GRAFTING. 



301 



gating Led and covering the nodes with sand. Most of 

 the climbing and trailing vines start readily in this way. 

 The layering of hard wooded plants can be hastened by 

 removing a ring of bark, or making a tongue upon the 

 branch at the point where the roots are desired. The 

 tongue should be an inch or a little more in length, 

 pointing towards the main plant, and include something 

 less than half the thickness of the stem, and may be on 

 either the upper or the under side, the former being per- 

 haps preferable, as there will be less danger of the break- 

 ing of the stem. 



The old method of layering stems that were too stiff 

 to ben d down w as to fasten a flovyj^rjTot j f illad with san dy 

 soil about them, but while this method is now somewhat 

 used, a better way is to bind green sphagnum about the 

 stem, after having partially girdled it, or pierced it to 

 the center in a number of places with a knife. If the 

 sphagnum is thoroughly moistened when bound on, and 

 is frequently watered, roots will soon be sent out. It is 

 a good plan to fasten around the sphagnum a strip of 

 cloth, in such a way as to form a sort of saucer and 

 thus prevent the water from running off. When a suffi- 

 cient number of roots have formed, the layers should be 

 cut off, and, after any loose sphagnum has been shaken 

 off, carefully potted. Until the plant has established 

 itself in the soil, it should be kept in a propagating case, 

 or in a small room where the air can be kept moist, and 

 all drafts of air avoided. Frequent sprinkling of the 

 foliage will also be desirable. 



GRAFTING. 



A graft differs from a cutting mainly in forming a 

 callus and, after thus joining itself to another plant, 

 taking up its food through the roots of the host (the 

 stock) rather than through roots which it formed for 

 itself. This method of multiplying plants is practiced 



