582 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
THE PROPAGATION OF ORNAMENTAL NURSERY STOCK 
By W. H. Wyman, North Abington, Mass. 
Trees of all kinds, fruit, deciduous and evergreen, are 
ornamental; but these will be eliminated in this discussion, 
although for the most pai*t they are propagated precisely as 
are those popularly known as ornamental stock: viz.,, 
broad-leaved evergreens, deciduous shrubs and herbaceous 
plants. All the types (species) of broad-leaved evergreens 
are raised from seed while hybrids are propagated by 
budding or grafting the seedlings, or by layerage. The last 
is the slower of these methods and is less frequently adopted 
by commercial nurserymen. Not to any considerable 
extent are Rhododendrons grown in America. In Holland, 
Belgium and England, 
so far as our observa¬ 
tion goes, all hybrids 
are grafted for the most 
part on A. Ponticum 
seedlings of about two 
summers’ growth. This 
is done in the winter, 
under glass. In the 
spring they are planted 
out in beds, again to be 
transplanted a second 
time into nursery rows 
and the third year they 
are sufficiently large 
for sale. 
Our chief interest is 
in the propagation of 
deciduous shrubs and 
herbaceous plants. Of 
the various methods 
o f propagating this 
class of stock the following should be mentioned as the 
most general: By sowing seeds, the seed method; layer¬ 
ing, cuttings, both hard and soft wood; by divisions and 
by budding or grafting. 
“Balling” Conifers for shipment in a Southern Nursery 
country, because it is too slow for commercial purposes. In 
Holland shade trees are to quite a considerable extent pro¬ 
duced in this way. The advantage is uniformity of excel¬ 
lence in quality while seedlings admit in some cases of great 
variations. While we believe it to be true that in this coun¬ 
try little ornamental stock is produced in this way, the 
writer is acquainted with one firm of repute who grow 
Hydrangea p. g. in considerable quantities wholly by this 
method. This is a marked exception to the general rule. 
It is our opinion that while the seed method is the most 
natural it is, as before stated, as difficult of mastery as any 
of the methods of prop¬ 
agation. The first step 
in seed propagation is 
the procuring of the 
seeds. Then they must 
be properly treated. If 
the seeds are easily sep¬ 
arated from pulp or 
chaff like Syringa Jap- 
onica there is little to 
be done; simply put 
them in a cool place, 
safe from the ravages 
of mice, to await the 
day of planting. They 
must not be allowed to 
become too dry. If the 
seeds are encased in 
pulp; it is best that 
they be thoroughly 
washed out and strati¬ 
fied or planted imme¬ 
diately. Which of these two methods is the better it is im¬ 
possible to say. We would recommend what we have 
learned by experience the planting of a part in the fall and 
the stratifying of the remaining half for spring planting. 
THE SEED METHOD 
Of all these methods the first is the most natural; but it 
cannot be adopted only so far as the propagation of types is 
concerned. The seeds of all hybrids cannot be relied upon, 
only to reproduce their original types. For example, 
Ligustrum regelianum seeds as profusely as the ibota.the 
type from which it sprang; but the seedlings will all be 
ibota with possibly some variations, but never regelianum. 
While the seed method of propagation is the most natural of 
all methods, we believe it one that requires as much pains¬ 
taking study as any. Over against this in the order of 
naturalness is the stooling or layering method, the simplest 
or least difficult oEany; but not much in vogue in this 
FALL VERSUS SPRING PLANTING 
The advantages of immediate or fall planting are these: 
So much work is out of the way. Secondly, the seeds are in 
the ground ready to begin germination at the earliest possi¬ 
ble moment. If nothing happens to injure them, the seed¬ 
lings will be larger than will be the case if the seeds are not 
sown at the earliest date practicable in the spring. This 
method is beset with dangers, first that field mice and moles 
will find the bed a very desirable habitation for the winter 
with the result that the seeds are eaten up. Then again 
there is another danger which must -not be overlooked 
though it may seldom occur. In the fall of 1905, we planted 
all of our seeds of the various types of roses. Ordinarily we 
