AMERICAN GARDENER. 99 



t 175. As to propagation by cuttings, slips, layers 

 and offsets, it will be spoken of under the names 

 of the several plants usually propagated in any 

 of those ways. Cuttings are pieces cut off from 

 branches of trees and plants. Slijis are branches 

 pulled off and slipped down at a joint. Layers 

 are branches left on the plant or tree, and bent 

 down to the ground, and fastened, with earth laid 

 upon the part between the plant and the top of 

 the branch. Offsets are parts of the root and 

 plant separated from the main root. 



CULTIVATION. 



176. Here, as in the foregoing parts of this 

 Chapter, I propose to speak only of what is of 

 gen^ral^ application, in order to save the room 

 that would be necessary to repeat instructions for 

 cultivation under the names of the several plants. 



177. The ground being good, and the sowing, 

 or planting, having been properly performed, the 

 next thing is the after-management L , which is 

 usually called the cultivation. 



178. If the subject be from seed, the first thing 

 is to see that the plants stand at a p%per distance 

 from each other ; because, if J-eft too close, they 

 cannot come to good. Let them also be thinned 

 early ; for, even while in seed-leaf, they injure 

 each other. Carrots, parsnips, lettuces, every 

 thing, ought to be thinned in the seed-leaf. 



179. Hoe, or weed, immediately ; and, let me 

 observe here, once for all, that weeds never ought 

 to be suffered to get to any size either in field or 

 garden, and especially in the latter. In England, 

 where it rains, or drips, sometimes, for a month 



