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JOUENAL OP HOBTIOULTUBB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( January 29, 1874. 



with the eame number of eyes ; out the bottom end of the 

 cutting immediately below an eye, clean and level, without 

 stooping ; the top end to he cut just above an eye. AU eyes 

 are now to be cut clean out except the top two {aeefif/. 1). 



I find the cuttings take better and grow stronger il two or 

 three buds are left on than they do if one only is left. 



Fig. 1.— One-third natnral size. Catting of Manetti ready lor planting 

 n, Lowest bud not cut out, and when planted to be earthed-up to 

 t, Higheat cut-out bud up to which the cutting iB to be inserted in 

 the ground. 



Fig. 2. — One-third natural size, a, Rose shoot with buds, t. Stock showinj; 

 T-cut for bud. c. Bud or shield just cut from shoot. 



The cutting is now ready for planting, and the sooner this 

 ig done the better. I do not mean the same day, but if you 

 let the cuttings lay a few days after preparing you must expect 

 to see unsightly gaps where they have failed. My plan is to 

 mark ont a plot of ground in rows thus : Two rows 18 inches 

 apart, then a space of 3 feet, then two rows of 18 inches apart, 

 and so on till the plot or quarter is full. Having pegged-out 

 the ground, we then set the line, chop out a shallow trench 



with the hoe, and plant the cuttings. As to distance, it is a 

 good deal a matter of taste, but 10 inches is a nice distance ; 

 either an inch or two closer or further apart will be of little 

 consequence. Shghtly lean the tops of the cuttings towards 

 each other in the double or IS-inches-apart rows (see fig. 3). 

 Let the cuttings be inserted in the ground to the topmost cut-out 

 eye {see fig. 1 b), then tread very firmly, and eai'th-up so as 

 to bring the soil level with the lower of the two eyes left intact 

 {fig. 1 a). 



The cuttings may now be left to themselves till the weeds 

 begin to grow, when a scratch-hoeing will be requisite and 

 advisable, both to destroy the weeds and to freshen-up the 

 surfaoe-soU, as the cuttings will be much benefited thereby. 

 Should there be frost and hght rains during the winter it wiU 

 be well, when the soil is dry enough, to walk up the rows and 

 tread firm again, as the frost will be found to have loosened 

 the cuttings, which is not good for them. If heavy rains suc- 

 ceed the frost there will be no need, as it will have made the 

 soil firm enough. September and October are the best months 

 to get-in cuttings, but if you go in for a lot you may keep on 

 planting till the end of the year. The small and rather unripe 

 shoots may be cut into lengths and planted closely in rows to 

 grow into plants for the next year, when they may be planted 

 out during the winter for budding iu the following yeai', or 

 potted to use for grafting iu the spring. 



Fig. 3. — One-half natm-al size. End of double or 18-inches-apart rows. 

 Soil cleared from stocks for budding;. Shows also how to plaut, leaning 

 the tops towards each other. «, Bud inserted, top part of bark cut off so 

 a^ to lit that of stock, (j, Ditto tied. 



There will be nothing else to do till budding time, except to 

 keep down weeds. Do not be in any great hurry, as the 

 Manetti is not so quickly unfit for budding as the Briar, and 

 it is best to bud the Manetti after you have done the Briar. 

 I say after the Briars, as I hope you will not give the Briar 

 quite up ; in fact, you must have it for Teas, &c., for although 

 Teas will do well on the Boursault and some others, still the 

 Briar for Teas and Noisettes. The first week in August is 

 quite soon enough to begin, as I find, if the Manetti is budded 

 too soon in the season, it is Uable to overgrow and cover-up 

 the bud ; besides, you will get better, larger, and stronger 

 buds later in the season, and they will not be so liable to start 

 then. And now, all ye whose backs are long, who measure 

 more than 42 inches round where the fifth button on your 

 waistcoat is, who are liable to bilious attacks, headaches, 

 swimming in the head, rush of blood to the brain, and other 

 such evils that mankind is favoured with — take my advice, 

 Don't go in for budding your own Manetti, but enjoy the 

 good things of this world while ye may, and buy youi- Manetti 

 plants ready worked, because it is possible, nay, probable, that 



