198 



THE GREEN-HOUSE. 



the layers instead of being turned perpendicularly 

 upwards, as should generally be done, must be left 

 in an inclined position until they commence growing, 

 when their tops will recur to the natural position of 

 all plants. 



Where entire plants are laid down to produce 

 layers, they are called stools ; and the main root re- 

 mains there as a stool for several years, and affords 

 an annual or biennial supply of shoots for laying 

 down. In this case, care must be taken not to cover 

 any part of the stool or of the root ends of the shoots 

 with earth, beyond what is necessary to cause them 

 to strike root, as that is very apt to rot them, and 

 prevent them sending up shoots for another year. 



The Chinese mode of propagating trees may next 

 be mentioned, as nearly allied to laying. The objects 

 which they have in view are of two kinds : one is in 

 the case of rare trees, merely to propagate them ; and 

 the other, in the case of common sorts, to produce 

 dwarfs, or miniature timber and fruit trees. Thus 

 they have in small pots, branches of firs, pines, and 

 cedars, bearing cones ; and of oaks, chestnuts, and 

 beech, bearing acorns and mast. For propagation 

 they make choice of a shoot of from one to tw^o or 

 three years' growth ; and at the distance of a foot or 

 more from its extremity, cut off a ring of bark an inch 

 or two long ; over the decorticated part, and extend- 

 ing two or three inches above and below it, they fix 

 a ball of prepared loamy earth, being loam mixed 

 with rich^desiccated night-soil or other manure and a 



