The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-24
WASTE LANDS.
jackson Dawson Advises Their Purchase
for Forestry Purposes.

The meeting of the Horticultural So
ciety yesterday was addressed by
Jackson Dawson of the Arnold Arbor-
etum on the subject, The propagation
of trees and plants" rhe attendance
was very large, the library room be-
ing filled by the members of the So
ciety and those interested in the sub
Jeot. In part Mr.. Dawson said
Trees and plants are either grown
from cuttings or seed and seedlings are
usually found to be the most satisfac-
| tory in regard to hardihood. The seed
should be selected with care from
healthy plants, and should be planted
While fresh or as soon after gathering
as possible. 1t is found that seed
brought from colder climates to the
warmer are more liable to produce
| hardy plants than those coming from
| warmer countries. If the seeds are not
fresh, they are likely to be slow in
terminating, taking from two to three
| seasons to push up from the ground.
If 1t is not possible to plant them
| at once, the seed should be packed in
| sand and kept in cool place until
| spring. Hard dried seed should be
| soaked in hot water before planting.
The soil should be loamy we'll fertil-
lied and pulverized. The land for
young plants should be sheltered from
the north and west by walls or hedges.
| Seed should never he sown in wet or
dry ground. The soil should be III
such condition as to be raked with
| out clods forming, and supply of wa
| ter should be kept near at hand for
| the lightly rooted plants during the
| dry spell.
For plants terminating carly in the
year, the ground should be covered
| with a layer of pine needles or straw
\ to keep off the heavy spring rains. The
rows should be kept free Of weeds and
should be planted far enough apart
as to allow of being easily worked
either by hand or by horse power.
Many trees may be grown from
cuttings, either from the stems OF
roots. Some that are found rot to grow
we'll from stem cutting may be
propagated from pieces of the
roots. The fall is the best time &c
make hard wood cuttings, though the
work may be carried on up to March
| The soft wood cuttings should be made
in the spring or summer.
All trees may be grated and many
| Of the fruits are kept up by that
method, for by grating, weak varie-
ties are made strong ard old trees are
used as bases for the formation of new
| growths It is not well, however, to
| graft a plant that can be grown as
well by any other method. The best
season for out doors grating is from
March to June, and from September on
indoors. Midsummer grating is not
| to be recommended either in or out
doors. 1t is as necessary in grating
to know the kind of stock TO use as ii
il to know how to graft.
The meeting was thrown open to
questions, and Mr.. Dawson answered
several inquiries about the growing OF
ornamental and forest trees and sug-
gested a purchase by the state of waste
lands to be used for the propagation
of desirable forest trees. He thought
it would be an easy matter to get the
| farmers sons interested in the work
and have them raise the young trees
for transplanting in the open.
The subject for the discussion next
week will be, "The education of chill
dren" and the address will be made
by Mrs. Della f. Corey of Northboro.