26 o 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
PROPAGATION -BEST METHODS. 
Address by John F. Sneed, Tyler, Tex., Before the Texas Nursery 
men’s Association —Summary of Practice in the South — 
Force Budding in June — Persimmons, Figs, Pome¬ 
granates, Cape Jasmine, Mulberries, Mag . 
nolias —As to Grafts. 
The following paper on “ Propagation—Best Methods ” was 
read by John F. Sneed, of Tyler, Texas, at the recent annual 
meeting of the Texas Nurserymen’s Association at College 
Station Tex : 
I do not know that I shall advance any ideas on propagation 
that are not generally known to most nurserymen. A great deal 
that I have learned is from experience, which you know, is 
often a hard teacher. If I can be of any benefit to any inex¬ 
perienced brother, will cheerfully render assistance, but will 
say that I have a vast amount to learn myself in regard to best 
methods. As you know cuttings, grafting and budding 
are only done to produce the desired variety as there is no 
certainty in the production from the seed. Of course there 
are certain things that have been kept isolated from like 
species, and kept pure that will produce. Nearly all fruits 
have been contaminated in some way that makes the seedling 
very uncertain. 
There are five methods which are in use in propagating 
stock : that is, by grafting, budding, layering, cuttings and 
from the seed. I deem budding the best method for propagat¬ 
ing peach trees, as do other nurserymen, and it is more gen¬ 
erally practiced; though good trees may be grown from graft¬ 
ing or cuttings. The first important step in growing peach 
stock,—be careful to get good sound clean seed, the smaller 
the better, as you get so many more per hushel. Bed them 
out or plant them in early fall, in moist earth to insure a good 
stand in the spring. If seed cannot be procured till in Decem¬ 
ber or January, the seed should be soaked in water 24 hours 
before planting or bedding, and be sure to let the earth come 
in contact with the seed so they will not dry out. The better 
plan is to always plant or bed in early fall. There is no use 
to plant dry seed after January, for they will not come up till 
the following year. The seed bedded out should be planted 
in nursery as soon as possible, before they begin to sprout. 
The land should be prepared well and if fertilizer is used, do 
not deposit it in a furrow with the seed, as some strong heat¬ 
ing manures are liable to kill the seed in germination. 
Trees for May or June budding should be extra well culti¬ 
vated and fertilized. Force budding should commence as 
soon as the stock is large enough to receive the bud. If seasons 
are favorable ten days are long enough for the bud to take 
hold, and then the top should be cut off just above the bud, 
and it will force out immediately. A great deal of danger to 
stock attends force budding in June if not properly under¬ 
stood, as the leaves are the lungs of the trees. The buds should 
be inserted above a limb or some leaves so that when top is 
cut off there will be plenty of leaves for the stock to breath 
through, else the stock will perish or be injured by the severely 
hot weather. Some suckers should be left on the stock till 
the bud is 6 or 8 inches, then the stock can be trimmed clean, 
as the bud will have sufficient leaves to give a healthy respi¬ 
ration to the tree. In early spring when the weather is not so 
hot, buds can be inserted next to the ground and forced out 
as dormant buds are without any danger to stock. As you 
know, budding can be done at any season of the year, when 
there is sufficient sap so the bark can be raised by knife or 
quill. Plums, apricots, prunes, almonds, etc., are generally 
propagated as peach trees are; all can be grown on peach, 
marianna, or other plum stocks. Great many plums are 
g-afted on piece roots during winter, or ground grafted in 
Spring, which do as well as budded trees. Japanese plums 
and apricots do not live well for me grafted, but do extra well 
budded. 
Apples should be grafted early, say, in January or February, 
and I think it a good idea to line them out in nursery as they 
are made if weather is favorable; if not, bury them in damp 
spagmum moss, sand or saw dust, but be sure not to have 
either very wet, as it will sob or sour the grafts, etc., and they 
should be put away in cellar or shelter so as not to be exposed 
to rainy cold weather. I use good seedlings for grafting and 
try to have the pin and stock about the same size, so as to 
make a perfect union. If done early I prefer them, wrapped 
with a waxed cloth, as it will prevent them throwing out such a 
strong callous, and causing an enlargement at the union 
which is not good for the health of the tree. If grafting is 
done late, trees will be better wrapped with a waxed string, 
and the callous is not so strong. In grafting apples I cut off 
tops of seedlings, leaving about two inches of root, which I 
transplant in nursery and bud in summer or fall, very close to 
the ground. In the following year these buds make the finest 
and most vigorous trees that I grow, having a finer system of 
roots. I have better success with pears by planting seedlings 
and budding to them, and what buds fail to live the seedling 
can be ground grafted in the spring. Growing pears from 
cuttings, or grafting on piece roots is a very uncertain way to 
grow them in my locality. 
To grow Japanese persimmons, I plant the seed of the 
native persimmon, and at one year old run tree-digger under 
them and cut their roots, which causes them to branch very 
much. The seedlings I ground graft in spring. Foot pruned 
persimmons are sure to live in transplanting. I think pecans 
and walnuts will do well if root pruned in this way. Mulber¬ 
ries I graft on cuttings of Morus Multicanlis, making the stock 
or cuttings three or four inches long, and the pin about same 
length. I prefer the scions to the root to graft on, as they 
root readily. Cherries can be grown well by grafting on piece 
roots of the Mahaleb, and make a very nice tree at one year 
old. I left a thick row of Mahaleb trees in my nursery to bear 
seed. When the seed fall down under the trees in the shade 
and are covered, they come up by the thousands every spring. 
These I transplant in nursery during a wet spell in spring and 
they look large enough to bud first year. The buds that fail 
to take I use seedling in ground grafting, or grafting indoors. 
Quinces, I grow from cuttings or by grafting a small apple 
root on end to start them. Figs, grapes, and pomegranates 
are grown from cuttings, except the Scuppernong grape, 
which can only be grown successfully by layering, all which 
should be put out early in winter. Raspberries are grown 
best from tips. Austin-Mayes dewberries can be grown well 
from tips and root cuttings. Blackberries do best from root 
cuttings. Chestnuts should be kept in moist earth all winter ; 
never allowed to get dry or they will not come up. Chinque- 
pins should also be kept moist and planted in nursery row at 
once ; they are liable to come up at any time. It is best not 
to let walnuts, pecans and other nuts get thoroughly dry ; if 
