CULTURE OF THE GENUS CITRUS. 
91 
tempered that the young roots will not be injured ; keep a regular close heat until 
the plants have begun to grow ; afterwards give them air, but yet keep up a brisk 
warmth to facilitate their growth, and by August they will have become fine plants, 
when they may be placed amongst the young camellias until wanted for grafting or 
budding. 
6. Cuttings. The best time for putting in cuttings is just when the plants 
from which they are to be taken have begun to grow, which will depend on the 
situation and treatment of the old plants. 
7. Wood of from one to thirty or forty years old, and cut to any length, from 
eight to eighteen inches, will grow equally well ; the larger and older the cuttings, 
the sooner they will make large plants and produce fruit. 
8. At whatever age the wood is, let the cuttings be of equal length ; and so 
many of the leaves must be cut off as will allow each cutting to be placed six inches 
deep. 
9. In gathering the cuttings, take a sharp knife and cut them right across ; it 
does not particularly signify whether exactly at a joint, but they are all the better 
for being cut at a joint. 
10. Place the cuttings in pots ; the best for the purpose are eight inches deep 
and six wide ; lay a piece of broken pot over the hole at the bottom, cover the 
bottom an inch or more thick with moss, closely pressed, and upon that an inch 
thickness of potsherds, broken small ; place the end of the cuttings upon the pot- 
sherds, and fill up the pot with clean pit or river sand. 
1 1 . When planted, water them well, to settle the sand about the stems ; plunge 
the pots in a gentle bottom heat, either in a hot-bed, or hot-house pit ; if in the 
latter, put a hand or bell-glass over them, shading them from the sun. They 
will require no more water from the time they are put in until they have taken 
root. 
12. When ready for potting, which will be in two or three months, the roots will 
be found wrapped amongst the moss ; they must be carefully separated, allowing as 
much of the moss to adhere to the roots as possible, for it will tend greatly to pre- 
vent the sudden check which cuttings generally receive when first potted. The 
following compost will be found most suitable for them to be potted in. Turf taken 
from a light soil, about three inches deep, and laid in a heap till the grass and roots 
are decayed, peat earth, well rotted dung, leaf mould, and clean pit or river sand, 
equal quantities, mixing'them when wanted for use. 
13. When potted, place them in the same, or a similar situation, to that they 
were in before ; give them a gentle watering with a rose watering-pot ; and when 
they have begun to grow, harden them by degrees. 
14. Layers. Shoots of one or two years’ growth may be layered in the usual 
way, making the incision on the upper side of the branch, and giving it a slight 
twist, so that the end of the cut part will rest upon the soil. Or these shoots may 
be bent into pots, either drawn through the holes at bottom, or through the sides, 
as in Mr. Appleby’s propagating pot. 
