FRUITS. CHAP, 



ing sides, be laid as they are growing in the grapery or 

 against the wall j and this is frequently done by the gar- 

 deners as matter of curiosity mixed with utility. They 

 lay a shoot, in this manner, in the spring, and, when it 

 has rooted and is in full bearing in the fall, they cut it 

 off immediately below the pot, and produce at table a 

 growing tree covered with ripe fruit. The earth, how- 

 ever, in boxes, or pans, or pots, being in small bodies, 

 necessarily dry up sooner than when not so j and, there- 

 fore, when this method of laying is adopted, great care 

 must be taken to water constantly, so as to keep up the 

 required moisture. And not only does the limb require 

 this moisture to make it root, but when rooted, the 

 young roots require it, to keep them alive. To cause the 

 limb to put forth roots, it is a common practice to prick 

 it nearly through, in two or three directions, at one of 

 the joints that are to be buried under ground 5 or to cut 

 a notch nearly half way through the limb. At these 

 wounds, matter oozes out which quickly causes the 

 putting forth of young roots. 



303. CUTTINGS are short pieces cut from trees in the 

 month of February. You take a shoot of the last year 

 and cut it off with a small piece of the preceding year's 

 wood at the bottom of it, if that be convenient. The 

 shoot should be a sound and strong one, and it is not 

 absolutely necessary that it should have a piece of the 

 preceding year's wood. The cutting should have, alto- 

 gether, about six joints or buds, and three of these 

 should be under ground when planted. The cutting 

 should be fixed tirmly in the ground, and the cuts should 

 be performed with a sharp knife, so that there may be 



