82 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 4, 1863. 



In the autumn propagation of aU flower-garden plants, 

 excepting Geraniums and Calceolarias, the object is simply 

 to prepare enough of stock from which to projjagate in early 

 spring sufficient numbers to meet the requirements of the 

 place. Spring-stnick plants, as is well known, are much to 

 be prefeiTed to those struck in autumn and winter; and 

 the labour connected with such numbers is confined in the 

 one case to weeks, while in the other it is spread over 

 months. 



Looking at cvittings, let us say of Verbenas, Heliotropes, 

 Alyssum, &c., before they ai-e taken from the parent plants, 

 there we find them in all the health and vigour attainable 

 in a rich soil and under the influence of full sun and au\ 

 The end to be attained is not simply how to get these 

 rooted and established as independent plants : this could 

 be effected in many ways. But the question is how to efl'ect 

 it in the easiest, soonest, and most convenient way, and with 

 the least possible amount of debility entailed on the plants in 

 the process ; and after they are thus rooted, how best to 

 treat and dispose of them so that they can be wintered in 

 the greatest health and robustness possible. 



After having tried a good many methods of preparing a 

 stock that is at the same time healthy and numerous enough 

 to enable short work to be made of the spring propagation, 

 I have found something like the following order of things 

 to be the most satisfactory of any course that I have yet 

 tried, although others may arrive at precisely the same end 

 by different routes. 



Early in August about a foot of last autumn's tree leaves 

 ai'e put into the bottom of a cold frame, and beat firmly 

 down. Over the leaves is put about 3 inches of soil, con- 

 sisting of equal parts of loam, leaf mould, and sand well 

 mixed together. This is beaten firmly down with the back 

 of a spade, or any similar apjjliance, and in this state the 

 frame is in readiness for the cuttings ; the required number 

 of the different kinds is selected fi-om the margin of the beds, 

 or from wherever they can be most readily had. There is 

 not much ceremony about the selection and preparation of 

 Verbena cuttings, only that they are short, stubby, fresh 

 cuttings that have not yielded blooms, and that the leaves 

 are removed fi-om the bottom joint to prevent damping. 

 They are made, dibbed into the frame, and watered with as 

 little delay as possible, so that they are not allowed to drooi> 

 and get injured by being tlried up. When the necessai-y 

 number is in they receive water through a very fine rose suffi- 

 cient to moisten the 3 inches of soU. The frame is closely 

 shut down, and rather thickly shaded during sunshine. In 

 fact, everything is done to keep them as cool as possible. 

 If the evenings are calm the lights may be entirely cb•a^vn off 

 for a few hours, and when put on for the night air is left on. 

 In the morning, if the day is Hkely to be hot, they are dewed 

 over through a very fine rose or syringe. Under such treat- 

 ment they root with little trouble and without making much 

 growth at the top — at least, as compared with similar cut- 

 tings struck later in tlie season in warmer quai-ters. The 

 object is to get roots foi-med with as little heat and stagnant 

 atmosphere about the cuttings as possible, and so prevent 

 then- being drawn and weakly. 



When they have made roots about an inch long they are 

 pricked-off into round earthenware pans, 14 inclies in dia- 

 meter and 7 inches deep. The pans are prepared by placing 

 a thin layer of rather finely-broken crocks over the bottom, 

 then a layer of old muslu'oom-bed dung, which consists 

 chiefly of horse-droppings, and they are filled up with a good 

 substantial compost consisting of equal parts of a rather 

 sandy loam and tlie same sort of dung already named, with 

 a very slight addition of sand. About thiity plants of such 

 as Verbenas and Alyssum are put into each pan, and as soon 

 as possible after being pricked-off they are fully exposed 

 to aU weathers except heavy rains. By housing time you 

 might shear ai-mfuls of fine healthy cuttings from them. 

 They are, of coiu-se, repe.itedly stopped, and kept free from 

 bloom-buds as they grow, and carefully attended to with 

 water. We make up about eighty or a hundred pans of 

 Verbenas in this way ; and they are wintered in any cool, 

 aiiy, dry place, and kept moderately moist at the root ; and 

 even with such varieties as Purple King, which is largely 

 grown, mildew rai-ely makes its appearance. 



