The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming. by Ellen Eddy Shaw
page 190 of 297 (63%)
page 190 of 297 (63%)
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When fall comes around uncover the stool. There will be found a number
of new shoots or plants all nicely protected. These may be transplanted. Do you know that stool can be used over again? "This work of layering is really very simple. Myron used it with his strawberries. The runners were bent and buried just as those of the gooseberry I spoke of. In this way new strawberry plants were obtained. One shoot may be bent and buried more than once. So one may get just as easily two or more new plants from one shoot. This seems as much a miracle as the cross fertilization of plants. "The fifth method is that of budding. Apple, peach, plum, cherry and pear trees may be budded; so, too, may roses. "In a word, a bud is taken from some desirable tree and inserted within the bark of a tree either less desirable or young. Young fruit trees, as you know, need some help before they produce good fruit. Now if George had at home a peach tree which bore very fine fruit he would be glad to cross a young tree with this. Budding is a kind of crossing. "This work should be done in the spring, although it may be done in the fall. But the spring is a more limber time with Nature. Sap is begining to flow; life is new and fresh again; all the plant world is ready to start up and do something. Then, too, the bark of trees should be in as flexible a condition as possible. The two things really necessary for the work are mature buds and bark easy to peel. "Buds should be taken from the very strongest and best twigs of the last year's growth. The little seedlings in which the buds are to be inserted should be one year old. These are called the stock. |
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