Table Of Content

CHE REFERENCE LIBRARY A project of Volunteers in Asia The Nursery Manual by L,H, Bailey Published by: The MacMillan Company New York USA Available from: out of print Reproduced by permission. l Reproduction of this microfiche document in any form is subject to the same restrictions as thase of the original document. be lllural 1113anuab EDITED BY L. H. BAILEY THE NURSERY-MANUAL THE AL BY L. PI. BAILEY COPHRIGHT, 1896, BY L. H. BAILEY. BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electrotyped. Published January, Igzo. NarfmoS prenre ~1. 6. Gushing Co. - Berwick & 3mith Co. Norwood, hlnsa., U.S.A. I EXPLAXATION 7’111s Manual is thci t,wenty-second edition of the Nursery- Itook, re-rvritten and re-set. The Nursery-Book was first published Carla. in 1591. A rwrision was made in 1896, as a third edition, LVINW thca i)ook was taken over by The Macmillan Co. Since then it TV ~NYW reprinted frequently. For nearly thirty years the book 1~5 t~lljoJ*ctl the confidence of the public even though in the later jrti;1rs it 1~3~ beaded re\ision. The author can hardly expect it to (*ontinncb its carcttr for imother cluart,ey-century ; yet he is glad t0 Iu\*c the opportunity to make it new again. ‘I’Iw INW~ cltbnls oni). with propagation and nursery practice. ‘1’11~ tenlpt;ition is strong to include certain related subjects, but tl~ \vork will proi)al)ly he useful in proportion as it confines itself it) its single purpose. Therefore t.he reader must not. expect to find c?c:icrig w tions of rulti\Tt-ltion, transplanting, the general handling of I)iants. prunivlg, seed-breeding, or pollination ; nor has it seemed list, in a prac*tical munual, to admit discussions of the interesting scientific qu~~stions more or less related to the subject. \‘1’l~n rrqv successor shall revise this book or make a new one, it is to 1~ expected that he will have the results of sufficient matured inx*estig;itions to enable him to pronounce with confidence on man)- of thr practices that now rest only on empirical and t.radi- ticmnl Irnl!its. L. ti. BAILEY. ITtM’a, N.l’. RIq 1, 1919. . (‘11.4 PTER I. SEEDS ASD SHOOTS . . . . . . The phyton . . . . . . . The commerce in seeds . . . . . 11. PROPAGATIOS BY hfEANS OF SEEDS ANC SPORES 1. The requisites and conditions of germination Regulation of moisture . . . . Requirements of temperature . . . Influence of light, on germination . . Regermination . . . . . . Dela.yed germination . . . . Keeping weds . . . . . . 2. Seed-ksting . . . . . . Ttasting for viability . . . . Testing for purity . . . . . The complete seed-test . . . . 3. The handling and sowing of seeds and spores The stratification of seeds . . . . Other preparatory treatment . . a ‘I’ransportaGon of seeds from abroad . Soil diseases ; sterilizing . . . . Sowing the seed , . . . . English advice . . . . * a Sowing spores . . . . . . Forestry practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III. PROPAGATIOX BT MEANS OF SEPARATION AND DIVISION 1. Separation . . . . . . . . 2. Division . . . . . . . - vii PhOEB 1-215 l-10 3-4 5-10 1 l-55 12-24 12-19 19--Lo 20-21 21 21-23 23-24 20-33 24-30 31-32 32-33 33-55 35-37 37-39 3940 40-44 4447 48-50 50-51 51-55 56-68 56-62 62-68 . \ CIiAPTER IV. PROPAGATION HY MEANS OF LAYERS AND I~UNNERS The common or natural layers . . . . The so-called air-layers . . . . . V. PR~PAGATIOX BY MEANS 0~ CUTTINGS . . . 1. General requirements of cutt’ings . . . . Construct,ions for regulating moisture and heat Bot.tom heat . . . . . . . Placing and protecting the cuttings . . . Soil for cut.tings . . . . . . The st.riking of cuttings . . . . . 2. The divers kinds of cutt’ings . . . . . Cut t,ings. of t’ubers . . . . . . C‘uttings of root,s . . . . . . CutStings of leaves . . . . . . Cut’tings of sbems . . . . . . 1. Hardwood dormant cuttings . . . 2. Greenwood cuttings . . . . . VI. PROpAGziTION BY ~IEANS OFBUDDING AND GRAFTING 1. Graftage in general . . . . Classification of graftage . . . Times and methods . . . . 2. Budding . . . . . . Shield-budding . . . . l Other kinds of budding . . . Prong-budding . . . . ?lat,e-budding . . . . The aatch-bud . . . . H-budding . . . . l Flute-budding . . . . Chip-budding . . . . 