March 21, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



205 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



MARCH '21—27, 1867. 



Meetinp of Linnean Society, 8 p.m. 



[Royal Hort. Society, Promenade, 3 p.m. 

 Royal Bot. Society, First Spring Show, 

 3 S'dnday in Lent. 



Lady Day. MeetioK of Riiyal Geoci'aphi- 

 [cal Society, 8.S0 p.m. 

 Meeting of Society of Arts, 8 p.m. 



From observations taken near London during the last forty years, the average day temperature of the week is 60.9'^; and its night 

 temperatore 82.9'. The greatest heat was 76^, on the 27th, 1830; and the lowest cold 14', on the 25th, 1850. The greatest fall of rain was 

 0.60 inch. 



HOTBED FOR CUTTINGS AND SEEDS. 



N I'ldfilment of a former, pro- 

 mise, I now offer a. few- 

 hints on the raising of 

 plants from cuttings and 

 seeds at this season, cer- 

 tain, from the number of 

 inquiries, that such will he 

 acceptable to many persons. My friends of the spade may 

 consider any hints I may give as too late to be available 

 for the present season, but I have well considered this 

 matter, and find that amateurs generally have not the con- 

 venience to winter plants to afford cuttings early, have no 

 means of accommodating early-struck ciittings so as to 

 keep them slowly growing, nor, in fact, accommodation for 

 more than one lot of cuttings and seeds. Tliose for wliom 



1 at present write cannot place the stock plants in heat 

 to force for cuttings, but are to a great extent dependant 

 on the season for the gi-owth of the plants furnishing the 

 cuttings. To advise any one to make up a bed in Feb- 

 ruary for the propagation of plants from cuttings, while 

 his accommodation for wintering the plants is confined to 

 a structure from which frost is bai-ely excluded, would be 

 practically absurd, as the plants would not have grown 

 sufficiently, and, besides, the cuttings so raised would 

 require gi-eater protection when struck tlian he could af>"ord 

 them. Hence they would become stunted, and instead of 

 gaining time, the cuttings would be later than tliose put 

 in a month further on, and receiving no check after heinT 

 struck. It will, therefore, be perceived, that in the case 

 which I shall endeavour to meet there do not exist the 

 means for affording heat with the view of securing and 

 striking early cuttings, but merely protection from frost. 

 Witli such, however, late cuttings may be struck, and tliese 

 Tery often make the finest plants. 



By this time subjects wliich have had no more tlian 

 protection from frost will liave begun to grow, and cuttings 

 may be taken from them witli advantage to the plants, as 

 these will become more bushy in consequence, and the 

 cuttings put in now will by tlie end of Alay be good plants, 

 blooming well in the summer. 



For tlie purpose of raising cuttuigs and seeds at this 

 time the bed need not be made so liigli as earlier in the 

 season. A space 1 foot wider than the frame all round 

 should be marked out, and a bed formed of hot sweetened 

 stable dimg, the dung and litter being well shaken out 

 evenly, and beaten down with tlie back of the fork as the 

 work proceeds. If leaves are at hand they may be used in 

 the formation of the bed, mixing them witli the stable 

 manure as the work proceeds, and putting the litter on the 

 sides of the bed. If the bed is of stable litter, a height of 



2 feet (i inches wiU be sufficient ; if the bed is oiie-thh-d | 

 Ko. 312 —Vol. Xn., New Serus. 



leaves, it may he from ;! feet to o feet inches in height 

 according to the quality of the litter and leaves. To secure 

 a stead}' heat the materials cannot be too well shaken out 

 and beaten. This done put on the frame and liglits. and 

 within a week the bed will have heated, when the liglits 

 should he taken off", and. after levelling the surface, at 

 (i inches below this thrust in a stick as thick as the thumb 

 till its point reacli the centre of the bed. Draw out tliis 

 stick daily, and if on holding it tightly in the hand it 

 is not uncomfortably hot the time has arrived for inaldng 

 use of the bed, but if the Iieat be more than the liand can 

 bear then the bed must not he used until the heat declines. 

 Tlie bed being of a proper temperature — that is, if a 

 gi-ound thermometer vritii the bulb (i inches in the fer- 

 mentiiif; materials indicates a heat of !I0°, and not more 

 than 100°, tlie operator must decide whether he will strike 

 the cuttings in pots or pans, or in the soil that may be 

 placed within the frame. For bedding Pelargoniums, I 

 think it best to strike the cuttings in two-inch pots, an 

 inch or two of sandy soil, sand, or even finely sifted coal 

 ashes being placed over the surface of the bed, and then 

 .'l inches of sawdust in which the pots are to be phmged to 

 the rim. 



Another plan is to cover the surface of the bed with 

 strips of turf from a loamy pasture cut 2 inches thick and 

 tlie same in -width, and to make, at 2 inches apart along the 

 centre of each, holes of about the same size as those formed 

 by thrusting the finger into sand. The strips of turf are 

 then to be placed close together, grass side downiwards, on 

 the bed. beginning at one end and proceeding until the 

 area of the frame is covered. The next proceeding is to 

 put in tlie cuttings, but before doing this it will be neces- 

 sary to have read_y sufficient silver sand to fill the holes in 

 the turf, and a quantity of soil consisting of two-thirds 

 light sandy loam and one-third leaf mould. If the loam 

 is not f andy, then one-sixth of sand should be added to it. 

 Drop tlie sand into the holes and introduce the cutting, 

 resting its base on the sand : then fill up the hole with sand, 

 and -n'hen a row of cuttings is inserted place from three- 

 quarters of an inch to 1 inch of soil all over the turves 

 and aroimd the cuttings. In this manner proceed until 

 the frame is filled. This plan will answer admirably for 

 Pelargoniums, Calceolarias. Ageratums, and all bedding 

 plants of strong growth, or of which the cuttings are of 

 large size ; but for Vei-benas and Lobelias the turf should 

 be cut into l^-inch slireds, and holes should be made in 

 them \rith a dibber at the same distance apart, and the 

 cuttings inserted in the same way as for Pelargoniums. 



If pots are used for the Pelargoniums, they should be 

 filled with a compost of turfy loam two-thirds and leaf 

 mould one-third, and a cutting inserted in the centre of 

 each pot, filling up the space around the cuttings with 

 silver sand. 



After inserting the cuttings the lights should be drawn 

 on close, the cuttings gently sprinkled overhead, and a thin 

 mat thro-wn over the glass during bright sun. The sashes 

 should be kept close, and a gentle sprinkling of tepid 

 water given overhead if the cuttings flag and the surface 

 of the bed appear dry, but do not overwater. The tern 



No. 9«4.— Vol. XXSVII., Old Serib«. 



