The Story-Book of the Fields 



Or else, still in the middle of the portion 

 underground and just below a shoot, the bark 

 is cut through all round the branch without 

 injuring the wood ; a second incision is made 

 about half an inch below this and the bark 

 between the two is removed in one piece. 

 This is called ringing. 



Thirdly, and still in the middle of the part 

 lying in the trench, an oblique incision is 

 made which penetrates the wood to the pith. 

 In this way a small tongue is lifted up half as 

 thick as the branch, which is kept apart by 

 placing a small stone in the opening. This is 

 called tonguing. By means of the portion 

 left whole the branch remains in connec- 

 tion with the parent plant and receives 

 its share of raw sap, and from the incised 

 and raised portion it develops adventitious 

 roots, because the course of the rising sap is 

 arrested. 



In order to bring into contact with the 

 moist earth a greater number of wounds able 

 to produce adventitious roots, the uplifted 

 piece may be split in two and the two 

 portions kept apart by a small stone. This 

 method of double incision is used for trees 

 which offer the greatest resistance to layer- 

 ing. 



