CHAP. VI VILLA GARDENING 43 



should be taken as soon as the leaves fall, be cut to the required 

 length (from 6 inches to 8 inches), and laid in a cool, shady border, 

 and be finally planted out as opportunity offers. 



In planting the cuttings, only a small portion may appear above 

 groimd. A single bud will be sufficient, as the more there is ex- 

 posed to the drying influence of the atmosphere the greater will be 

 the evaporation, and the difficulty of keeping a branch of a tree 

 alive exposed to drying winds will be great ; but if the cuttings are 

 inserted in the earth nearly full length, and if, in addition, when 

 a difficult time comes of dry, frosty winds in March, a thin mulch- 

 ing of dry litter or partially decayed leaves be employed, the cut- 

 tings will be perfectly safe, and the formation of roots will proceed 

 quietly and surely. 



Layering. — Very many trees and shrubs (in fact most of them) 

 will form roots if the shoots are simply bent down and firmly 

 secured in the soil at the base of the plants ; but the rooting is 

 fixcilitated and hastened by notching or splitting the stem that is 

 brought down to be layered about the centre of the part buried in 

 the earth. The whole process is a very simple one. In the nur- 

 sery the stools from which the layers are taken are thinly planted, 

 leaving space all round their circumference to peg down the young- 

 shoots which are annually thrown up. Thus the shoots grown 

 this year will be layered some time before growth begins, and a 

 new forest of young shoots will spring up from the old stool when 

 those of the previous year are pegged down ; and so it goes on year 

 after year — one set of shoots are pegged down, forming roots, to be 

 severed from the parents as soon as that is accomplished, another 

 set is growing up to be operated on in the following year. But 

 where only a few plants are required — for instance, say we have 

 a choice Rhododendron, and we want a yoimg plant of it — a 

 young shoot may be bent down to the ground ; have a notch 

 half through the stem cut in the lower side — the upper side will do 

 if more convenient, or a slit will answer as well — cutting upwards 

 half through the stem, and then peg the shoot down, burying the 

 wounded part 3 inches or 4 inches in the ground, making all firm. 

 Nearly everything will root from cuttings, and layers are even more 

 certain than cuttings, because the connection with the parent is 

 continued till the roots are formed. 



Grafting is a more expeditious way of increasing choice shrubs 

 and trees than layering. All the choice variegated Hollies are 

 grafted upon the common green variety. All the choice named 

 varieties of Rhododendrons are grafted, and so are many of the 

 conifers ; but no useful purpose would be answered by going fully 

 into this subject here, as a propagating house, or at least a close 



