40 



'4 RAPE CULTURE AND 



FlG. 4. 



very good, strong plants. The same, or a similar process may 

 also be followed on young growing canes in summer (summer 

 layering). These will not make quite as strong plants as 

 spring layering, but has the advantage that it can be done 

 after the plowing and hoeing in spring has been finished, and 

 therefore does not hinder from cultivating both ways, which 

 layering in Spring will not permit. For this purpose, strong 

 growing young shoots should be left as near the surface of 

 the ground as possible, as the layers will not root well when 

 they must be bent down, and afterwards raised again, but 

 should remain as near the horizontal position as possible. 

 They are therefore left to trail along the ground and in the 

 middle of June (here in Northern California,) their leader or 

 end is pinched off, so that the laterals will grow more vigor- 

 ously. They are then laid in shallow trenches, about two 

 inches deep, and covered with finely pulverized earth. The 

 leaves opposite the laterals on the main shoot may be taken 

 off for greater convenience, also to pack the ground more 

 closely around the laterals. When the ground is filled up 

 around them, they should have a watering, which will assist 

 greatly in the formation of roots, and the laterals raised as 

 much as possible to a horizontal position. For fall, they are 



