December 1, 1917 



HORTICULIURE 



573 



PROPAGATING EVERGREENS BY 

 CUTTAGE. 



A I'aper by A, E. Robinson, read before the 



UarJenera' and E'lorists' Club of Hoatou 



on November 20. 



The species of evergreens usually 

 propagated by cuttage, include the 

 Retinosporas,' Thuyas, Junipers and 

 like-wooded sorts. With the exception 

 of certain deciduous shrubs, I know of 

 no class of woody plants more easily 

 rooted than these evergreens. The 

 cuttings are made of mature wood, 

 taken usually in November, and should 

 be of the entire season's growth, cut at 

 the heel. Instead of "sticking" the 

 cuttings in the ordinary propagating 

 bench or frame, nurserymen have 

 found it economy to prepare flat 

 boxes about 18 or 24 inches square, 4 

 inches deep, and with holes in the bot- 

 tom for drainage. In the bottom of the 

 flat, place about an inch and a half of 

 good soil, then fill with clean, sharp 

 sand, wet down and pack firmly. The 

 cuttings are set in these flats, about 

 one inch apart each way, and so that 

 the heel of the cutting is slightly 

 above the soil. The object of the soil 

 in the bottom of the flat, is that when 

 the roots begin to form they will have 

 something to feed upon until the young 

 plants are ready to be shaken out and 

 transplanted to the open ground out- 

 side. These box-flats are placed in a 

 well shaded greenhouse or frame 

 where they can be given gentle heat. 

 Care must be taken to keep the tem- 

 perature and moisture fairly even. By 

 February the roots are usually formed 

 and the boxes can be transferred to a 

 cool house where the temperature is 

 about 50 degrees. In April the boxes 

 should be placed out-of-doors in a cool 

 frame where they should remain until 

 danger of frost is past; then removed 

 to a shaded situation and set upon 

 boards to admit good drainage. Leave 

 them here until the following spring, 

 giving protection during the winter. In 

 the spring, the plants are shaken out 

 of the boxes and planted in beds 

 where they remain until large enough 

 to line out in nursery rows. 



Another method practiced in the 

 West and South is to "stick" the cut- 

 tings in the sand in an ordinary propa- 

 gating bench with mild bottom heat; 

 when rooted pot them off in small 

 pots, and keep them in the house until 

 early summer, when they are trans- 

 ferred to frames or beds outside. 



Many of the evergreens root slowly, 

 some very slowly, and often have to 

 remain in the original frames or 

 benches for several months. Some of 

 the Junipers, Yews and Cryptomeria 

 Japonica will not make roots for 

 nearly twelve months, keeping good 

 foliage, however, and ultimately giving 

 good plants. They are nearly always 

 grown in shaded houses or frames and 

 sometimes in inside propagating 

 frames. 



The evergreen shrubs are handled in 

 much the same way; although the 

 Azaleas, Daphne cneorum, Kuonymus, 

 Ericas and the like, can be increased 

 economically by soft wood cuttings. 



Some few propagators are being 

 successful in rooting semi-soft wood 

 cuttings of Retinosporas, Thuyas and 

 some Junipers in June and July in or- 

 dinary propagating frames outside. 

 This method, howiver, requires very 

 careful and constant attention, and is 

 not as economical as winter propaga- 

 tion. 



Obituary 



David Welch 



All floral Boston was shocked to 

 learn of the sudden death on Tuesday 

 morning, Xovember 27, of David 

 Welch formerly of Welch Bros. Co., 

 and late of D. & E. J. Welch, wholesale 

 florists. Mr. Welch has been in rather 

 precarious health for several years 

 with afi'ections of the throat and 

 stomach, suffering from occasional 

 severe attacks which necessitated 

 careful habits and freuqent absence 

 from business. He was at his usual 

 post on Monday and his indisposition 

 and going home at noon on that day 

 occasioned no special solicitude, but 

 he failed rapidly after reaching his 

 home in Dorchester and on Tuesday 

 morning passed away after a night of 

 suffering. 



David Welch was born in Mallow, 

 County Cork, Ireland, 63 years ago, the 



David Welch 



son of a prosperous farmer, and got 

 his education in the National school. 

 The family came to Boston in 1871 and 

 David worked on the estate of the late 

 Marshall P. Wilder the noted pomo- 

 logist, in Dorchester for a number of 

 years, after which in 1885 he became a 

 partner with Patrick and E. J. Welch 

 in the firm of Welch Bros., w'here he 

 remained until June, 1916. when with 

 his brother E. J., he separated from 

 the old house and formed a new com- 

 pany. 



