THE GREEN-HOUSE. 



197 



the vine, and found the difference of effect truly as- 

 tonishing. 



In laying plants in a private green-house, a very 

 convenient mode is, to place a small pot on the sur- 

 face of the larger one in which the plant grows, 

 and lay down the shoot in that, fixing the pot 

 with a pin so that it may not be disturbed. Some- 

 times it answers to draw the shoot to be layered 

 through the bottom of the pot, and midway up the 

 pot, to make the incision ; but this though in common 

 use in laying vines, and some creepers, as the Passi- 

 jidrecB, is not generally applicable to green-house 

 plants, owing to the shortness of their shoots. In 

 nursery-gardens, where laying green-house plants, as 

 the Camellia, riex, and some other difficult sorts, is 

 practised on an extended scale, the whole plant is 

 layed down on its side in a pit or house on purpose, 

 and every part of it is turned into progeny. 



Layers are layed into the same soil as that in which 

 the parent plant thrives the best ; but with the ad- 

 dition of a little more sand to lessen the risk of sod- 

 dening the soil by too much water. In general the 

 layers should be formed of the young tender shoots 

 of the present year, the soft bark of which will sooner 

 form a callosity than that of any of the preceding 

 year's growth. Next to these, the shoots of the pre- 

 ceding year are to be preferred. 



It is particularly necessary to be observed, whether 

 the plant is of a brittle nature or not ; for if it be, it 

 will require very gentle treatment, and the points of 



