230 
COMMON LAURELS. 
I have been a planter now forty years, and always gave this short 
direction:—Make the holes in the autumn, deep and wide, cut the 
turf small, and when the plants are put into the holes, put a portion 
of the best earth under and above the roots, cover in the top with 
the coarsest parts of the soil, which acts almost like a mulching in 
dry weather, and ensures the life of the tree to a certainty. 
ARTICLE XX. 
PROPAGATION AND CULTURE OF COMMON LAURELS, 
BY MR. JAMES BROWN, JUN. 
Many persons who have visited the pleasure-gardens at Stowe, have 
much admired the common Laurel, growing so luxuriantly in every 
direction, and have been highly gratified at the ornamental beauty 
displayed by this plant; in regard to the gardening scenery, when 
on an extensive scale. 
The Laurel is valuable as an evergreen shrub, which makes it a 
favourite at all seasons of the year; as well because it is excelled by 
none as an undergrowth; and on account of the facility with which 
it is propagated, either by cuttings, layers, or seeds. 
But the following method is pursued in propagating them in the 
gardens of Stowe, the different shrubberies are layered down at cer¬ 
tain periods, similar to the manner in which the copse woods are 
cut; but some of these are done annually, and in the course of seven 
or eight years, the whole of them arc completed; that being about 
the time of their duration in perfection. 
In the first place, the quarter is cleared of all useless growth that 
has sprung up in the interior; some of the main stems of the Lau¬ 
rels are thinned out, as there are in general more than are required 
for layering down. From the superfluous stem, pegs are made for 
securing the remainder when laid down, which is effected by com¬ 
mencing on the side or end of the shrubbery and letting them into 
the ground, so as to be hidden and at proper distances; to admit all 
the young branches to be layered around them for the future plants. 
But to accomplish this, the greater part of the main stems require 
cutting near the ground, in order to bend them some three-fourths 
of their diameter, as this will not in the least deteriorate the young 
layers from growing, provided the sap can pass the incision just to 
keep the branch alive. The young branches arc then laid in about 
two feet apart, by taking a spit of earth out, twisting the branch, re¬ 
placing the spit of soil on it, and shortening the shoot according to 
its strength. 
