By Joseph Sabine, Esq. 491 



carefully removed from about its roots, which are laid bare till 

 the whole of the union of the sucker with the parent root is 

 uncovered. They are then separated, but the wound of the 

 old plant is suffered to remain exposed for a day or two till 

 its surface dries ; dry earth is then placed about it, and care 

 is taken that no moisture is applied for the space of a fort- 

 night afterwards. The young sucker is enwrapped in fresh 

 leaves, in which state it is kept till the lower end becomes 

 shrivelled, and so much contracted, that the two opposite 

 sides touch each other. It is then planted in rich earth, which 

 is rather dry than otherwise, and kept well shaded till it has 

 rooted, care being taken to guard it from frost. 



When the operation of splitting the stem is performed, an 

 old plant is selected, and its stem is regularly slit into four 

 or six equal portions, from the top to the very bottom, among 

 the roots ; the divisions of the stem are kept apart until the 

 wounds begin to dry, when the middle of the stem is rilled with 

 a sort of plaster, made with mortar ( mortier) and rich earth, 

 among which is mixed fat and a small quantity of sulphur. 

 The plant so prepared is suffered to remain till the autumn, 

 when each division is fit to be separated, with the portion of 

 the root belonging to it. 



Grafting is practised on the roots of the more common 

 Moutans ; when this is attempted, the root of the stock is 

 laid bare during some weeks, to the depth of three or four 

 inches ; just before the autumn shoot is made, the earth 

 is again heaped about the root, and soon afterwards, when 

 the sap appears in full motion, the operation is performed. 

 This is done in the way we call crown grafting. A kind of clay 



vol. vi. 3 S 



