302 Improved Mode oftongueing Layers. 



has had the misfortune of being seated by a drowsy-headed 

 fellow who kept yawning at every five minutes' interval. 

 We say in Scotland that " ganting is smitsum " (yawning is 

 infectious) : be that as it may ; I shall at present content 

 myself with the knowledge of the fact, that, by some mys- 

 terious pressure on the sympathetic nerves, it is almost 

 impossible to resist imitating our neighbour when afflicted 

 with this ungraceful malady. For my own part, I am no 

 enemy to opening mouths. It is, indeed, said that a close 

 mouth catches no flies. Now, Sir, this is wrong in principle; 

 for much better have small fish than no fish : and, in firm 

 faith of this doctrine, I humbly beg leave to lay before you 

 an open mouth ; and, in doing so, feel convinced that it will 

 require no mysterious visitation on the sympathies to induce 

 others to follow my example. 



Most of your readers, and particularly your practical 

 friends, of course understand what is meant by the phrase 

 " tongueing of layers ; " and many of them have, no doubt, 

 in common with myself, experienced no small mortification 

 on account of the frequent snappings asunder of the shoots, 

 when performing this operation on some favourite stool ; not 

 to mention the difficulty often experienced in making the 

 tongue (at best an unruly member) keep its proper position. 

 In the year 1829, I had a very fine stool of Rose Vittoria *, 

 with upwards of forty strong shoots. This was a prize not 

 to be neglected. " Five times forty," said I, " are ten pounds." 

 Accordingly I set to work with all the pomp of an expe- 

 rienced propagator. A quantity of vegetable mould was 

 deposited on my right, and on my left a quantity of pit sand. 

 My penknife travelled over the surface of a Water of Ayr 

 stone with the rapidity of a waggon on the Manchester rail- 

 way, till at length all was right, and in went the knife below 

 an eye ; and the first shoot snapped in two. At this moment 

 the idea struck me to enter the knife fairly through the next 

 shoot, which I did, bringing it right up the centre of the 

 pith, passing through two or three eyes, until I had made an 

 opening of four inches in length. I call this mouthing 

 layers. To prevent this layer from shutting its mouth, I 

 inserted a small stone between its lips. This some of your 

 quizzical friends would call gagging. In this manner all the 

 rest of the shoots were laid down ; and the quantity of fibres 

 produced by this mode was most satisfactory : both the upper 

 and under lip were furnished in such a manner as would have 



* This splendid dark rose was raised from seed, in the Perth nursery, 

 by Mr. Robert Brown, then a member of the firm, and is equal, if not 

 superior, to any rose yet produced. 



