The Nursery-Book: A Complete Guide to the Multiplication and Pollination of PlantsBailey, L. H. (Liberty Hyde)
Science
The Nursery-Book: A Complete Guide to the Multiplication and Pollination of Plants
Bailey, L. H. (Liberty Hyde)
Plant propagation
Single bud or "eye" cuttings are largely used for the
newer and rarer varieties. These are cut from the canes in
the fall, the same as long cuttings, and are stored in boxes of
sand or moss. A month before the weather becomes settled,
these boxes may be taken into a house or greenhouse, or put
in a mild hot-bed, to induce the formation of the callus.
They may then be planted out-doors, and a fair proportion of
most varieties may be expected to grow. The best and commonest
way of handling eyes, however, is to start them
under glass. They are planted horizontally or nearly so and
about an inch deep in sand or sandy earth in a cool greenhouse
in late winter--in February in the northern states--and
in about six weeks the plants will be large enough to pot
off or to transplant into cold-frames or a cool house. If
only a few plants are to be grown they may be started in
pots. When the weather is thoroughly settled, they are
transferred to nursery rows, and by fall they will make fine
plants. There are various ways recommended for the cutting
of these eyes--as cutting the ends obliquely up or
down, shaving off the bark below the bud, and so on--but
the advantages of these fashions are imaginary. A good
eye-cutting is shown in Fig. 50. The foreign grapes are
propagated by eyes in the north.
Soft cuttings are sometimes used to multiply new kinds.
These may be taken in summer from the growing canes, but
the plants are usually forced during winter for the purpose
of giving extra wood. Cuttings are taken off as fast as buds
form during the winter, and they are forced in close frames
with a good bottom heat. The cuttings may comprise two
buds, with the leaf at the upper one allowed to remain,
or they may bear but a single eye, in which case the leaf, or
the most of it, is left on. This rapid multiplication from
small, soft wood usually gives poor plants; but strong plants
may be obtained by allowing the wood to become well
hardened before it is used. Soft cuttings will root in two or
three weeks under good treatment.
In order to secure extra strong plants from single buds,
the eyes may be saddle-grafted or whip-grafted upon a root
two or three inches long. The root-grafts are then treated
in the same way as eye cuttings, only that they are usually
grown in pots from the start.
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