236 



SMALL FEUrr CUIiTURIST. 



PROPAGATION. 



By Seeds. — ^Plants are more generally grown from seed 

 than otherwise ; consequently, for reasons previously stated, 

 they are a long time coming into hearing. The fruit 

 should be gathered in the fall, and the seeds separated 

 from the pulp ; then mixed with earth, and buried where 

 they will keep moist, and not be disturbed until the ensu* 

 mg autumn. They will seldom, if ever, germinate the 

 first season ; consequently there is no use of sowing them 

 where it is desii^able to have them grow, and be obliged to 

 cultivate the ground where there are no plants. When 

 the seeds have remained one season in the rot-heap, (to use 

 a gardener's phrase,) take them out and sow in drills, plac- 

 ing the seeds two or three inches apart, and cover two 

 inches deep. The seedlings produce a mass of small 

 fibrous roots, and can be rapidly transplanted in spring or 

 autumn. If bearing plants are at hand, from which buds 

 or grafts can be obtained, then it is better to use the seed- 

 lings as stock. In this case, they should be transplanted 

 from the seed-beds into rows four feet apart, placing the 

 plants about a foot apart in the rows. The seedlings will 

 usually be large enough to work the third year. 



Cuttings.- — These should be made of the one year old 

 wood, and in the same manner as described in the preceding 

 chapter for the Barberry. The cuttings do not root very 

 freely, and to insure even moderate success, the ground 

 should be kept very moist during the early part of the 

 season, or until roots are produced. A deep, moist soil is 

 requisite, and if covered with mulch, so much the better. 



Layees.— This is the most common mode of propagat- 

 ing from bearing plants. Put down the layers in early 

 spring, cutting them as usual with woody plants, and they 

 will generally be sufficiently rooted to be removed from 

 the parent plant in autumn. 



Layers do not usually make as handsome plants, as s^**^d' 



