290 THE NURSERY. [March. 



necessary, leaving the end of the layer a foot or a foot and a half, 

 or more if the twig be young and healthy, out of the ground, with 

 its head as erect as possible; keep them moist during the summer 

 season, and if of a free rooting kind, they will take root and be fit 

 to be taken oft' and removed in the autumn or spring following, if 

 not, they must remain another season. 



2. Tie a piece of wire tight around the bark of the. layer, at the 

 place you intend to lay in the ground, and half an inch below a bud; 

 twist the ends of the wire, so that they may not untie, as the shoot 

 swells, prick the parts above and below the wire with an awl in 

 several places, and then lay it in the ground as before directed. 

 This method will succeed when the other fails. 



3. Slit the shoot underneath a joint or bud up the middle, and 

 about an inch long, or a little better, according to the size and 

 nature of the layer, forming a sort of tongue, nearly the same as 

 directed for carnation layers; laying that part in the earth and 

 raising the top upright, so as thereby to separate the tongue of the 

 slit from the other part and keep it open; then apply the earth as 

 before. This is the most universally practised and successful 

 mode, when any preparation of the shoot is necessary to promote 

 its rooting. 



4. Twist the part of the branch intended to be layed in the earth 

 as you would a willow twig, this greatly facilitates the emission of 

 fibres, and layers of numerous trees and shrubs maybe forwarded 

 exceedingly in rooting by this method. 



5. Cut the bark nearly all around, a little below a joint or bud, 

 taking out small chips thereof in several places below the cut, and 

 lay that part in the earth. Some sorts will root more freely by 

 this than any other mode. 



6. Thrust an awl through a shoot at a joint in several places, 

 laying that part in the earth, and it will emit fibres from the wounds. 



After laving, in either of the above methods, there is no particu- 

 lar culture" necessary, except in the heat of summer to give occa- 

 sional waterings to keep the earth moist about the layers, which 

 will greatly promote their rooting, and which if effected the first 

 season, they should be taken oft* in the. autumn or spring following. 



Additional Observations on Planting. 



Plants are always most prosperous when propagated by seed, 

 which is nature's favourite method. 



Evergreen plants are best fit for transplanting from the seed- 

 beds into nursery rows when they have attained the height of from 

 four to six inches, and deciduous kinds, when from six to twelve 

 inches high. 



Layers should not be suffered to remain on the mother plants 

 longer than until sufficiently rooted, which will be effected by some 

 in six or seven months, if laid in spring; by the far greater number 

 in one year, and by others, not in less than two or three. 



Tonguing or twisting the layers, &.c. is necessary for such kinds 

 as do not strike freelv, but not lor those that do. 



