LAYERING — THE WATER CRESS. 
2.35 
way of the returning sap, and yet not to pre- 
vent the passage of the sap that is ascending, 
will suffice. Layering is a very common 
mode of propagating plants ; and in nurseries 
often every shoot of a tree or shrub is thus 
wounded and pegged down. In this case, the 
central root is called a stool, from the verb, to 
stole, which signifies the power most decidu- 
ous trees possess, of sending up new stems 
from the collar of their roots when cut down. 
The seasons for performing the operation of 
layering are during the months of February 
and March, before the new sap begins to rise, 
or in June or July, after all the summer 
supply of ascending sap has risen ; as at these 
seasons there is no danger of injuring the tree 
by occasioning an overflow of the ascending 
sap, which sometimes takes place when the 
tree is wounded while the sap is in active 
motion. In most cases the layers are left on 
twelve months, and in many two years, before 
they are divided from the parent plant, in 
order that they may be sufficiently supplied 
with roots. In nurseries, the ground is gene- 
rally prepared round each stool by digging, 
and sometimes by manuring ; and the gardener 
piques himself on laying down the branches 
neatly, so as to form a radiated circle round 
the stool, with the ends rising all round, about 
the same height. — Gardener's Gazette. 
Chinese Mode oe Layering. — The Chi- 
nese method of layering, which consists in 
wounding a branch, and then surrounding the 
place with moist earth contained either in a 
flower-pot or a basket, is frequently adopted 
in the Continental gardens ; and it has the 
very great advantage of producing a young 
tree which will flower and fruit while yet of 
very small size. It is generally applied to 
camellias, orange trees, and magnolias ; but it 
will do equally well for almost any other tree 
or shrub. When a plant is to be layered in 
this manner, a ring of bark is first taken off, 
and then a flower-pot is procured, open on one 
side, so as to admit the branch ; and some 
moss being put at the bottom of the flower- 
pot, it is filled up with earth, and a piece of 
wood is placed inside the pot before the open 
part to prevent the earth from falling out. It 
may be fastened in its place by wires hung 
over a branch, or supported by four little 
sticks tied to the pot with string. The earth 
should be very moist before it is put into the 
pot, and, if the season be dry, it may be re- 
moistened from time, to time. When the layer 
is supposed to have rooted, a tolerably deep 
notch should be made in the branch below the 
pot ; ami afterwords it may be cutoff, ami the 
young plant transferred with its ball of earth 
entire, to another pot or to the open ground. 
A simpler way of performing the operation is, 
using a piece of lead instead of a flower-pot. 
A modification of this plan was adopted by 
Baron Humboldt in South America. AVhen 
he met with any tree that he thought worthy 
of being introduced into Europe, he took a 
ring of bark off one of the branches, and then 
surrounding the branch above the ring with 
moist earth, he bound round it several strips 
of pitched cloth or oil cloth which he carried 
with him on purpose, so as to exclude the air, 
and consequently keep the earth moist. After 
an absence of two or three months, he re- 
turned to the tree, and cut off the branch 
below the bandage, when he generally found 
that it had struck root in the moist earth. In 
this way he obtained nearly all the rare and 
curious trees that he brought to Europe. — lb. 
THK WATER CRESS. 
The Water Cress {Nasturtium officinale, 
R. Brown) is a native of rills and streamlets, 
not only in Great Britain, but in nearly all 
parts of the world, having been met with in 
such situations, and in company with the 
Brooklime, ( Veronica Beccabunga) its usual 
associate here, on the most distant parts of the 
earth's surface. Its use as an esculent is, no 
doubt, as ancient as it is universal, whilst the 
esteem in which it is held in this country is 
evidenced by the enormous quantities grown 
and brought to market in London, and other 
large towns, within the last few years. 
Although there is what are termed the 
Green and the Brown Water Cress, the dif- 
ference seems more owing to season and cul- 
ture than anything else. At any rate, they 
are very slight varieties, although no doubt 
can exist, but this plant is as susceptible of 
improvement as others, if proper attention 
were paid in selecting the plants and saving 
seed. 
The most successful cultivators of the Water 
Cress are such as can command a supply of 
running water near the springs from which it 
issues, as in the beds at Little Marlow, in 
Buckinghamshire, and at Rickmansworth, in 
Hertfordshire. Wherever a flow of water can 
be kept in command, either to let on or off 
the beds, there in general the Water Cress 
may be grown in considerable perfection ; but 
if the supply be from the overflow of a pond, 
or other comparatively still water, there is 
generally so much weed, slime, and insects in 
it as to render it hardly iit for this purpose. 
However, where it is wished to grow this 
plant, the first thing is to have a sluice at the 
head of the ground so as to regulate the sup- 
ply of water. If the beds are to be made in 
the course of the stream, then the bottom 
must be level, and a very slight fall given to 
it. If the space be two or three yards across, 
then at about six yards down the stream an 
