THE MANSE GARDEN. 17 



of two feet in height, giving them all the while the 

 advantage of frequent hoeing in summer, and slight 

 digging between the drills in winter. By this pro- 

 cess not only do they rapidly expand above ground, 

 but, which is more important, they form, instead of 

 the whip-lash roots of the seedling bed, a very fleece 

 of fibres, to which the earth adheres, and by which, 

 when transferred to the shrubbery, their growth is at 

 once sure and vigorous. Along with the hollies, 

 lay in a small stock of Portugal laurels at threepence 

 each, common laurels at half so much, variegated hol- 

 lies at sixpence, a few of the arborvitse, laurustinus, 

 arbutus, and juniper. Of these, some of the finer 

 sorts may be planted near to the house, where they 

 are to remain, and on ground which may not require 

 a tedious process of amelioration. Should the house 

 be situated in the garden, by all means let some of 

 those beauties come next the eye, to the exclusion of 

 cabbage, filthy in decay, or of gooseberry trees, with 

 their accompaniment of trampled ground and refuse 

 of fruit a hideous sight. Others of the more hardy 

 shrubs may be set to nurse, for future lifting, in the 

 manner of the hollies ; and in the mean time layers 

 of every sort may be freely taken. This is the easiest 

 thing in the world, and the most certain of success. 

 Stir up the ground, and make a rut, two or three 

 inches deep, all round the plant; from the under side 

 of the lowest branches pare a little of the bark; or 

 instead of paring, give the branch a twist ; lay the 

 portion that is twisted, or pared, into the bottom of 

 the excavation, and fasten it down with a peg; then 

 replace the earth, and set up the head of your future 

 plant, keeping it erect by firming the soil around it 



