Layering.—A method by which a far greater number, and more rapid succession, of cuttings may be got from a plant is that known as "layering," illustrated in Fig. 577. The operation consists in bending the branches of the plants into the soil, and cut ting them half through at the bend ; the object of this is to cause roots to spring from the cut portion of the branch, which is placed in the soil for that purpose. The juice of the plant escapes so rapidly from the cut as to induce decay, unless at once absorbed; this end is attained by placing a piece of tho roughly dried brick a in the slit formed by detaching the tongue b. The latter is then kept down, if necessary, by means of the peg o. When it would be ioconvenient to bring the branch down to the soil, the latter may be raised in boxes. The best season for layering is during the rains. When well rooted, say in 3-4 months, the layers are separated from the parent plant, and removed to glazed frames, where they are placed about 6 iu. apart in good soil. Here they become established as " stock plants," and yield a constant succession of cuttings. In taking these, whole shoots must not be removed, but a few buds must be left to provide new shoots. Cuttings from stock plants are treated in the same way as any others.
Propagation by Beds.—A method of propagation which gives a large number of plants from a limited supply of wood is occasionally practised ; it consists in removing the buds with leaves attached, and placing them in pots plunged into damp sand, and treating them generally the same as cuttings. Roots are formed in 3-6 weeks, success depending entirely upon supplying sufficient moisture, without over doing it.
Planting.—When a site has been chosen, in accordance with the conditions noted in previous para graphs, the natural vegetation is completely removed. In very exposed situations, occasional strips of forest may be loft as a break-wiud ; but they must be sufficiently far from the plants not to incom mode them by their roots, or by falling over them. The felling, clearing, burning, lining, pit-digging, and filling operations are precisely the same as in coffee culture, and will be found fully described on p. 692, the size of the pits being 12-15 in. deep and 18 in. square. Sometimes trenching or deep hoeing have loan performed previous to planting ; but besides being expensive, they are objection able on steep ground, as favouring wash. Occasionally the size of the holes is increased to 2 ft. each way. The beds of hardened plants ready for putting out are deluged 'with water over-night, so that the soil may be cohesive. On a day when the earth is moist, and the weather cloudy and damp (but net in heavy rein), the plants are taken up with abundance of soil around their roots, and are placed in the filled holes as quickly as possible ; a space quite deep enough to receive the largest root without doubling is made by one hand, while the plant is inserted in the ground by the other ; the soil is then filled in around, and thoroughly pressed down as the operation proceeds. The position of
the plants in relation to the surface of the ground is indi cated in Fig. 578; it is essential that they should stand on elevations, drained from above by a ditch, so as to prevent the possibility of earth being washed down and covering the bark—a circumstance that is sure to be attended by fer mentation, followed by a fungus that destroys the bark and kills the tree. In the early days, the plants were put out much too wide apart ; it is evident that no species will ever attain great size in India, and close planting has the advantage of affording shade to the roots, and reducing the growth of weeds, whioh are otherwise a source of much ex pense. Should the trees crowd one another, they can be thinned out, and thus yield an early crop of bark.
Shading and Staling.—In some localities, protection from the sun may be necessary. For this pur pose, natural forest trues are quite inadmissible; the requisite shade is readily afforded by erecting, on the sunny side of each plant, a rough bamboo framework, thatched with grass or ferns, or by sticking leafy branches in the ground, &c. Where much staking would be required, cinchona culti vation had better not be attempted, because great expense would be entailed, and small success achieved. Some support, however, is occasionally demanded, when the method illustrated in Fig. 579 may be resorted to. The great danger to be avoided is the chafing caused by the swaying of the plant ; a soft material, such as grass rope, is therefore employed, and care is taken that it shall embrace the branches, without ever coming into contact with the bark of the stem. Staking is commenced when the plants are 1-11 ft. high.
Weeding and Pruning.—The eradication of weeds, especially several species of grass, resembling the " couch-grass " of England, must be periodically performed, either by cutting them off, pulling them up by hand, or light hoeing. A superficiul hoeing just around each tree is, indeed, benefioial, whether weeds arc present or not ; but deep hoeing would destroy the roots of the oinchona plants. Pruning must be restricted to the removal of such branches as would naturally fall in course of time, or such as project to the injury of neighbouring trees.