Maintenance and Renewal. 249 



thirty-two inches long, extends from the stock to where 

 the new plant is wanted to stand. The shoot is laid 

 4pwn, secured, and covered, as indicated in the article 

 on " Provinage ;" it is then cut, so as to leave two buds 

 above the ground, and fastened to a stake. The trench 

 is not completely filled up until the end of one year. 

 The layer is weaned — that is to say, separated from the 

 parent-stock, at A [Fig. 9], only after two or three 

 years' growth. 



The layering has all the advantages of the previous 

 -mode of propagation. It is to be preferred to it, when 

 vigorous shoots are to be found conveniently sit- 

 uated for the operation, because it is more quickly 

 done. The same objections are urged against this 

 method of propagation, and it seriously exhausts the 

 plant furnishing the layer. 



CuTTiNG-DowN. — This operation consists in cutting 

 the stem of the parent-stock quite close to the ground, 

 and renewing the wood by means of a vigorous shoot, 

 chosen among those which always develop themselves 

 after such treatment. 



This cutting-down is variously performed in different 

 localities. In Lorraine, advantage is taken of a shoot 

 growing at the foot of the plant, and the stem is cut 

 immediately above the point from which this shoot 

 springs, which then serves to renew the plant. 



In certain parts of Saintonge and I'Aunis, the foot of 

 the parent-stock is slightly laid bare, and the latter is 

 cut down an inch or so below the level of the ground. 

 During the summer following the operation, a certain 

 number of buds appear below the cut, and from these 

 two or three of the most vigorous are preserved. The 



