304 THE NURSERY. [MARCH 



as given in the sketch, are supposed to be stout piles, six in number, 

 driven into the ground at an angle of about 45, at a sufficient distance 

 from the tree to prevent cattle from reaching the stem or branches. 

 The uprights should be about three feet six inches out of the ground. 

 They are connected by rails placed horizontally, and sufficiently close 

 to prevent sheep from getting between them. From the tops of 

 three or four of these uprights, stout wires are fixed, the upper ends 

 meeting at the tree, where they are attached to a collar, which should 

 be somewhat larger than the stem it is to surround ; the intervening 

 space is then to be filled with leaves, hay, or moss, and properly 

 secured, to prevent damage to the bark. These wire supports are, of 

 course, only required when the tree is newly planted; by employing 

 them, stakes which are rarely effective and always objectionable in 

 appearance are entirely dispensed with. 



PROPAGATION OP TREES AND SHRUBS BY CUTTINGS. 



Various trees and shrubs may be. propagated by cuttings, and this 

 month, especially in the middle States, is a good time for planting 

 all the hardy deciduous and evergreen kinds that grow in that way, 

 observing to plant the former in the early part of the month, and the 

 latter towards the end of it. 



When you intend to propagate trees for timber, or for a tall state- 

 ly growth, be particular never to take the cuttings from horizontal 

 branches, for they will never have an inclination to grow in a spread- 

 ing manner; always make choice of perpendicular shoots, and par- 

 ticularly those that terminate the branches ; these will most certainly 

 produce the straightest and handsomest trees, and be little inferior 

 to those raised from seed ; of this I have had ample experience, and 

 found it uniformly to be the case. 



But when you intend the plants for hedges, wildernesses, or thick- 

 ets, the same precaution is not necessary ; though in propagating any 

 kinds of erect-growing shrubs for detached plants in the pleasure 

 garden, I would recommend it, as they will be less subject to spread 

 and injure other herbaceous flowering plants growing near them. 



Large shoots cut into lengths, are often used, and will do tolerably 

 well, provided they are selected as above; but I would ever prefer 

 what gardeners term cock-shoots, or those retaining the terminating 

 buds. The soft and pithy sorts will succeed better with having an 

 inch or two of the former year's wood annexed to the cuttings, but 

 all the hard wooded kinds are much better without it. 



For this purpose dig one or more beds or shady borders, &c., where 

 the ground is somewhat mellow and not wet ; let the earth be well 

 broken with the spade, and rake the surface smooth. 



Take off the cuttings with your knife from the trees or shrubs that 

 you want to increase ; let them be of the last summer's shoots, cut- 

 ting them off from about six or eight to ten or fifteen inches long, 

 according as they may occur in the different sorts of trees, &c. ; plant 

 them in rows, each cutting about half or two-thirds of its length into 

 the ground; close the earth well about them, and in dry weather let 

 them be occasionally watered. 