Mr. Welch was a man of the highest 

 degree of integrity, well-read, and a 

 mathematician of more than ordinary 

 attainments. He was an interesting 

 and unique character, full of philoso- 

 phy and wise, often droll, sayings 

 and quotations from famous authors, 

 ancient and modern, with which his 

 habit of reading and retentive memory 

 kept him plentifully supplifd. His 

 associates among the trade were not 

 numerous b>it the few with whom he 

 was intimate fully appreciated his 

 sterling qualities. His wife ilird about 

 ten years ago. 



Mr. Smith was not connected with the 

 horticultural business in any way, but 

 he was well known and widely popular, 

 having presided or served as toast- 

 master at many florists' banquets in 

 Philadelphia during the past thirty 

 years. He was the wittiest and joUiest 

 of toastmasters and was always the 

 life of the party. Many in the trade 

 all over the country knew him — his 

 fame having traveled far and wide. 

 His welcome speech to the S. A. F. 

 Convention at its first meeting in 

 Philadelphia in 1886 was a gem and is 

 worth reprinting as showing his facile 

 and forcible mentality on its serious 

 side which few of us appreciated as it 

 deserved. 



Mr. Smith was born in Glasgow, 

 Scotland, 73 years ago, and was 

 brought to this country when he was 

 7 years of age. G. C. W. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY OF 

 AMERICA 

 Reports of Committee. 

 Exhibited at Cleveland, Nov. 8, by 

 Elmer D. Smith & Co., Adrian, Mich.: 

 Var. No. 206-14-16, light pink, pompon, 

 ex. point 80; Betsy Ross, white, Jap. 

 Inc.. com. points 88; No. 52-5-13, pink 

 shaded lemon, Jap., com. points 85; 

 Midnight Sun, yellow. Inc., com. poiittB 

 87; No. 71-2-14, bronze. Inc., com. 

 points 82. By Mt. Greenwood Ceme- 

 tery, Morgan Park, Chicago: No, 21, 

 yellow, Jap., ex. points 85; Mrs. C. \7. 

 Johnson, white, Jap., com. points 91, 

 ex. 92; No. 20, white, Jap., ex. points 

 84; No. 31, rose pink, silver reverse, 

 Inc., com. points 81; No. 24, pink, Jap., 

 com. points 84. By Friedley Floral 

 Co., Cleveland: Big Baby, yellow, pom- 

 pon, ex. points 87. By J. B. Goetz, 

 Saginaw, Mich.: No. 100, yellow, ane- 

 mone, ex. points 88. At Chicago, Nov. 

 10, by Elmer D. Smith & Co., Adrian, 

 Mich.: No. 109-9-15, maroon, Jap. refl., 

 com. points 87. 



Exhibited at Chicago, Nov. 17, by 

 Mt. Greenwood Cemetery Asso., Mor- 

 gan Park, Chicago; var. Mrs. C. W. 

 Johnson, white, Jap. Inc., com. points 

 91, ex. points 92. 



Chas. W. Johnson, Secy. 



PERSONAL. 



J. Fred Wessler has been appointed 

 superintendent of Gwynn Falls Park, 

 Baltimore, Md., succeeding the late N. 

 F. Flitton. 



Francis Lazenby, head gardener for 

 C. A. Stone, Plymouth. Mass., and 

 lately employed by R. & J. Farquhar at 

 their Dedliam nurseries, has been ap- 

 pointed superintendent of Andrew G. 

 Weeks' estate, Marion, Mass. 



Wm. B. Smith. 

 Ex-Mayor of Pliiladelphia, Wm. B. 

 Smith died at his home, Laurel 

 Springs, N. J., on Nov. 23rd aged 73. 



CLEVELAND. 



The H. A. Sherwin estate at Wil- 

 loughby is taking bids for the super- 

 structure of three greenhouses. Mason- 

 ry work is now underway. Albert E. 

 Skeel, 4500 Euclid avenue, is architect. 



City Forester Hyatt announces that 

 17,000 hyacinth bulbs have arrived 

 from Holland consigned to the city 

 of Cleveland. About ten days ago 

 word was received of their arrival in 

 New York. They are behind schedule 

 and Forester Hyatt had almost given 

 up hope of receiving them in time. A 

 force of gardeners was immediately 

 put to work setting them out. 



