Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 3, 1802).djvu/471

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PRO sccept of the present :" the real ditFereiicc being distingaishi:d only by the accent. — To remedy such Jncoiiveriiencies, it has been pro- posed to «=stablish a standard of pronunciation, by meins of certain visible marks ; and diftcrent essays have been published on the subje6t. The best work of this nature, as a guide to young persons, and more especially to foreigners, appears to be, Mr. Johm Walker's Pro- nouncing Didllonari/ (4to. 2d edit. ll. 5s.) ; by a diligent study of which, the reader may be enabled to form his pronunciation in the most appropriate manner. The author of this classical book, being a genlleman of considerable lite- rary attainments, possesses the ad- ditional merit of a ter.cher, who, through a long series of years, has formed many of our best public speakers : nay, we are convinced, that the happy talent of imparting judicious precepts with a melo- dious, distin6t, and manly enuncia- lion, has seldom been more con- spicuous in one person. PROPAGATION, in general, signiiies the aft of multiplying the kind or species ; but, in this place, we propose to treat only of vegetable nature. Beside the usual modes adopted by gardeners and agriculturists, of propagating trees, shrubs, &c. there are two other niclhods of multiply- ing plants, in a manner equally novel and surprizing. ] . Planting the leaves, was acci- dentally discovered by J F. Henry, a German, who died at Augsburg in 172O'. He reared many large trees, by setting hcrdthy leaves in flower- pots containing sifted gar- den-moidd, so that one-third of the leaf was covered wilh earth. Over t/iese pcts_, he suspended vessels 1*110 [445 filled with v/ater, which gradually dropped upon the small plantation benealh : thus, the young stems began to strike root and grow like tho:ie reared from kernels. — Hekry was born at Stuttgard, in 164/, where at an early period of his life he m:]de this useful discovery, wlach was tirst described byMANDiRoL., an Italian monk, who published a treatise " On Floic^r-gardens and Oraniieries,'" in iGyg. 2. By covsrhig horizontal sprigs, or branche<i with mnss. — This inge- nious method of mu.tiplying plants was lately announced by J. C. Wrndland, an eminent gardener in Germany, who described it for the beneiit of the public, nearly in the following words : — Such shrubs as cannot conveniently be propa- gated by seeds, sets, or by layers, may be easily muUi])lied, especially if they have young branches near their roots. For tills purpose, the earth around the stem ought to be previously loosened, elevated, and made nearly level wilh the lower- most sprouts: these should next be laid on the gronnd horizontally (without cutting or breaking them);, then fastened with small wooden hooks ; covered with moss ; and frequently watered, so that the lat- ter may closely attach itself round; the branches. The operation may- be performed either in the spring, or autumn : if in the former sea- son, the moss should never be suf- fered to become dry ; if in the lat- ter, it must be covered with straw, to proteit the layers from the effects of froKt. When the moislure has softened the rind of the sprouts, young roots will strike through the moss into the soil, and numerous plants may thus be obtained in the course of one summer, sufficiently vigoi'ous to be removed to the nur- serv.