Layering 



and the young growths appear on the edges 

 of the wound. When they are long enough 

 but are still in the herbaceous condition, 

 which is most favourable to the development 

 of adventitious roots, the parent stock is 

 buttressed and permeable soft earth is heaped 

 up round the trunk and the base of its off- 

 shoots. The heap of earth takes the shape of 

 a truncated cone, with an excavated hollow 

 at the top to receive the occasional watering 

 which will keep it suitably cool. In this 

 healthy environment the young shoots will 

 soon produce adventitious roots and in the 

 following year there will be a number of 

 rooted plants which may be separated by the 

 knife. The original stock may be used again 

 for the same purpose. This is called layering 

 by circumposition. 



If we do not wish to cut down the parent 

 plant in order to obtain offshoots for layering, 

 and the branch that we want to take root is 

 too high to be laid on the ground, the follow- 

 ing expedient may be adopted. A pot split 

 lengthways or a leaden cornet is fastened to 

 a shrub, and the branch to be layered is placed 

 in the pot or the cornet longitudinally. The 

 pot is then filled with soil or moss which is 

 kept damp by frequent watering. Adventitious 



*73 



