RAISING PLANTS FROM CUTTINGS. 



17 



an advantage which the Melon-glasses have 

 not, nearly all of them being blown of the 

 same diameter. Fig. 4 is a long cylinder, in- 

 tended to receive cuttings of large size. Fig. 



Fig. 4. 



Fig. 5. 



5 is a wide but low cylinder, imder which 

 you can place cuttings of small size, such as 

 Heaths, Leschenaultias, Epacris, &c. 



When it is required to propagate a delicate 

 and valuable plant, the striking of the cuttings 

 will be more certain, if we place each sepa- 

 rately under a single glass with a flat head, 

 as in Fig. 6, and wliich corresponds in height 

 to the length of the cutting. This glass 

 should be placed upon tlie pot in such a man- 

 ner that it excludes all conununication with 

 the exterior air ; this may be done by not 

 leaving any empty space between the glass 

 and the edge of the pot. 



It is to be remembered, that when we pro- 

 pagate under bell-glasses, we must always 

 proportion the size of the cylinders to the 

 quantity of the cuttings, and their strength : 

 thus, a small cutting should not be covered 

 by a large glass ; and in this last it will not 

 grow so well alone as when there are many 

 others. The process of striking cuttings seems 

 to be certain in proportion to the smallncss 

 of the space in which they are to grow. 



No. VIII. Cuttings of Monocotyle- 

 dons. — We have thought till now that cut- 

 tings of Monocotyledons were very difficult, 

 if not impossible, to strike. I am convinced, 

 from observations and repeated trials, that 

 plants of this numerous class are among the 

 most easy to multiply by cuttings of the 

 branches. Experience has taught me that 

 these branches of Monocotylcdonous plants 

 should be takcn^ from wood of one year old or 

 less, and that they root as well when they are 

 5 or 6 years old ; but herbaceous cuttings, as 



well as cuttings of roots, never succeed ; 

 which is the more remarkable, because in 

 Dycotyledons the contrary is the case. I 

 successfully multiply from cuttings of branch- 

 es, Dracaena, Freycinetia, Vanilla, and many 

 others. 



Cuttings of Monocotyledons should be 

 made with all their leaves, for it takes some 

 time to replace these if they are cut off; how- 

 ever, there are some species whose Ion leaves 

 are difficult to place under glasses. We may 

 remedy this inconvenience by turning the 

 leaves back along the stalk, a position which 

 we maintain by tying them as may be requi- 

 site, as is shown in Fig. 7. Cuttings disposed 

 in this manner seldom rot. 



FifT- 7. — Branch of Dracrna urn- , ,,, . 

 brnculifera prepared for a cut- \ '// 'j 

 tins- 



Fig. 8. 



The operation consists in cutting away, for 

 abort l-5th of an inch from their point of 

 attacliment, the leaves at the bottom of the 

 cutting, all the length of the portion which is 

 to be buried. It is not always necessary to 

 take the extremities of branches for cuttinga 

 of this sort. If cut into pieces they succeed 

 nearly equally well ; it is thus that I multi- 

 ply the Vanilla, in cutting the branch into 

 pieces having two eyes each, as would be the 

 case if the accompanying branch were divided 

 at E, Fig. 8, keeping as near as possible to 

 the point of attachment of the leaf, and taking 

 care not to hurt the shoot in its axil. Fig. 

 8, VI shows the lower end of a stalk from 

 which the leaf has been cut, and the appear- 

 ance of such a cutting when it is rooting. 



No. IX. Cuttings of Dicotyledons. — 

 I have always had reason to think that there 

 is not a Dicotyledonous plant which may not 

 be multiplied by cuttings, either of the roota 

 or stems ; by herbaceous shoots, or even by 

 detached leaves. 



