THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 35 
Or 
and seeds. The latter is the most simple way of raising a stock, but 
when it is desired to increase any particular kind, one of the other 
methods mentioned must be resorted to ; to raise a stock by layering, 
select early in May strong clean shoots, tongue them at a convenient 
point, and peg them down in the soil surrounding the bush, and in 
doing this bury about four inches of the stem two or three inches 
below the surface, and as far as practicable the tongue should be in 
the middle of the portion of the stem buried. In some cases the 
layers may be removed in the following October; but as a rule they 
should not be detached until twelve or eighteen mouths after laying 
e shoots down, for they will then have become so well furnished 
with roots that they will not feel the removal. Cuttings of rather 
small portions of firm short-jointed wood strike freely if taken in 
August and inserted in sandy soil. In the case of choice varieties 
the cuttings may be dibbled thickly in pans or boxes, and be placed 
in a cold frame, where they can remain until the following spring, 
but cuttings of the commoner sorts should be inserted in a par- 
tially shaded border out-of-doors, and be allowed to remain in the 
cutting-bed for twelve months, to afford them time to become well 
rooted. In raising seedlings, sow in pans or boxes in April or May, 
when the berries are removed from the plants, and place in a cold 
frame, or in a shady position out-of-doors, as may be the most con- 
venient. 
- Until the seedlings are large enough to be removed to the nursery 
bed, or be potted off separately, the seed-pans will require no 
attention beyond maintaining the soil in a moderately moist state, 
and in keeping the surface free from weeds. Sometimes a portion 
of the seedlings will not make their appearance until twelve or 
eighteen months after the seed has been sown, and therefore there 
must be no haste in emptying the seed-pans and boxes. Young 
plants raised from cuttings, layers, or seedlings should remain in 
nursery beds two or three years after they have been propagated, to 
give them time to become nice bushes before being planted in the 
shrubbery borders. 
Standards for conservatory decoration are readily formed by 
taking up straight stems to a height of about two feet, and then cut- 
ting the tops off to induce them to break out and form neat heads. 
The choice kinds can be quickly converted into standards by graft- 
ing them upon clean stems of the desired height of the common 
form. The straight shoots which push from the base of vigorous 
specimens are readily detached from the parent, and make excellent 
stems. In arranging Aucubas in the borders, a few examples of the 
male varieties should be planted at intervals, and if this is done, 
insect agency will accomplish all that need be done in the fertiliza- 
tion of the flowers, and a plentiful crop of berries will be secured. 
“It may be added that well-berried examples, lifted from the open 
ground in October, and put in pots, may be turned to good account 
in the embellishment of the conservatory, the sitting-room, and 
front hall, from the time the berries take on their brilliant colouring 
until the spring is far advanced. Rang 
There are about twenty-five varieties in cultivation, but such a 
December. 
