ON PROPAGATING EXOTICS. 221 



they inust be removed to a shaded part of the stove, there to re- 

 main till the second leaf is perfectly formed and the rudiment of 

 the third leaf is perceived, when they must be carefully potted off 

 in small thumb pots, in composts according to their nature, and 

 again placed in a sheltered place till they have taken root, when they 

 may be finally but gradually exposed to their respective depart- 

 ments. The sooner seedlings are potted off the better, as they do 

 not miss their moving when potted young. I should have ob- 

 served that if hot sunny weather should occur (as is often the 

 case) while they are in the hot-bed frames, they should he shaded 

 in the middle of the day by means of mats. 



2. Cuttings. — Most exotics will increase by this mode of 

 propagation, and many of them by young cuttings a little 

 hardened : some by ripened ones, and a few by means of very 

 young ones. When it is desired to jjropagate any particular kind 

 by cuttings, an old shabby plant should be picked out for the pur- 

 pose ; and if an inhabitant of the greenhouse, taken about Christ- 

 inas into the stove, that it may produce its young shoots early, 

 and when grown to a sufficient length (say, from one and a half 

 to two inches), taken back to its own department to harden a little, 

 and ripened more or less as required. From Christmas to the 

 end of April is the best time to increase by cuttings, as then the 

 plants can root and be potted off in time to stand the winter 

 season with success ; but it sometimes happens that the desired 

 kinds are late before they produce fitting shoots, especially those 

 that strike best from fully ripened cuttings ; these must, however, 

 be put in when arrived at a proper state, and if they do not 

 happen to have rooted sufficiently for potting till late in autumn, 

 it would be best to defer potting them offin separate pots till early 

 the following spring, but this must be left to the judgment of the 

 propagator, as many kinds are apt to became wing rooted if left 

 too long before they are potted off. Previous to commencing the 

 operation, a sufficient quantity of pots (same size as recommended 

 for seedlings) must be prepared after the following manner : — 

 Alter a large piece of broken pot and potsherds have been put into 

 tht pot as above directed, fill it level with the top with fine clear 

 snid in a mc ■ , and made as firm as it possibly can be with 



the hand, to exclude as much air as possible from the base of the 

 In preparing Ihe cuttings, camniust be taken not to 



