PROPAGATION. 281 



or having them interfere with the layer. The 

 cane to be layered should be cut some four or 

 five feet long. When the buds have broken, 

 the cane should be laid carefully in the trench, 

 secured there by pegs, and all the lower buds 

 rubbed off. Of the remaining upper buds, from 

 two to four may be selected for making the 

 young plants, the interval between the selected 

 buds being as great as possible. When the 

 young canes have grown about six inches, a 

 couple of inches of soil must be heaped about 

 each of them in such a way as to leave six or 

 eight inches of the layered cane uncovered be- 

 tween each of the growing canes, which must re- 

 main uncovered for a week or so; the object 

 being to cause the roots to grow about the 

 young canes, while the uncovered portion has 

 none. The root action, in this case, is concen- 

 trated upon given points, and produces better 

 results ; and in the fall there is a naked portion 

 of cane that may be cut off without destroying 

 any roots. An inch or so of soil must be added 

 as the young canes progress in growth, till the 

 trench is finally filled. Stakes should be put 

 in at the beginning to tie the canes to as they 

 grow, as shown in Fig. 110. a, a, show where 

 layers have been taken from the plant in former 



