226 OX THE CCtTURE OF CAME, LIAS. 



Soil. — I never have the soil sifted, but broken well with the 

 spade ; this admits the water to pass through readily, whereas when 

 the soil is finely sifted, it soon closes up, the water becomes stag- 

 nant in it, and renders it sour and unhealthy, unless a considerable 

 portion of sand be added, which makes the compost too poor for 

 the healthy growth of the plants. The following proportions of 

 compost I grow them in most vigorously. To a barrowful of turfy 

 loam two years old from the time of pairing from the pasture or 

 common land, I add half a barrowful of well-rotted hotbed dung, 

 half a barrowful of peat and leaf mould, and a quarter of a bar- 

 rowful of fine white sand, usually called Calais sand. This is 

 suitable for plants of all ages. 



Propagation. — This is readily done either by cuttings, layers, 

 inarching, grafting, budding, or the seeds. The best plan of in- 

 creasing any of the kinds is by inarching, being the most certain 

 method. 



Cuttings. — The single red for stocks to inarch upon is easily 

 struck. Plants of other kinds raised from cuttings do not always 

 tow so vigorously, as when they are inarched, grafted, or budded 

 upon stocks of the single red. This kind producing a much greater 

 proportion of fibrous roots than the other kinds do, consequently a 

 greater quantity of food is received by the plant. The best period 

 for taking off the cuttings is, when the new shoots have reached 

 their length of growth, and the wood is become firm, then I cut 

 them off horizontally, close at the place where they pushed from 

 last, cuttings of this description are generally to be obtained about 

 May, or early in June. Loam and white sand, in equal propor- 

 tions is suitable for striking in. The pots are always well drained, 

 after inserting them tightly into the soil, they are placed in a cool 

 frame for a week, and then plunge 1 in a hotbed frame, or bark 

 pit. When they have struck root, which is usually indicated by 

 the pushing of new shoots ; they are potted off into small pots in 

 the compost above named, and placed in a greenhouse or cool 

 frame, where they can be shaded for a short time. As the plants 

 advance in growth, they are repotted every year. 



Budding. — This is done in the usual method of budding other 

 trees. A hud is selected from a young vigorous shoot that has 

 perfected its wood. After budding, the plants are placed in a 

 gentle hotbed frame, turning the buds from the sun. When the 



