LAYERING 



43 



Immediately all the growths on a plant are layered and covered, 

 they should be watered, for the presence of moisture in the interior 

 of the mound will cause the layers to root quickly and strongly. 

 There will be no necessity for shading them, seeing that their full 

 vitality is maintained by their parent, so that they are as indifferent 

 to sun as they were before being touched ; but, all the same, it is 

 very helpful to them if during dry weather they can be kept regularly 

 watered. They must also be kept free from weeds. We have 

 known many instances where, through pressure of other work, the 

 mounds have been allowed to become literally smothered with 

 weeds, which taking away all the moisture from the layers, have 



FlG. I2A. Layering- 



prevented their rooting. After going to the expense and trouble 

 of layering, it seems rather foolish to nullify the work for the sake 

 of a few hours' weeding. 



Early in October the layers should be sufficiently rooted to make 

 a start in life for themselves. Gently insert a fork beneath them 

 and lift, shaking the soil away and exposing the young roots. You 

 will find that these have all, or nearly all, been formed on the 

 " tongue " of the upward cut. The severance should be made 

 about i inch below this, and care should be taken not to injure 

 the young roots. Any layers without roots may be left to remain 

 with the old plant . The rooted layers, now really plants, ought to be 

 strong and of high promise ; and we should have pointed out that 

 at layering time all puny, unhealthy, or other unsatisfactory growths, 



