The Gardener's New Director. 425 



earth, mixed with rotten cow tlung, and well incorpora- 

 ted, before it comes into ule, the ktd is to be but thinly 

 fcattered on the furtace, to be covered to the depth of 

 a quarter of an inch, with the fame comport ; to have 

 the fun until eleven o'clock, and to be rcfrefhed with 

 water when neceflary. By the end of Ji'ly, the plants 

 will be ready to be fet out into beds ot tfie fame com*- 

 pofi:, to have an airy fituation, and at the diftance of 

 three inches fquare, one from another, fhading and wa- 

 tering them until they have rooted ; here they are to be 

 kept until Augnd, or perhaps until the end of September^ 

 fhould the btds not be fufTiciently moilT: to receive them 

 on their fecond iranfplanttng, which is to be in beds of 

 the fame compofition as betore, but at fix inches dillance 

 each plant, and in four rows for the better laving their 

 layers*, which is to be performed in this bed, where 



* The procefs of laying layers of fihrous rooted plants 

 is as follows : In June, when the fhoots are (Irong, ftrip 

 off the leaves of the lower part of fuch as you mtend 

 to lay, making choice of a ftrong joint ai)out the mid- 

 dle of the fhoot, not too near the heart or too near the 

 root of the mother plant; then from this joint make a 

 flit with your pen-knife in the middle of the flem, ri- 

 fing upwards half uay or more to the next joint, as their 

 dilUnce may be fituated; then cut off the tops of the 

 leaves of the plant, and the fwelling of the joint (where 

 the incifion began,) on the out fide, fo that the flit on 

 that fide may be fcpar^ted, and have the appearance of 

 a tongue, as from this point the fibres are to proceed, 

 where they would not, did both fides of the flit keep 

 united: You are now to iVir up the earth, where you 

 are to lav down your layer, making an imprefllon on it, 

 for to receive the flioot, where you are to lay it with 

 your finger and thumb, gently bending it, to keep it 

 uprigl.t, and to open the flit^ then to be covered with 

 the mould you raifed, and forked down with a fmall flick 

 for the purpofe, near the mother plant; then give a gen- 

 tle watering, which mufl; be repeated according to tiie 

 weather, but be fure to keep the earth moill. In about 

 fix wccki, they will have (ufficiently rooted, fo that th«.y 

 may be planted where they arc to llowcr, 



r f 3 they 



