216 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



very slowly or not at all by such means. For 

 these, and also to insure the more rapid rooting of 

 all Roses, the following mode of layering is the bebt. 



Layering with a Tongue. — By this mode 

 the cultivator combines most of the more solid advan- 

 tages of propagation by cuttings, while retaining the 

 safety and security of layers. The branch is cut 

 half through at the base of a bud, and cut up its 

 centre for an inch or more in length (Fig. 23). A 

 small stone, or a little earth or sand, is then placed 

 in the slit to keep it open, and the layer is thrust 

 into the ground, the upper part of the branch being 

 so placed that its half- diameter with base-bud is 



Fig. 23.— Layering with a Tongue. Tongue at h, and mode 

 of forming it at a. 



placed in a semi-vertical position in the ground. To 

 make all this more sure, and to insure perfect immo- 

 bility to the rooting portion, the upper end of the 

 layer is fastened to a stake (Fig. 24), the branch 

 being also pegged firmly. With such manipulation 

 of tissues, and presentation of the root-forming por- 

 tions of the plant to the soil, it must and does root 

 freely, and without risk, as during the whole process 

 the branch is still supported with food through the 

 unsevered portion of the stem. 



Size and Length of Layers. — This is not 

 material to their final rooting. But to propagate 

 Roses in quantities from layers, the young wood 

 of the current season is the best. The choice of 

 such will keep the layers small, leaving only a few 

 inches above the ground. The wood must also be 

 tolerably firm, or there will be much risk of rotting. 

 Of course, where larger branches of two or more 

 years old wood are used, there will be no such risk. 



Time for Layering.— Any time during the 

 growing season will answer, but practically from 



the middle of June to the middle or end of Sep- 

 tember will be found the best season to insure 

 rapid rooting. 



The first layers may often be removed in the same 

 autumn, others may remain till the spring, and any 

 not rooted till the following season. They are 

 mostly well rooted, and form among the most 

 valuable of all the varieties of own-root Roses. 

 Sometimes not only will the layer be found to have 

 protruded roots from near the base of the buds, but 

 the whole of the branch portion of the slit will also 

 become callused, or even full of roots. In such 

 cases this should be cut off intact, and either left as 

 one rooted layer or divided into many. Planted out 



Fig. 24.— The Layer Staked and Pegged down. 



in nursery beds or, better still, placed in heat, these 

 layers or partially-rooted sections will produce one or 

 many Roses apiece. 



PROPAGATION BT SUCKIIRS. 

 The suckers of Roses are underground stems, 

 running almost as far as those of wilding briars, and 

 being at times nearly as troublesome as Spear- 

 grass. They can hardlv be called roots, and many of 

 them, while attached to the parent plant, seldom or 

 never form roots. If left, however, to form more or 

 less top, and then removed from the plant, placed 

 in light sandy soil, partially shaded, and carefully 

 nursed for a time, most of them will produce roots. 

 September and October are the best months for this 

 mode of propagation. The suckers should be care- 

 fully traced back from their growing stems till their 

 exact positions on the root-stocks are found. Then 

 remove them with a strong knife or sharp trowel, 

 taking a small portion of the root-stock with them. 

 Of course, if found to have roots this precaution is 

 not necessary. Very few really good Roses, however, 

 are at ali fruitful of suckers, consequently this mode 



