8 BULLETIIT 334^ IT. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Where propagating is to be done on a sufficiently large scale, out- 
door coldframes may be used instead of cutting boxes. Miss Eliza- 
beth C. White, of New Lisbon, N. J., who has brought together the 
best existing collection of selected wild-blueberry stocks, has been 
propagating them with much success in muslin-shaded coldframes 
by the method of tubering, and she has much simplified the handling 
of the cuttings, both before and after rooting. The cuttings are made 
in the late fall, packed in boxes in loose, moist, clean sphagnum moss, 
and stored during the winter in a cool cranberry house at a tempera- 
ture of about 40"^ F. As soon as the frost is out of the ground beds 
of clean sand are laid down in the coldframes and the cuttings are 
pressed into the sand until the upper side is level with the surface. 
The whole is then covered with an inch layer of sifted peat (about 
2 parts) and sand (1 part). The frames are completely shaded by 
muslin on a framework about 7 feet above the ground (PI. VII), and 
ventilation is not begun until most of the shoots are rooted, about 
midsummer. The shades and sash are removed in early October, 
and in late autumn, after most of their leaves have fallen, the rooted 
plants are taken out of the frames, so that these can be made ready 
for a new lot of cuttings very early the next spring. The stronger of 
the rooted plants taken out of the frames are set at once in their 
permanent places in the field plantation. Those less strongly rooted 
are placed in nursery beds at a spacing of about 10 inches each waj^, 
where they remain during the winter and the following growing 
season. 
WINTER CUTTINGS. 
The rooting of leafy cuttings of the blueberry in summer is very 
difficult, because in a temperature above 70° F. the cuttings blacken 
and die. With the aid of a shaded greenhouse, winter cuttings can 
be started early enough to make roots before warm weather comes 
on. Similar results can be secured in coldframes so located, shel- 
tered, and manipulated as to prolong their low temperature as late 
as possible into the season. 
The essentials of a successful coldframe for blueberry propaga- 
tion are: (1) That it be located on the cool, shaded, north side 
of a building or in some other situation where it will not receive 
reflected heat from neighboring structures. (2) The frame must re- 
ceive an abundance of light but no direct sunlight, a condition best * 
secured in the case of isolated frames by the use of clean white 
muslin shades. Frames on the north side of a building will also 
require shade in early morning and late afternoon from March to 
September. On sunless days air*shades should be removed, so that 
the cuttings will receive as much light as possible. (3) There should 
be ample space for the circulation of cool air between the frames 
and the shade. A shade at the height of about 7 feet from the 
