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HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



PRO 



however, to water and shade them w^ell for a 

 few days. The following plants will produce 

 roots freely by this system : Ficus elastica, 

 Neriums. Camellias, Crotons, Dracaenas, Nepen- 

 thes, and many others. 



Propagation by Layering. Although lay- 

 ering may be done with the ripened wood of 

 vines or shrubs of the growth of the previous 

 season, yet it is preferable to use the shoots 

 of the present year in its half green state ; for 

 example, a Eose or flowering shrub is pruned 

 in the usual way in spring ; by June or July it 

 will have made strong shoots, one, two or 

 three feet in length from or near the base of 

 the plant. Take the shoot then in the left 

 hand (after having stripped it of its leaves 

 for a few inches on each side of where it is to 

 be cut), keep the fingers under the shoot, and 

 make a clean cut on the upper part, an inch or 

 so in length, and to about half the thickness 

 of the shoot, then slightly twist the ' ' tongue " 

 or cut part to one side. Having opened a shallow 

 trench, fasten the branch down with a hook- 

 peg, and cover with earth. It is a good plan to 

 place a flat stone over the layer to prevent the 

 soil from drying out. This plan of cutting the 

 shoot on the upper side we have never seen in 

 illustration showing the manner of layei'ing, 

 it being usually either on the side or under ; 

 but we have found in practice that it is much 

 the safest plan, as the "tongue," when cut 

 on the top part of the shoot, has far less 

 chance to be broken off. 



Propagation by Layering in Pots is the 

 process of layering shoots or runners of 

 plants in pots, so that, when the root forms 

 in the pot, the plant can be detached without 

 injury to it, as the roots are confined exclus- 

 ively to the soil in the pot. Layering plants 

 in pots can be done with Eoses, vines or 

 shrubs of any kind, with always more certainty 

 of making a plant quicker than by the ordin- 

 ary way of layering the shoot in the soil. This 

 system of pi'opagating Strawberries has been 

 largely- practiced during the past ten years in 

 the United States, and is now a favorite 

 method. For details, see Strawberry. 



Propagation by Layering in the Air. 

 About twenty j-ears ago we published a 

 method of propagating Geraniums, that we 

 believed originated with us, and which we 

 called, for want of a better term, "Layering 

 in the Air." It consists in tonguing the shoots 

 to be used as a cutting Jialf through with a 

 knife, as in the ordinary layering : the shoots 

 so treated formed granulations, or "callus,' 

 on the cut surface, and was in a condition to 

 form roots immediately on being detached 

 and put into the earth. A year or two ago we 

 bethought ourselves of our long forgotten plan 

 of " layering in the air," but this time we im- 

 proved upon the former way of doing it. 

 Instead of tonguing the shoot to be used for 

 a cutting, as before, it was merely snapped 

 short off at a point where the condition of the 

 shoot or slip would make it hang on to the 

 plant by the merest shred or bark. Slight as 

 this strip of bark is, it ia sufficient to sustain 

 the cutting, without any material injury 

 from wilting until it forms the " callus,'' 

 or granulated condition, which precedes 

 the formation of roots. The cutting, or 

 slip may be detached in from ten to twelve 

 days after it had been broken in the manner 

 described, and then potted in two or three 



PRO 



inch pots. If watered and shaded rather less 

 than required by ordinary cuttings, it will 

 form roots in ten or twelve daj^s more, and 

 not more than two per cent, will fail. Plants 

 of the Tricolor Geraniums, which all know are 

 difficult to root under the ordinary modes of 

 propagation, particularly in hot weather, do 

 excellently by this plan. 



The advantage of this method is not only that 

 the slips root with far greater facility, but the 

 injury to the stock or mother plants is far less 

 than if the slips had been cut clean off instead 

 of being only partly detached. Many other 

 plants can be thus propagated with safety, 

 notably Begonias, Petunias, Poinsettias, and 

 such plants, the cuttings of which have a 

 tendency to damp in hot weather. 



Propagation by Leaves. Many plants are 

 increased rapidly by this system ; young plants 

 appearing on the mid-ribs, and along the edges. 

 The leaves Avhich are intended for this purpose 

 should be fully grown, and what florists term, 

 well hardened ; place the leaf on clean sand and 

 peg it down, placing a little sand on the 

 top of the leaf ; numerous young plants will 

 spring up in the course of three to four weeks, 

 when they can be taken off separately and 

 potted. Another mode of increasing plants by 

 leaves is to cut the leaf in triangular pieces 

 with a rib or two of the leaf included, and 

 place in sand as you w^ould a cutting. The 

 following plants are easily propagated in this 

 manner : Gloxinias, Sedums, Cactus, Hoyas, 

 Begonias, and many others, which have simi- 

 lar leaves to the above. 



Propagation by Root Cuttings. A num- 

 ber of plants can be more easily and quickly 

 increased in this manner than by cuttings 

 or even seeds. The stronger roots are cut 

 into pieces, from half an inch to an inch long, 

 and are generally sown in boxes or pots and 

 covered slightly with soil. They form young 

 plants in a very short time, and are potted-off 

 in the usual manner. Bouvardias, Phyllanthus, 

 Clerodendrons, Aralias, etc., are often propa- 

 gated in this way. Many hardy shrubs and 

 trees such as Pyrus Japonica, Ailantus, Pau- 

 lownia, as well as a number of hardy herba- 

 ceous plants, as Helianthus multiflorus. Eu- 

 phorbia corollata, etc., are increased in this 

 manner, mention of which is generally made 

 under their I'espective names. 

 Propendent. Hanging forward, and downward. 

 Prophet Flower. Arnehia echioides. 

 Prosa'rtes. From prosartao, to hang from ; in 

 allusion to the pendent ovules or flowers. 

 Nat. Oi'd. Liliacece. 



A small genus of hardy native plants, with 

 yellow, drooping flowers, common in moist, 

 rich woods, from New York, west and south. 

 Proserpina'ca. Mermaid Weed. From proserpo, 

 to creep ; alluding to the creeping habit of the 

 species. Nat. Ord. Haloragacecs. 



A genus of two species of hardy aquatic 

 plants, natives of North America, and the "West 

 Indies. They are sometimes cultivated in 

 ponds and are useful plants for the aquarium. 

 Proso'pis. From prosopis, a mask ; but why 

 applied is unknown. Nat. Ord. LegiuninoscB. 



A genus of trees or shrubs often armed 

 with hooked prickles, widely dispersed 

 through tropical and sub-tropical regions. P. 

 siliquastrum, introduced from Chili in 1829, is 

 the species most generally found in cultiva- 



