234 TREATISE oh 



at the joint, and the branch from that be quite perpendicular 

 for if they are only bent in the form of a club, they will not by 

 any future culture make fhately or handfome trees. Let them be 

 covered about four inches deep, and their tops cut over two or 

 three buds above the furface ; and then raife up the earth round 

 each of the ftools a little higher than the bed of the layers, hol- 

 low'd within, in form of a bafon, the- better to contain the rains 

 that fall, or the water given them by hand, which in dry wea- 

 ther fliould not be fpared, as nothing will contribute more to 

 their rooting abuadantly. 



It will likeways be proper to go over the layers about the 

 middle or towards the end of May, and rub off all the buds and 

 tender fhoots but the moft promifing one, as, by a greater num- 

 ber of branches, the kindly effects of the rains and dews are pre?- 

 vented, and the large fBioots fmother the fmall ones. 



The autumn, as has been faid, is the bell feafon for laying 

 all hardy deciduous plants ; for fuch as are delicate, the fpring 

 is a much fafer feafon, as, immediately after the operations necef- 

 fary to be made, a hard winter fucceeding might moft probably 

 kill fuch totally : For the fame reafon too, I prefer laying the ten- 

 der Evergreens at that time alfo, rather than the ufual feafons of 

 Auguft and September. But for the hardy kinds, I know no 

 other feafon needful to be obferved, than that in which one can 

 beft fpare time, as the fooner you lay them, you will the fooner 

 raife them. 



Though feme little inciiion is necelTary on the layers of moft 

 hard-wocded trees, yet in the Lime, and many other foft pliable 

 plants, nothing more is v/anting than a proper covering, and 

 • attention to tlie other circumftances of culture direc^led in geueraL. 



