190 
ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 
ingenuity of the London nurserymen, who have devised a method for inducing it 
to throw out lateral shoots, which is highly creditable and ingenious, and will no 
doubt ultimately be the means of bringing it within the reach of all classes of 
plant cultivators. The method in question we shall now briefly detail, for the 
purpose of facilitating its dispersion. 
It is well known, that in the axil of the leaf of most shrubby plants, there 
exists the germ of a new system of life, which only requires to be excited and 
developed to furnish the means of producing a distinct plant. In many evergreens, 
however, these germs or buds are so latent, or develop themselves so tardily, that 
without the application of some artificial stimulus, they can seldom or never be 
employed for the purpose of propagation. This stimulus must likewise be accom- 
panied with some counteracting principle, in order to produce the desired effects ; 
and for this means, either incision or decapitation is practised. Statice arhorea is a 
plant to which this description may be properly applied ; and as the process of 
decapitation is attended with some risk, and deprives the plant thus headed down 
of its principal shoot, it has been found better to resort to the practice of incision. 
The plant intended for propagation is placed in a rather larger pot than is 
really necessary for it, to allow of the further extension of the roots v/ithout its 
being shifted ; then, with a sharp knife, an incision is made in the stem at the 
axil of all the lowermost leaves, taking especial care to cut within the bud, i. e. 
further into the stem, than the point from whence the bud is expected to proceed. 
This incision should neither be made horizontally nor longitudinally, but in a 
sloping direction, inclining more to the latter than the former, and as deep as may 
be deemed necessary to check the ascent of the sap, and induce it to flow towards, 
and concentrate in the bud, but by no means so much as to injure the plant. 
Immediately after the performance of this operation, a stake of about a foot 
higher than the plant should be inserted in the soil, as near as possible to the stem ; 
and in tliis stake several notches should be made above the plant, for the purpose 
of securing to it a small strip of matting, which is likewise to be fastened to the 
stalk of each leaf, to support and preserve them from breaking off or being other- 
wise injured ; observing previously to place in each incision a small chip of wood, 
so as to keep it very slightly open. 
This part of the operation completed, some pieces of turf or heath-soil partially 
decomposed, should be placed round the stem of the plant, so as to reach, but not 
to cover the young buds ; and, if this be kept moderately moist, and the pot con- 
taining the plant be plunged to the rim In bark with a brisk bottom-heat, a shoot 
will speedily appear from the axil of each leaf, and in many instances will form 
roots in this situation, particularly if a trifling incision be made in the outer bark, 
just below the base of the leaf-stalk, as soon as the buds commence growing. If 
they fail to produce roots in this manner, the young shoots must be carefully taken 
off and treated as cuttings ; though in this case they wdll require great attention 
with regard to shading, w^atering, and drainage, as they do not strike root very 
