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IRISH GARDENING, 



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Nevvmarket-on- 



Pelargoniums 



B}' K. McLeod Beaton, Carrig-oran 

 Fergus, Co. Clare. 



CUTTINGS may be put in and struck from 

 March to Aug-ust. The general time, 

 however, is when the plants have done 

 flowering- and require cutting down to form 

 bushy plants for next season ; this generally 

 happens from the middle of June to the end of 

 August. The best place to strike the cuttings 

 in is a well-constructed propagating house ; but 

 as every one has not such a place they may be 

 successfully 

 propagated in 

 a frame with 

 plenty of ashes 

 (coal ashes) to 

 keep out the 

 worms. Good 

 loam m i X e d 

 with silver 

 sand forms a 

 good compost 

 for cuttings. 

 Some use 

 small pots, and 

 only place one 

 cutting in 

 each; this, 

 where the cut- 

 tings are few 

 and the con- 

 venience small, 

 will be suitable 

 enough, and 

 besides it has 



this advantage also — the cuttings can be more 

 conveniently potted without causing any injury 

 to the tender roots. On the other hand, if a large 

 quantity is required, the method of placing six 

 or seven cuttings in a five-inch pot will be more 

 suitable and, with care, equally as successful. 

 Kill the desired pots with the prepared loam, 

 lot too hard, but sufficient to hold the cuttings 

 irm. The side shoots which have not flowered 

 uid are not more than four inches long make 

 he best cuttings. Cut close to the stem with a 

 harp knife ; cut off the bottom leaves, leaving 

 >nly two of the uppermost. Place the cuttings 

 .tter they are made round the edge of the pre- 

 >ared pots. When the pots are filled with 



Photo 



cuttmgs give a gentle watering, and place them 

 in said house or frame ; shade them carefully 

 from the sun, reducing the shade gradually ; 

 admit little air when the temperature is about 

 fifty degrees. The cuttings must be frequently 

 examined to see if the roots are formed, and as 

 soon as they are two inches long pot them off" 

 singly into two-and-half inches or three- inch 

 pots, using good loam, leaf-mould, and silver 

 sand. When they are finished potting off give 

 another gentle watering ; replace them in frame 

 or house ; renew the shading until fresh roots 

 are formed, and then plenty air to prevent the 



young plants 

 being drawn 

 up and spindly. 

 As soon as 

 they have 

 made four 

 leaves, pinch 

 off the top bud 

 to cause them 

 to form bushy 

 plants. 



General 

 Culture: The 

 House. — Pel- 

 ar go n i u ms, 

 like all other 

 large families 

 of plants, re- 

 quire a house 

 to themselves; 

 a span roof 

 with glass 

 sides is by far 

 the best, and 

 for this^satisfactory reason — that the plants in 

 such a house grow on all sides alike, therefore 

 easier to produce fine specimen plants. 



All established plants cut down in June and 

 July should be placed in a cold frame. When 

 the buds break give as much water as will 

 reach every good root ; gradually give air. 

 When about two inches in length or so, shake 

 the soil from the roots and re-shift into similar 

 or even a smaller sized pot. Place them again 

 in the cold frame, and keep close until the fresh 

 roots are running in the new soil, then give air 

 gradually until at length you expose them 

 entirely to the atmosphere, but avoid cold rains 

 and anything like frost. Those cut down in 



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Wall plvnted wiih Rock Plants 