3. Grafting . . . . . . The whip-graft . . . . . Root&-grafted w. budded stock . Modified whip-grafts . . . The veneer-graft . . . . The cleft-graft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l . . . . . Top-working trees by means of the cleft-graft Ot’her uses of the cleft-graft . . . . PA.GEB 6%79 70-75 76-79 80-l 12 SO-97 83-86 87-88 88-9 1 91-93 93-97 97-l 12 98-99 99-101 101-104 104-l 12 104-107 107-l 12 113-171 113-120 117-119 119-120 121 --I36 122-133 134-136 134 134-135 135 135 135-136 136 136-171 138-144 141-143 143-144 144-146 146-158. 151-157 157-15s hl iscrlla,ruWls forms of grafting Splirc:-graft’ing . . . Sactdlt~-ggraftillg . . . Sidt+graftxing . . . . Shield-grafting . . . Ha,rk-gra!fting . . . Bridge-grafting . . . Inlaying . . . . Cutt,ing-graf t.ing . . . )Ierbaceous-grafting . . Fruit-graft.ing . . . Seed-graft,ing . . . . lnarching . . . . Double-working . . . Grafting-waxes . . . . . . . l . . . . . . . . . l PAQEB . 158-169 . 158 . 158-159 . 159 . 159-16u . 160 . 160-163 . 163-164 . 164-165 . 165-166 . 166 . 166 . 166-167 . 167-169 . 169-171 . 172-215 . 173-179 . 179-182 . 182-184 . 184-185 . 185-186 . 186-187 . 187-190 VII. CERTXIX ELEMENTS IN NURSERY PRACTICE . Nursery lands in relation to preparation . Wades of tree5 . . . . . . St.ocks for grafted fruit-trees . . . The dwarfing of fruit,-trees . . . . Pedigree trees . . . . . . Trimming trees in t,he nursery . . . The skxing of trees . . . . . Imporbant. diseases and insects affecting nursery stock . . . . . . . . Diseases caused by fungi a’nd bacteria . . Fire-blight . . . . . . . Crown-gall . . . . . . - Apple- and pear-scab . . . . . Apple powdery-mildew . . . . - Yellow-leaf disease of cherry a.nd pIurn . - Powdery-mildew of cherry . . . . Xnthracnose of currants and gooseberries . Septoria leaf-spot of currants and gooseberries The gooseberry mildew . . . . - Peach leaf-curl . . . . . . Leaf-blight (Jf pear and quince . . . Septoria leaf-spot of the pear . . . . Ra~wpberry yellows . . . . . . 190-215 192-209 192-194 196196 196-197 197-19s 198-199 199 200 200-202 202 203-204 204-206 206 206-207 r . Raspberry and blackberry anthracnose Black-spot of roses . . I$llilclov~ of rose and ~waoh Insect pests of nursery stock Plant-iice or aphids . . Wc~olly aphis . . . Red-spider . . . Pear psylla . . . Tarnished plant-bug . Apple leaf-hopper ., . San .JosC; wale . . . The pear slug . . . Currant worms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l . 1 l . . . . PART II . . . . . . . . . . l l . , THE NURSERY-LUST . INDEX . y . . . . . . . l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m I . p.-’ OER ‘207 207- 20x 2w --209 209-2 15 209-210 210-211 211-212 212 212-213 213 213-214 214-215 215 217-441 443 LIST OF PTAATES PAGE 1. II I. III. IX. x. xi. x11. A seed nursery. Flower plants grown for the crop of seeds A for&-tree nursery. Seed-beds of white pine seedlings two years old . . . . . . . . l*ropngation of hydrangeas. House in July ; the stock was marketed t,he following autumn . . . . Straddle-row tillage in the nursery . . . . . Tying or wrapping root-grafts by machinery . . . A nursery of orna.mental stock ; t,rimming . . . A g:ootl stand of blue spruce . . . . . . A fruit-tree nursery, showing trees two years from the bud . . . . . . . . . . Two-ytw budded cherry, on mazzartl and mahaleb . First-class dwarf apple stock - at left two-year whole- root grafts . . . . . . . . . ! SorstGcllp in thtb nursery. Fitting lh lunrl for nursery stock. Digging by mule-power . . . . . Nurstbry p:u*king-room, ready for the equipment . . 10 . 50 81 112 139 173 201 220 277 333 387 423 . ANUAL PR.OPAGATION CHAPTER I SEEDS AND SHOOTS THE earth is clothed with plants. ,411 these plants are the rrsults of propagation. ~+ints perpetuate themselves and increase their numbers by many means. These means are sexual (by seeds and some kinds of spores), and asexual (by vegetative parts) l Seeds are the results of the fertilization of the ovule (strictly of the egg-nucleus of the ovulej by the germ-nucleus of the pollen-grain. The ovule, with its integuments and perhaps with adhering parts, ripens into the seed. Of many forms, sizes and colors are the seeds of plants. So various are they that we Gsnalizt~ no seed-form, as we visualize heart-form or rose- form, and many of them are hardly recognizable. Yet they all have this in common, that they contain a dormant or quiescent embryo. Thi9 embryo is a rudimentary or minut.e plant. When the conditions are right for the plantlet to resume its growth, we Say that the seed germinates. Sot only does the seed reproduce the parent, but it disperses the species. In