54 
CHINESE METHOD OF PROPAGATING FRUIT TREES. 
have even heard of it. I am well assured, that if once adopted, the 
bell glass will be but little used. I approve much of exposing all 
cuttings at night, to the atmosphere of the house in which they are 
placed; hut when the flat glasses are used, it is not so much requi¬ 
red, as plenty of atmospheric air is admitted between the pot and 
glass, whilst a sufficient vapour is kept up by the opaque sides of the 
pot, to preserve the cuttings till rooted. To facilitate the emission 
of roots, atmospheric air is the great acting agent, but is not so much 
attended to as it ought. Little shading is required through the 
brightest sun-shine, as the sides of the pots are generally found suf¬ 
ficient ; and when any vapour is collected upon the under side of the 
glass, no time is lost in wiping them, but only reverse the sides, and 
it is soon dissipated. There is no occasion to waste the glass, by 
cutting it in circular, or even to cut off the corners, as I find no sort 
of inconvenience in them; and the pane may be used for glazing 
purposes, when it is done with. I have been in the habit of using 
them since 1803, and I have had every reason to be pleased with 
the practice. All propagations of the sort succeed best when expo¬ 
sed at night to the atmospheric air. Whilst upon the subject of air, 
and the beneficial effects of large portions judiciously supplied, be¬ 
ing well known to those experienced in the forcing department, I 
beg here to notice, that I consider its admission at night, into those 
departments of greater importance; and I would rather use a little 
more fire heat than to be without plenty of air. 
ARTICLE II. 
THE CHINESE METHOD OF PROPAGATING FRUIT TREES 
BY ABSCISSION. 
COMMUNICATED BY I. T. 
Abridged from Dr. Hoioison’s Paper in the Transactions of the Society for the 
Encouragement of A rts, Manufactures, and Commerce for 1807. 
The Chinese, instead of raising fruit trees from seeds or from grafts, 
as is the custom in Europe, have adopted the following method of 
increasing them. 
They select a tree of that species which they wish to propagate, 
and fix upon such a branch as will least injure or disfigure the tree 
by its removal. Round the branch, and as near as they can conve¬ 
niently to its junction with the trunk, they wind a rope, made of 
straw, besmeared with cow dung, until a ball is formed, five or six 
times the diameter of the branch. This is intended as a bed into 
