THE IVY. 



method; and even such delicate kinds as the marginatas and others that are 

 usually grafted, may be layered on cocoa-nut waste or sandy peat with the greatest 

 certainty. 



The practice of grafting belongs to nursery practice, and to describe it would 

 be to depart from the plan and purpose of this work. Grafted plants of delicate 

 habited varieties grow faster at first than plants on their own roots, but the last 

 are to be preferred, for it is a quite common occurrence for the green- leaved stock 

 to throw up shoots and kill out the sort grafted on it, unless the mischief is dis- 

 covered in time, and the objectionable root shoots exterminated. As it may be an 

 object sometimes to multiply the variegated sorts rapidly and safely, the following 

 methods are recommended : 



Procure a lot of the sorts required, preferring plants with long shoots, no 

 matter how ugly and thin they may be. Make up a bed of light rich soil, the 

 lighter the better; if surfaced with chopped moss, or some such root-coaxing 

 stuff, it is an advantage. Plunge the pots in this bed all aslant, and peg the long 

 shoots down on the soil. Leave them alone for twelve months, then cut them up 

 and plant out or pot them as may be desirable, using to close in next the roots 

 some very light pulverulent stuff for them to make their first start in. This is 

 magic method No. 1. Now for magic method No. 2. Prepare a lot of large pots 

 with drainage half their depth, and over that fill up with very light stuff of a 

 quality that will be little likely-to go dust-dry, unless much neglected. In July 

 prepare long cuttings, and instead of inserting them upright, as cuttings are 

 usually put in, lay them on the surface and bend them round to fit the shape of 

 the pot, and peg them firm. They will soon make roots at every joint, and if you 

 know how to follow up the practice, you will make as many plants of them as 

 there were leaves in the first instance. 



i 



