LAYING. 



295 



the stage or platform. To obviate this difficulty, our inventive neighbours 

 have constantly by them small conical-shaped tin vessels, sometimes sht 

 on one side to allow the shoot to be operated on, and at other times 

 having a hole in the bottom part, up which the shoot is made to pass. 

 These vessels are suspended in some part of the tree itself, or, if more 

 convenient, in some neighbouring tree, so that the shoot can be brought 

 to it without danger of breaking. The vessel being filled ^ith the proper 

 mould, the branch is laid into it, sometimes having been previously ringed, 

 tongued, sht through the middle, and having a small slip of slate or 

 other thin material let into the opening to prevent the wound from heal- 

 ing over, pierced with an awl, or having a notch or thin paring of the 

 bark taken off at that part to be covered with the mould. These modes 

 have all their respective advantages. The mould in the vessel is kept of 

 a proper degree of humidity by enveloping it in moss kept moderately 

 moist. ^Yith us, earthenware pots have been manufactured, having a 

 slit down one side, and are used much as described above. When the 

 subject to ])e operated upon is of flexible habit and near the ground, 

 the laying is more conveniently carried into effect by simply placing pots 

 of mould round the parent plant, and lajdng the branches in them in the 

 usual manner. 



In laying,'^ Gushing observes, " choice should b^ made of the young 

 tender shoots of the present year : the soft bark of which will sooner 

 form a callosity and produce roots than that of the preceding year's growth. 

 It is particularly necessary to observe whether the plant intended to be 

 laid is of a brittle nature or not, for if it is, it will be necessary that the 

 shoots be pegged gently down to the surface previous to laying, and thus 

 left until the tops naturally acquire a perpendicular direction, which they 

 will do in a few days ; without this precaution it would be extremely 

 difficult to cut or tongue them without cracking or breaking them off ; 

 but if treated in this manner the most brittle may be laid without danger. 

 It is a conclusion drawn from several experiments, that the layer which is 

 inserted to a proper depth roots sooner and better than that which is 

 laid near the surface : the reason of which is, at a certain depth the air 

 is better excluded, and there is a more regular degree of moisture for the 

 nourishment of the young fibres when they are protruded. No part of 

 the shoots should upon any pretence be covered with the mould, except 

 that which is meant to produce roots, as covering the whole renders it 

 extremely liable to rot>" 



