THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 55 



which they will do if not stopped, and as soon as the flowers begin 

 to expand, placing them in an airy and dry position. 



It is rather more difficult to strike cuttings than to raise seed- 

 lings, but it is easier than many people imagine, especially if they 

 are struck in the spring. Supposing the spring is taken advantage 

 of for the work, it will be necessary, first of all, to place the stock 

 plants in a temperature of 65 3 or 70° to start them into growth. 

 If flower-buds make their appearance, let them rise above the 

 foliage, and then nip them off. Some writers recommend nipping 

 out the growing point before starting the plants, but the advice is 

 as bad as bad can be, because in the majority of cases the act will 

 be followed by the decay of the main stem. The advice is given 

 under the supposition that by stopping the main shoots, the produc- 

 tion of side-shoots will be encouraged, whereas it does nothing of 

 the kind. Here the ignorance of the writers is made manifest, for 

 nothing short of a waut of knowledge of the habit of the centaureas 

 would induce any one to advise their being treated in the same way 

 as verbenas and other plants of a similar character. If the stock 

 plants are not over- watered, they will produce a plentiful supply of 

 cuttings without stopping. Take off the cuttings with a very small 

 heel, and insert them thickly in pans, or pots, filled with sandy soil 

 and surfaced with sand. Place the cuttings in a temperature of 70°, 

 and where they will not be exposed to draughts or subject to much 

 atmospheric humidity. Here they can be left, so far as my remarks 

 are concerned, for they will soon strike, and it would be absurd for 

 me to say that they should be potted off, or to describe details that 

 must be well known to those who have had the slightest experience 

 in plant-growing. 



Striking cuttings in the autumn is not attended with such a 

 degree of certainty as the same work performed at the period 

 advised in the preceding paragraph, but it can be done with a little 

 skill. In taking the cuttings select those with about half an 

 inch of firm wood at the base, and slip them off without injuring 

 the main stem. Then remove a few of the lower leaves, prepare the 

 base smooth, and put them round the sides of five-inch pots, at the 

 rate of four to each pot. Also put three small pieces of stick round 

 the outside and connect them together with a piece of matting, to 

 hold the leaves up and keep them in their place. A cold frame, and 

 a moderate amount of water and air will accomplish the rest. 



For centres of beds Centaurea gymnocarpa is most suitable, as 

 it naturally grows taller than the others ; for second rows C. ragusina 

 should be selected; and for edging purposes preference must be 

 given to C. arc/entea plumosa, and C. rar/usina comjyacta. 



C. Glementei, a new variety raised in the south of France, and 

 now in course of distribution in this country, in said to be a most 

 desirable acquisition. It resembles in general character C. ragusina, 

 but is much finer in all its proportions, the leaves are deeply cut and 

 in lobes, and these again elegantly fringed. The leaves are also 

 densely white when young, and maintain their silvery appearance 

 when fully developed. As seed can be obtained at a shilling per 

 packet, it is within the reach of all classes. 



