246 On the Culture of the Rose. 
bud above ; then give the branch a flight twist, that the part so cut 
may rest upon the soil ; stick in your peg, to hold it in its place, and 
cover it up Avith soil, to about the depth of two inches. The custom 
of layering \\'ithout the incision, retards their striking roots so long, 
that very often they are not fit to tafe^ off li-om the stools until the 
spring follo^\-ing ; A^'hereas, if the incfsi^ll be made, I have seldom 
found them more than two or three months at most, if the season be 
not very dry. 
Cuttings. — Thei'e are very few, except the China Rose, and its 
varieties, that ajipear to strike readily froQi cuttings. The method I 
pursue is this ; — about the month of IVIay I take a quantity of cuttings, 
and ])lace them under a hand-glass, on a north aspect, in a composition 
of leaf mould and light loam. These are generally struck so as to be 
potted off in the autumn. 
Suckers. — Most of the conmion sorts admit of being propagated by 
suckers, and division of the root. But if a variety of coloured flowers 
is wanted on one bush, or standards are required, it will be necessary 
to Bud. These last are not only a great addition to the ornament of 
the garden, but M. Brouville, of Versailles, conceives that the colours 
of the flowers are rendered more brilliant and durable. Hcrw far this 
idea may be correct, I am not prepared to say ; this, however, I know, 
that the flowers appear to show themselves to greater advantage, and 
expose the brilliancy of their colours more to view, on a standard than 
on a dwarf The common time for Budding, is in July; they, how- 
ever, will take very freely if the operation is performed in the spring, 
providing a small portion of A\'ood be attached to the bud : for this 
purjiose scions are cut, and stuck in the ground, until the bark of the 
stock will run. To wait for this, however, is not indispeusibly neces- 
sary, in all cases, for many sorts will grow very readily, if they are 
inserted in a niche exactly fitting the bud, and tightly bound up with 
some soft bass mat. In both cases it will be necessary to prune away 
the stock, down to the branch in w-hich the bud is inserted, and the 
branch itself shortened to two or three eyes; for although tliis will, in 
a great measure, retard the progress of circulation, and evidently stop 
the roots froni making the progress it otherwise would do ; it will, 
nevertheless, help the bud greatly, and Avill speedily cause it to throw 
out leaves. When a little branch is formed by the bud, nip of the 
end, in order to make it branch, and if care be taken of it, and the 
other buds on the tree kept M'ithin due bounds, it -will flo\A'er the same 
autumn. The different varieties of the China Rose may be budded 
earlier than any other sorts, but in exactly the same manner. Dr. 
Van Mons, in a paper read before the London Horticultmal Society, 
ill 1824, says that there is no fear of the scions becoming quickly 