In spring almost any amount of cuttings can be had from 

 such a stock. Last spring we struck about twenty thousand 



Verbenas alone in a very short time, and three times the 

 quantity could have been struck if needed. As compai'ed with 

 plans that I have formerly adopted, and which used to be 

 in vogue, this is found to be attended with far less laboiu: 

 and much better results. 



In the case of Geraniums the middle of August is con- 

 sidered a good time to make a commencement (except in 

 the case of Golden Chain, which is always surest if in a 

 fortnight earlier) ; and if all can be put in by the middle of 

 September it is a great deal better than later attempts. 

 After trying a good many ways in sti-iking all the different 

 varieties of viiriegated Geraniums I prefer striking them 

 and winteiing them in eight-inch pots. They are not very 

 heavily but carefully crocked. Over the crocks is placed a 

 layer of mushroom-dung ; and the pot is filled to within 

 3 inches of the brim with one part loam and one part leaf 

 mould, and is then filled up with the same soil after mixing 

 another part of coarse pit sand with it. The number of 

 cuttings put into each pot varies fi-om eighteen to twenty- 

 four according to the size of the sorts. Large cuttings are 

 prefen-ed as those which root soonest, are least likely to 

 damp-off, and make the finest plants in spring. These are 

 tlibbed into the pots immediately they are made, watered, 

 and placed in a position where the pots will stand on a dry 

 bottom, and be fully exposed to the sun all day long, with 

 no covering at any time, unless it be to tlu-ow off' heavy 

 and continued rains. Most of the larger leaves are removed 

 in making the cuttings, but in no case are they dried before 

 being put into the cutting-pots, never being able to discover 

 what was gained by such drying except mischief. In hot 

 days, when water may not be needed in the soil, the cut- 

 tings are slightly dewed over in the evening when the sun 

 has left them. 



I have found that cuttings struck and wintered in pots 

 of the size recommended keep much better, and are more 

 conveniently managed, than when put into either smaller 

 or larger sizes or into boxes. The advantage over boxes 

 I conceive to be derived from the better drainage secured, 

 and the more free play of air and light among the plants 

 when in smaller and round detaclunents. The earthenware 

 has also a little to do in the matter. The whole winter 

 they ai'e kept very drj', and in spring when shaken out of 

 the soO there is a gi'eat amount of uTitabUity about the 

 whole plant, and their bunches of white roots are almost 

 ready to take uj) the very sand itself 



The common scarlet varieties are strack and managed in 

 the same way, except that the gi-eat bulk of them have been 

 put into boxes to economise space. But from the conriction 

 that they do so much better in pots fewer of them will be 

 put into boxes in future, but will be managed the same as 

 detailed in the case of the variegated sorts. There ai-e usually 

 stmck more than 15,000 plants, and a little calculation will 

 show that at the rate of eighteen to twenty in an eight- 

 inch pot it ^vill not requu-e such a vast space to winter 

 them in. 



I win not at present enter into the many methods which 

 might be adopted under various circumstances, but have 

 simply given what — after having tried various ways — I have 

 found to be the most sure and satisfactoiy mode where such 

 means as are necessary are at command. D. Thomson. 



ALEXAJifDEA PARK FLOWEE SHOW. 



florists' flowers. 

 In commenting generally on the featui'es of tliis most 

 excellent »Show I adverted amongst other things to the 

 Roses, and to Mr. Keynes' especially. Nowhere this season 

 have I seen such flowers, nor indeed do I ever recollect 

 seeing such a, box as bis of 100 blooms was. I thought on 

 looking at them that they must have been gi-own on the 

 Manetti and were maiden blooms, a condition in which I 

 know marvellous blooms are sometimes produced ; but on 

 saying so to him I was assured it was not so — that they 

 were all from standards, the more credit then is due to 

 him. The water-pot must, I think, have been well used 

 during this dry season to have produced such flowers. 

 Where .all were good it seems needless to pai'ticularise ; but 

 I may say that the following were superb : — Due de Rohan, 

 and Maiu-ice Bernhardiu. These flowers aa-e, I am per- 