fact, the word disaminute means to sow or scatter seeds, although we now disseminate knowledge as well as seeds. Tl- w act of-falling from the receptacle placer; the seed in a dit-ferent position from that of its parent stock. Often the seed is carried by wind, being whirled by means of wings, as in 1mlplu and ash ; floated by means of down or plumes, as in thistle, dandelion and poplar; driven on the snow and ice from stalks that stand stifi in the winter. It may be carried u 1 2 THE NURSERE’-MANUAL on the coats of mids and ill clot.hing, holding fast by hooks id hrbs of nxuny kinds. Some seeds are ejected forcibly from i-licbir capsule, as in the jewel-weed or touch-me-not and the witch-hazel. lU:my seeds and fruits are carried long distances in ocean currents ; the coconut is the familiar citation. Seeds are transported ill the removal of earth, by the commerce in many commodities and by floods that denude the land and carry awq* its substance. All over the earth the seeds have traveled. Vlear a piece of land ever so’ carefully, till it until all the germinating seeds are killed, remove all the trees and mow the land for miles around, then leave the place alone for a few years, and behold the vegetation that arises ! Marvelous :-tre the seeds : each one is an epitome of the species condensed into the minutest space, fashioned every one of its own kind, holding within its coats the possibilities of life on the planet. Everywhere they abound, so common and so familiar that they pass unnoticed. We have never thought of a world without seeds. The abundance of seeds is one of the most significant facts in nature. E-cry kind of tree and bush and herb yields such numbers that it might populate the earth. Branches bend with seeds ; often the winds are 1adel.l with them ; they rattle along the ground and pile themselves in the still places. The seeds of begonias and orchids are as dust. Thus are the chances multiplied that the species will not fail. In all this profusion one cannot conceive that sufficient seed will not fall on good ground to give the plant its chance to persist and to yield its fruit after its kind. Sature is prodigal in propagation. We do not fear that vegetation will cease from the earth. Yet as abundant as are the seeds, seeming to make f:ailure impossible, they may not germinate readily even in a state of nature. Many kinds are contained in impervious and stone- like coverings that are penetrated or broken only with di%culty ; and the casings may have’to rot away or be cracked by frost SEEDS AND SHOOTS 3 or accident before the plantlet can escape. Other kinds have a more or less definite period of dormancy, within which time they will not germinate even though conditions are favorable. Seeds of many of the wild herbaceous perennials will not germinate till the following spring. Other seeds lie in the ground two or three years before germination. On the other hand, the seeds of some species germinate at once on maturity, even while on the parent plant as in the case of the mangrove. Special soils or other media, as to acidity, alkalinity or other qualities, may be necessary for germination and growth, or pil~tic~lll:~r tl’WtI1l~Ilt, as etherization, may yield new results ; arldi it1 sww plants, as the orchids, it is now supposed that certain fungi are necessary to germination. Thus far, the knowledge of conditions and aptitudes is chiefly empirical, mostly the result of repeated and repeated trials, with their failures and successes. We must always learn these requisite conditions by experience ; yet we are gradually dis- covering a rational basis for our operations, and we may expect marked progress it1 this direction in the years to come, render- ing the propagatiot~ of plants more definite and predictable. ‘I’1 115 PHYTON It is not alone by seeds that plants multiply themselves. Many kinds rarely produce good seeds, and some of the culti- vated species are multiplied practically exclusively by the non- sexual and vegetatii.e parts. Familiar examples are the sweet potato, horse-radish, sugar-cane in the United States, banana. Some species seem to be losing the power to produce seeds with the enormous artificial development of other parts, as the Irish potato. We may liken a plant to a colony of potential individuals, one individual being perhaps a node and a leaf, one growing on arMher and the aggregation making up a complex organism.