62 GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



lilacs, roses, snowballs, and many other plants and shrubs 

 are readily propagated by suckers. Suckers should never 

 be used of plants that may be propagated by other 

 modes. 



Offsets are formed on bulbs only, being young bulbs 

 attached to the sides of the old ones, and merely require 

 breaking off and planting in a light, rich soil. Runners 

 are thrown out by the strawberry, &c. They spring from 

 the crown or collar of the plant, and tlirow out roots at 

 their joints, which may be cut off from the parent plant 

 and set out in good soil, to make new plants. 



Layers are branches bent into the earth, and half cut 

 through near the bend, the free portion of the wound be- 

 ing called a tongue (a). This 

 is kept open by a bit of twig, 

 WW or piece of crock. They are 



% 4|» J. in fact cuttings only partially 



■^^^^^^^jp^^^YiJy separated from parent plants, 

 ^np* ^^M^ incision is made through 



• the bark at the base of a bud. 



LAYERS. mi 1 . 



The object of the gardener is 

 to induce the layer to emit roots into the earth at the 

 tongue.* With this view, he twists the shoot half round, 

 so as to injure the wood vessels; he heads it back so that 

 only a bud or two appear above ground, and when much 

 watering is required, he places a handful of silver sand 

 around the tongued part, then pressing the earth down 

 with his foot, 50 as to secure the layer, he leaves it with- 

 out further care. The intention of both tongueing and 

 twisting is to prevent the return of the sap from the layer 

 into the main stem, while a small portion is allowed to rise 

 out of the latter into the former. The effect of this opera- 



See Lindley's ** Theory of Horticulture.'' 



