method can be used 

 only at a base where electricity is available, because the cylinders have 

 to be sealed by a special electric iron. Scions and budwood are also 

 reported to have been shipped safely in thermos bottles. 



Underground portions of plants, like bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes, 

 and fleshy roots, present no great difficulty in shipping, and in general 

 will need only to be loosely wrapped, to prevent bruising, and to be 

 packed in a container that allows plenty of ventilation. If small, they 

 may be packed in dry peat moss within a box. Careful examination is 

 necessary to make certain that such plant parts are free of insect grubs, 

 or rots. 



Many kinds of seed are easily gathered and shipped; they need no 

 particular preparation other than cleaning from pulp, chaff, or other 

 debris. Often, semimature fruits can be collected from the plants and 

 placed in cloth bags to ripen, but the bags must be kept in the sun or 

 over a gentle heat to prevent rotting or mildewing. All pulpy seed must 

 be thoroughly washed and dried. Juicy fruits with numerous small seed 

 may be crushed in water to separate the pulp from the seed. Chaff can 

 be eliminated either by winnowing or passing through a wire sieve. 

 Strawberry fruits may be crushed on pieces of blotting paper and then 

 allowed to dry in a gentle heat. 



Some delicate seed, such as those of citrus, palms, and mangosteen, 

 for example, demand special attention to ensure germination. They 

 must not be allowed to mold or dry out. They keep best when packed 

 in tin cans, between layers of fine peat moss. Soft seed, like those of the 

 avocado, will be preserved better if the peat moss is mixed with finely 

 granulated charcoal. Charcoal checks the growth of molds and can be 

 used to coat such fibrous and pulpy seed as those of the mango and 

 some palms. 



Seed sometimes are affected by atmospheric changes, especially at sea, 

 and consequently must be protected during long shipments. This can 

 be accomplished by wrapping the package securely in waterproof paper. 



The propagation material should always be sufficient in quantity; 

 generally speaking, the minimum should be not less than 12 scions, 

 cuttings, or seedlings; 1 ounce of fine seed, such as tobacco seed; 20 



