222 PEACTICAL GAKDENING. 



plants, shrubs, trees, and bulbs, where there is any peculiarity 

 or excellence to perpetuate, we cannot depend on seed pro- 

 ducing the same, even if we can procure it, but must resort to 

 other means. These means are, first, layering, which is 

 inducing side branches to root in the ground, independent of 

 the parent, and then cutting them ofi" ; offsets, which are side- 

 root shoots, which in time separate themselves, as in the case 

 of bulbs, tubers, and suckers, which make an effort of them- 

 selves to increase ; grafting, which is attaching a piece of a 

 branch to a stock, or wild tree of the same family, or some- 

 thing allied to it, but more plentiful; budding, which is 

 attaching a bud of the tree to be propagated to a wild plant 

 or stock that it will grow on ; by cuttings, which is inducing 

 a piece of the tree or plant to be propagated to form roots for 

 itself; parting the roots, which in some plants continue to 

 spread out so that pieces may be detached with part of the 

 plant ; by eyes, which are small pieces of the wood of 

 the plant mth buds on each, &c. — all of which plans woidd 

 have to be adopted in the increase and perpetuation of the 

 various races of plants cultivated in even a moderate-sized 

 garden. 



Layering. — One of the most natural means of propagating 

 almost all kinds of trees, shrubs, bushes, and hard-wooded 

 plants, is that of layering, which may be easily understood, 

 when we notice that on taking up an old shrub, that has been 

 growing for years on the spot, the bottoms of many of the 

 branches that happen to have been covered have emitted 

 roots, and that, by cutting off close to the old one all such as 

 have rooted, we make so many new plants. This merely 

 shows that if the branches of many different trees be bent 

 down under the surface of the soil, they will in time throw 

 out roots, and when they have done so, they are capable of 

 supporting themselves if cut off from the parent plant. 

 Seeing then that time will accomplish the object without any 

 means being used beyond fastening them under the surface, 

 and that without taking any pains whatever the shrubs and 

 bushes will of themselves furnish young plants by the mere 

 operation of self-rooting where accident has covered the 

 bottoms of them, all we have to consider in the process of 

 layering is to use means that will hasten the emission of 

 roots, and take pains to subject as many branches as possible 

 to the operation. 



