PROPAGATION. 



67 



as soon as these shoots have acquired a certain degree 

 of maturity and firmness, the mellow earth is drawn up 

 to them and they emit a beautiful system of roots, and by 

 the fall they form very fine plants, (fig. 3). The layered 



Fig. 3. PROPAGATING THE GRAPE BY LAYERING. 



branch is then taken up and the several plants are separat- 

 ed, when it will be found that the best roots are chiefly 

 from the lower joints of the new wood, rather than from 

 the old canes that were laid down in the spring. 



Fig. 4. LAYERING THE QUINCE. 



Quinces are considerably increased by a sort of layer- 

 ing, as the twigs emit roots very freely ; they are often bent 

 down, slightly twisted, or not, as the case may be, and 

 covered with mellow soil, when they readily emit roots, 



