The Arizona sentinel., 1889-01-12
TREES AND SHRUBS.
Their Successful opagation by Means c
 Cuttings.


 Their Successful Propa gation by Means of Cuttings.
 The easiest and most economical, if
 not the surest and quickest, way of
 propagating most kinds of bushes that | produce fruit, vines, several kinds of
 lowering shrubs and many varieties of
 trees is by means of cuttings. A supply
 of berry bushes can be readily obtained
 in this way at a nominal cost. If the
 cuttings can not be obtained near home
 they can generally be procured from 1 friends at distance for the cost of
 transportation. The lilac, snowball,
 honeysuckle, 'syringia, and spirea can
 all be profitably propagated in the
 same way, but they require more att
 tention. They all need some protec-
 tion from the direct rays of the sun
 the first summer after they are placed
 in the ground. This may be effected
 by means of a board fastened to
 stakes and placed on the south side
 of the row and at the distance
 of few inches from it. This will
 afford shade during the summer and
 prevent injury from wind during the
 winter It will also cause snow to
 will protect the cuttings from the cold.
 The board, with the stake to which it
 IS fastened, can be removed at the end
 ot the year, as the cuttings will then
 be well rooted and the new growth of
 wood can endure exposure to the sun.
 Many kinds of trees, as the willow,
 sycamore, poplar. alder and cotton
 wood, can be propagated by cuttings.
 A branch of the willow, if cut late in the fall or early in the spring, will hardly ever fail to grow if it is stuck into soil that is permanently moist.
 The like is true of a branch of the Lombardy or silver-leaf poplar. They contain large amount of starchy sub- stance that enables them to throw out branches and form leaves before any roots have been formed. The presence of this substance explains why sprouts appear on logs cut from willow tree and left on dry ground exposed to the wind and sum- Cuttings of cottonwood, sycamore and alder will not grow as readily. because they contain less of this substance and they must be treat ed with more care. In planting them the object should be to produce roots as quickly as possible, for unless they are formed very early in the spring the cuttings will die. Few of what are known as the hardwood trees can be grown from cuttings, as they are de- ficient or entirely wanting in material to form roots and branches. Some can be prOpagated by layers, but most of them must be produced from seed.
 Cuttings should be made from the wood produced the previous season, though a branch of willow will grow under favorable circumstances if it is several years old. The best cuttings of berry bushes and towering shrubs are obtained by severing them from a point below the surface of the ground. Taken off in this way some roots " III O1OC1 OG IOULO dGUdCnco GO | them which will enable them to grow as soon as they are placed in the ground. Cuttings of most bushes, shrubs and trees should be not less than six nor more than twelve inches | in length. They ordinarily do best when there is a strong bud near the lower end. One long sprout will often make several cuttings. A very sharp | knife should be used for cutting it into | pieces. The soft unripe wood near the top should be rejected. The bottom cutting ordinarily succeeds best. From now till the time when the ground freezes IS a favorable season for secur- ing cuttings. They can be divided into the proper lengths, and tied into bundles of a hundred or more. They can be kept till spring in cellar or pit or simply buried in the ground. In either case the bundles should stand in an upright position and kept from becoming dry.
 Cuttings prepared in the fall and preserved as above directed will have ! callus form at thelr base from which 'oOts will issue when they are set out. They should be put in the ground as soon as it is in good condition to work n rows eighteen to twenty-four inches tpart. Not more than six inches of space is needed between them. A rench to set them in can be made with spade. Not more than one inch of he cutting should project above the urface of the ground, which should be pressed close against it. No cultiva- ion is required except to keep the rround free from weeds and grass. The soil in which cuttings are growing hould be kept moist If the season is Try it is best to cover the surface of he ground with freshly-cut grass or oarse manure that does not contain he seeds of weeds. It is generally est to let the cuttings stand at least wo years in the rows when they were tarted before they are transplanted. f the alternate ones are taken up the 'thers can remain till they attain a arger size. By giving good attention o them not more than one in twenty 7ill fail to grow. - Chicago TGnaes.
 How to Destroy Ants. Prof. Cook, of the Michigan Agri- ] ,11 1t,,ro1 TO1Io0o cove. CT tpia6 11iC1,1-