130 A MANUAL OF FORESTRY. 



into the ground can be done in various ways, such as 

 placing the slips in furrows and covering them by 

 drawing a second furrow with the plough; they may 

 also be placed in ditches, trenches, pits, or each slip 

 simply pushed into the ground to the required depth. 



When entire slips are used, only the lower portion 

 is inserted into the ground ; of truncated slips only a 

 small part remains above the surface. In order to insure 

 striking and a proper development, the ends of the 

 slips should be cut sharply and smoothly in a slanting 

 direction, and each slip must contain some buds, of 

 which at least one, or better several, must be above 

 ground ; those below ground may be nipped off. It is 

 also essential that the bark should not be injured at the 

 ends ; hence pushing the slips into the ground without 

 a previous opening is only admissible in very loose soil. 



The best time for planting slips is early spring, 

 shortly before the buds begin to swell, though they can, 

 under favourable circumstances, be planted at other 

 times, even during the growing season. The roots 

 formed after planting Come from the callus produced at 

 the lower end or from the bark. 



In England the stools of osier beds are recruited 

 by slips, which are mostly entire; on the Continent 

 truncated slips are used in preference. 



2. Layers. 



Layers are branches, or stool shoots, which have been 

 bent down and partly buried in the soil ; they develop 

 roots at the buried portion, and when this has taken 

 place, they are severed from the mother tree and 

 represent independent plants ready to be put out. The 



