In) Lindlei/s Theory of Horticulture. 451 



having no bottom of a tongue separated as in the ordinary way. 

 Ringing is tedious, and, unless with such plants as Pseonia Mou~ 

 tan (the bark of which is very thick and soft, and the branch 

 does not tongue well), not needed. A little sand put round 

 the cut prevents the wound corroding in heavy soils, and, by 

 pressing on the bark as in cuttings, facilitates rooting. The layer 

 should be kept steady from moving by a peg if necessary, to keep 

 it pressed and firm to the soil. Suckers are facilitated by cutting 

 over and wounding the stem ; loose ground, in which the roots 

 run freely, are best adapted for these plants. Lilacs, Scotch 

 roses, poison oak, and most plants which sucker freely, do not 

 succeed well by layers. 



The sections Budding and Grafting are very full, and most of 

 the details of practice have been noticed there and in this Ma- 

 gazine before. The success of budding depends greatly on the 

 state of the stock ; if this is growing vigorously, and the bark 

 flies up quite freely on the introduction of the budding knife, the 

 budding will hardly fail of success ; if the young shoots of the 

 stock are nearly ripened to the top, the bark is in the way of 

 beginning to fasten to the wood ; or if the shoots are small and 

 weak, and the plant unhealthy, the bark most likely has not 

 risen at all : in either case, the bark will not rise freely from the 

 incision with the handle of the knife, the sap is not circulating 

 freely, and it is in vain to attempt introducing a bud by forcing 

 up the bark. The bud should be chosen from a vigorous young 

 plant ; the shoots from old trees have not so much sap or vita- 

 lity; and the bud should be chosen when the bark is beginning 

 to assume a ripe colour : if too ripe, it does not rise so freely 

 from the bark, and vitality is beginning to get dormant ; if too 

 green, it is apt to perish before uniting to the stock. The buds 

 should be tied as soon as possible after the operation, to exclude 

 air from the wounds ; but if the stocks are vigorous, drawing 

 very tight is not of so much consequence here as in grafting. 

 When buds are nearly ripe, in which state they succeed best, 

 the piece of wood which unites the bud to the branch is apt to 

 break off far in, and leave the appearance of a hollow eye. 

 Some operators attach great importance to this, and say that, 

 though the bark live and unite, the bud will not push in the 

 spring : but I have frequently inserted buds with very hollow 

 eyes, and marked them for the purpose of experiment, and they 

 always pushed as well as the others ; the sap of the tree should 

 soon fill this hollow. Much of tlie success also depends on 

 having the edges of all the cuts smooth, and the operation done 

 as speedily as possible : if the edges of the wound are rough, 

 the vessels of the liber, where the living principle is most active, 

 are bruised and lacerated ; and, if long exposed to the air,' they 

 begin to spoil. The common method of extracting buds is to 



