LAY 
LAWSON! A. Lin. Gen. Plant, 433. Henna. Ludw. 
H3- 
The Char-Acters are, 
The flower has a flmall permanent emp Element , divided into 
four parts at the top. The flower is compcfed of four oval 
fpear-Jhaped petals , which fpread open , and eight flender 
flardna the length of the petals , which fland by pairs be- 
tween them , terminated by roundifh fummits. It hath a 
roundifh gertnen , fupporting a flender permanent ftyle , 
crowned by a headed ftigma. The germen afterward be- 
comes a globular capfule ending in a pointy having four 
cells , filled with angular feeds . 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fe&ion of 
Linnaeus’s eighth clafs, intitled Octandria Monogynia, 
which includes thofe plants whofe flowers have eight 
ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Lawsonia ( Inermis ) ramis inermifaus. Flor, Zeyl. 
1 34. Lawfonia whofe branches have no fpines. Liguftrum 
iEgyptiacum latifolium. C. B. P. 476. Broad-leaved 
Egyptian Privet , called Alh'enna , or Henna , by the 
Arabians. 
2. Lawsonia ( Spinofa ) ramis fpinofis. Flor. Zeyl 134. 
Lawfonia with prickly branches. Rhamnus Malabaricus 
Mail-anski. Pluk. Aim. 38. tab. 220. Malabar 
Buckthorn , called Mail-anfki. 
The firft fort grows naturally in India, Egypt, and 
other warm countries, where it rifes with a fhrubby 
fta’lk eight or ten feet high. The branches come 
out by pairs oppofite ; thefe are flender, and covered 
with a whitilh yellow bark, and garnflhed with oblong 
fmall leaves of a pale green, ending in acute points, 
placed oppofite. The flowers are produced in loofe 
bunches at the end of the branches ; they are of a gray 
or dirty white colour, and are compofed of four fmall 
petals which turn backward at the top. The flowers 
are fucceededby roundifh cap fules withfour cells, filled 
with angular feeds. 
The leaves of this fhrub are muchufed by theEgyptian 
women to colour their nails yellow, which they efteem 
an ornament. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in both Indies, for 
I have received fpecimens of it from the Spanifh 
Weft- Indies, where it was found growing naturally in 
great plenty. 
This rifes with a woody trunk eighteen feet high or 
more. The wood is hard and clofe, covered with 
a light gray bark. The branches come out alternate, 
and are garnifhed with oblong oval leaves, which 
ftand without order j and at the joints where the leaves 
are placed, come out Angle, ftrong, fharp thorns. The 
flowers are produced in loole bunches from the fide 
of the branches ; they are of a pale yellow colour, 
and of a difagreeable fcent *, they have four petals, 
which fpread open •, between each of thefe are fituated 
two pretty ftrong ftamina, terminated by roundifh 
fummits. After the flowers are paft, the germen be- 
comes a roundifh capfule with four cells, including 
many angular feeds. 
Thefe plants are both propagated by feeds, which 
fhould be fown on a hot-bed early in the fpring, that 
the plants when they come up may have time to get 
ftrength before winter. When the plants are fit to 
remove, they fhould be each planted in a fmall pot 
filled with light fandy earth, and plunged into a hot- 
bed of tanners bark, where they muft be fcreened 
from the fun till they have taken new root ; then their 
treatment fhould be the fame as that of the Coffee- 
tree, with this difference only, not to let thefe plants 
have fo much water but efpecially in the winter, 
during which feafon it fhould be given to them very 
fparingly, for by over-watering thefe plants I have 
known many of them deftroyedj thefe plants are too 
tender to thrive in the open air in England, fo they 
muft conftantly remain in the ftove, but in hot 
weather they fhould have plenty of free air admitted 
to them. 
LAYERS. Many trees and fhrubs may be propagated 
by Layers, which do not produce feeds here, fo are 
not eafily increafed by any other method. 
L A Y 
This is to be performed by flitting the branches a littl® 
way upward, and laying them under the mould about 
half a foot ; the ground should firft be well digged and 
made very light, and after they are laid they fhould 
have a little water given them. 
If they do not comply well in the laying of them 
down, they muft be pegged down with a forked flick, 
cut in form of a hook to keep them down •, if the 
Layers have taken fufficient root by the next winter, 
they muft be cut off from the main plants, and planted 
in the nurfery, as is directed about feedlings. 
Some twift the branch or bare the rind, and if it be 
out of the reach of the ground, they fallen a tub or 
bafket near the branch, which they fill with good 
mould, and lay the branch in it. 
Laying of Trees. 
This operation is thus performed: 
1 ft, Take ibme of the moft flexible boughs and lay 
them into the ground about half a foot deep in fine 
frefh mould, faitening them down with forked flicks, 
leaving them with the end of the Layer about a foot 
or a foot and a half out of the ground, and keep them 
moifl during the fumrner feafon, and they will pro- 
bably have taken root and be fit to remove in au- 
tumn, and if they have not by that time taken root 
they muft lie longer. 
2dly, Tie a piece of wire hard round the bark of the 
bough, at the place you intend to lay in the ground, 
and twift the ends of the wire, fo that they may not 
untie, and prick the place above the wire through the 
bark, with an awl in feveral places, and then lay it in 
the ground as before directed ; this will often fucceed 
when the other fails. 
3dly, Cut a flit upwards at a joint, as is pradtifed in 
laying of Carnations, which by gardeners is called 
tonguing the Layers. 
4-thly, Twift the part of the branch defigned to lay 
in the ground like a withy, if it is pliable, and lay it 
into the ground as diredled in the firft way of laying. 
5thly, Cut a circle almoft round about the bough 
(that is defigned to be laid) half an inch, at the place 
that is moft convenient to lay into the ground, and 
manage it as is diredled in the firft method of laying. 
The feafon for laying hardy trees that fhed their leaves 
is in Oftober, but for fuch as are tender in the be- 
ginning of March ; for Evergreens, June or July are 
good feafons. 
Though Layers may be laid at any time in the year, 
yet the before- mentioned feafons are moft proper, for , 
the reafons following, becaufe they have the whole 
winter and fumrner to prepare and draw root •, for at 
thefe times of the year the fun has fufficient power on 
the fap of the tree to feed the leaf and bud, but has 
not power fufficient to make a flioot. 
And if that fmall quantity of fap that does arife be 
hindered, as it will by fome of the preceding ways of 
laying, the leaves and buds will gently crave of the 
Layer, and by that means will prepare the Layer to 
take root, or put forth roots a little to maintain it- 
felf, finding it cannot have it from the mother plant. 
And therefore, becaufe it wants but little nourifhment 
at that time of the year, it is better to lay Layers of 
trees, or to fet cuttings than at other times, either in 
the autumn, when the fap ftirs but little, or in the . 
fpring when it begins to rife, becaufe it is then apt to 
come too fuddenly to draw fap from the Layer, before 
the Layer has drawn or prepared for root ; but for 
fome forts the middle of fumrner is beft. 
However, the fpring or fumrner may do well for 
fmall plants, becaufe fuch plants being but fhort- 
lived draw root the quicker. 
If you would lay young trees from a high ftandard, the 
boughs of which cannot be bent down to the ground, 
then you muft make ufe of Ofler ba&ets, boxes, 
or pots, filled with fine mould, mixed with a little 
rotten Willow dull, which will keep moifture to affift 
the Layer in taking root ; this bafket, box, &c. muft 
be fet upon a poll or treffel, &c. and the bough muft 
7 U be 
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