PROPAGATION. 207 



rules, as well for choosing the parts of plants proper 

 for cuttings, as the time for putting them in the 

 ground. Those of trees and shrubs may be made of 

 either the points, or any part of the present year's 

 shoots, and put in the ground in autumn, or in early 

 spring. Cuttings of delicate greenhouse, hothouse, or 

 herbaceous flowering plants, are mostly made of the 

 points of the growing shoots. There is in all young 

 shoots of either woody or herbaceous plants, a certain 

 part of them which more readily emit fibres than 

 others ; this is where it is not so tender as to be liable 

 to rot, nor yet so indurated, as that the vegetative 

 power is enfeebled. Heaths, and many other green- 

 house and hothouse plants pinks, and all similar 

 plants in flower borders, are propagated on this prin- 

 ciple. 



Layering. Plants which do not readily strike 

 root by cuttings, are propagated by layers. The 

 difference is, that whereas the cutting is completely 

 separated from the parent, the layer is only partly so. 

 It is a certain and safe process ; because the layer is 

 supported by the stool from which it is laid down, 

 whilst new roots are exserted from an incision made 

 in the shoot, to permit their escape. Layers, like 

 cuttings, convey the true properties of the mother 

 plant ; for which advantage it is in many cases a 

 superior mode to either grafting or budding. 



One method of layering may be described, which 

 is found particularly successful in the propagation of 

 some flowering shrubs, viz. : the shoot to be layered 



