THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



463 



yard." At the end of six weeks, wlicu the children are 

 really getting some fun out of it. then the plaj-ground 

 is closed. Then, too, they are closed very early in the 

 afternoon, if they are operated at all in the afternoon, 

 so the schools have not done \ery much with play- 

 grounds. I shall say something more about this in 

 just a moment. 



Notwithstanding the fact that park and school 

 boards have taken hold of this, they have in certain 

 communities organized playground commissions. Why 

 should we develop a new body, when we have groups 

 whose function it is to do something along these lines — 

 in other words, to cover the ground, if need be. 



The Park and School Boards have comjalained of 

 insufficient funds ; therefore, we have created a new 

 body. These, then, have supplemented the park and 

 school boards again, in our municipal government, 

 there is always a welcome to a new body. It means 

 officers, positions, patronage, etc. But we have added 

 to the tax and multiplied municipal machinery. There 

 has been a great deal of duplication in this sense. 

 And these playground commisssioners have not offered 

 anything superior to what has been offered by the 

 school or park boards of those who haxe gone into 

 this with earnestness. The Park Board is attached to 

 the community; the school board is attached to any 

 settled function of the community, and consecjuently 

 the playground commission is nne of the weakest or- 

 ganizations handling this public recreation movement, 

 notwithstanding the fact cif brilliant examples here and 

 there on the part of such cummissions. 



It seems to me this is the drift : The park boards 

 are seeing, and the park superintendents the same, 

 that they have been too willing to buy every piece 

 of apparatus that came along, exploited by some man. 

 They have been too willing to put in this apparatus. 

 This movement does not aim to give the leap for life 

 or the jump from the heavens or some place else, and 

 yet these people are always coming to the park board 

 to sell this apparatus. It visually has great jiossibib- 

 ties for accident, no possibilities for building and de- 

 veloping the physique, developing the will power, 

 school courage or any of those other rich attributes 

 which could come from the use of this ap])aratus in 

 phu', but it is most stimulating. It attracts the 

 crowds. Of course the children rally there and hang 

 around it all day because of this great amusement. 

 They would follow the "Black Alariah" any time an 

 arrest was made because it is spectacular. 



It seems to me the park boards are traveling the 

 wrong line, there and that the boards are seeing, and 

 the superintendents are seeing, and they are regarding 

 with sus])icion the man who comes to sell them these 

 wonderfid devices. 



{To be continued in November issue.) 



PROPAGATION OF HEATHS BY CUTTING. 



The Heath or Erica family is a fairly large one, and 

 consists of both hardy and greenhouse plants. They 

 dift'er widely in their habit of growth, ranging in 

 height from about 9 inches to 6 feet or more. The 

 various species and varieties blossom at different sea- 

 sons, no period of the year being without its flowering 

 Heath. Many gardeners are under the impression that 

 cuttings of both greeidiouse and hardy Heaths are 

 difficult to root. This, however, is quite a mistage ; 

 the cuttings root very easily, provided one or two very 

 simple rules are followed. No season of the whole 

 year is better than August and early September to 

 insert the cuttings. .\t this time there are plenty of 



half-ripened young shoots on the plants, which make 

 excellent cuttings. 



.As comparatively little dei)th of soil is necessary for 

 Erica_ cuttings, the ])ots should be filled at least half 

 full of broken crocks or other suitable material at hand 

 for drainage. Over this place a layer of rough peat or 

 moss to prevent the fine soil trickling down between 

 the crocks and preventing the free passage of water. 

 A suitable compost in which to root the cuttings con- 

 sists of two-thirds peat, passed through a quarter-inch 

 mesh sieve, and one-third sand. Fill up the remaining 

 space in the ])ots with this material, press firmly, and 

 leave the surface of the soil a quarter of an inch below 

 the to]) (jf the pot to permit of a little fine sand being- 

 sprinkled over the surface ami to allow space for 

 watering. Water each pot well as soon as filled and 

 leave it long enough to drain thoroughly previous to 

 inserting the cuttings. The most serviceable sized 

 pots to use are those known as 5-inch size. These are 

 convenient to handle, and are just wide enipugh to take 

 a 4-inch bell-glass. 



The largest percentage of successes may be expect- 

 ed when cuttings of medium growth are inserted. In 

 most instances the side shoots growing on the strong, 

 vigorous young growths will be found to answer this 

 description. Thin, weak cuttings, though they will 

 root, seldom grow away kindly and make good, sturdy 

 plants, while many of the thicker, sa]3py growths 

 would damp if inserted as cuttings. An inch to lyi 

 inches, not longer, is a good average length for a 

 Heath cutting. Many of the side shoots will be found 

 alxiut tliis length, and if removed carefully with a 

 slight downward ])ull will come away from the main 

 stem readily and have a nice heel at the base. Failing 

 this, the shoots must be cut oft" just below the leaves 

 at a joint. The bottom leaves must be carefully 

 removed. 



The cuttings may be inserted moderately close to- 

 gether. A 5-inch pot will accommodate from thirtv to 

 three dozen cuttings. Place a layer of fine sand over 

 the surface of the jxit, take a small pointed stick (dili- 

 ber) in the right hand and a cutting in the left. Make 

 a hole with the dibber, and as it is drawn out insert the 

 cutting, and allow the sand to trickle in and fill up the 

 hole. Press the cutting in firmly with the other 

 ( thick) end of the dibber. Water the cuttings with a 

 fine rose on the spout of the watering-can, and allow 

 the pot to drain for a few minutes before placing on 

 the bell-glass. Should a pro])agating-frame with just 

 a little bottom-heat be available, the pots may be 

 ])Uinged in this. Failing this, place the pots tmder a 

 hand-light in the shadiest part of the greenhouse or in 

 a cold frame. \\'herever they are placed, shade the 

 cutting's from sunlight. 



Every morning the bell-glasses should be removed 

 and anv moisture collected on the inside wiped oft' with 

 a cloth. Water the cuttings when drj' with a rose on 

 the watering-pot, and remove any damj) or _\-ellow 

 leaves if present. The young cuttings will root in from 

 two to three months, when it will be necessary to grad- 

 ually admit air, this being done, to start with, by tilting 

 the bell-glasses before removing them entirely. When 

 growing freely the tips of the shoots should be re- 

 moved, to induce the ])lants to make several shoots 

 each and form nice little bushy plants by next May. 

 These young plants, if of a greenhouse variety, shoidd 

 be potted oft' singly in small pots, or, if belonging to 

 the hardy section, planted out 4 inches apart on a pre- 

 pared border outside, from where, in the following 

 autumn, they can be transferred to the positions for 

 flowering. — Cardeiiiui^. 



