CHAPTER X 



LAYERING 



LAYERING is the universally adopted method of increasing and 

 perpetuating named varieties. The operation itself is charming 

 in its simplicity, and, like the budding of roses, is easy enough to 

 those who know how to do it. There is no trick, no mystery, no 

 difficulty ; just two or three points to be remembered and observed. 



The best time for layering is early in July, though where there 

 are thousands to be layered the operations continue into August. 

 It is advisable to fix a definite date, for the old instructions for 

 layering " as soon as the flowering period is over " no longer 

 hold now that the said season of flowering is growing more and 

 more prolonged. There is this much to be said in favour of layering 

 as soon as the " layers " are ready, and that is that the more time 

 we can give them the more roots will they make before they are 

 removed in the autumn. Even the novice will admit the cogency 

 and value of this. 



A healthy plant has not only the central growth which, throwing 

 up a stalk, terminates in blooms, but also a number of other growths 

 whose business it would be to throw up flower stalks next season. 

 It is these that provide the " layers." There may be up to, or above, 

 a dozen to a plant ; we have layered neglected old plants of the 

 Crimson Clove variety with as many as fifty, but that number does 

 not occur on young plants. Our illustration Fig. I2A represents 

 a plant with the spent flower stalk removed and growths duly 

 layered. These, all emanating from the one old root, are skilfully 

 placed so that each will enjoy equal chances. 



Layering is neither more nor less than a modified and safer way 

 of taking cuttings safer, because the " layers " or " cuttings " 

 remain attached to the parent plant until they have established an 

 independent root system of their own, and can thus enter at once, 

 completely equipped, upon a separate existence when severed in the 

 autumn. The " safeness " of the method is further demonstrated 

 in the small percentage of layers which, for some reason or other, 

 have failed to root, for they simply remain in their attachment 



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