5iB GARDEN MANAGEMENT. 



slovenly keeping than a row or bed six inches here, twelve there, and ten at 

 another point, without regular gradation, or any system whatever. Only of 

 secondary importance to the blending of proper colours is the arrangement of 

 plants according to their proper heights. Of course the appearance of a weed, 

 great or small, on either beds or ground, is an intolerable intrusion upon, and 

 quite inconsistent with, high keeiDing. Closely-strewn well-rolled turfis like the 

 picture-frame's influence upon the picture, and has a powerful influence in 

 exhibiting beauty in the best light. In harmony with all this the walks 

 must be scrupulously' clean, hard, smooth, and bright, to afford pleasant facility 

 of access to, and be in character with, the beauty of the objects they are 

 designed to exhibit. 



171 1. Having thus provided, regulated, arranged, and enjoyed the highest 

 amount of beauty that the garden is capable of yielding, the next point is 

 how all this is to be perpetuated or reproduced another season. This brings us 

 to another great business of the month, — Propagation. All trimmings of 

 verbenas, agera turns, geraniums, calceolarias, &c. &c., that are cut off to main- 

 tain sharp lines, clearly-defined edgings, &c., must be inserted as cuttings. 

 Where enough cannot be thus secured, the thickest parts of lines or beds 

 must be thinned for this purpose ; or, better still, plants that were placed in 

 the reserve-garden for this object must be cut down and divided into small 

 morsels for cuttings. A cutting is simply a part of a branch with two or more 

 joints, leaves, or buds : it must have two joints to constitute a cutting. It 

 may grow if it has only one, but then it is called an eye. Generally, cuttings 

 have from three to six joints or leaves : these are enough for a verbena ; four 

 to six are good averages for scarlet geraniums. Cut the base of the cuttings 

 clean acx'oss with a knife ; remove the leaves at the base, or not, as you please; 

 insert it firmly in any light sandy soil, covering the sui-face with fine sand, 

 the more effectually to exclude the air ; place it in a position favourable to the 

 retention of its juice until roots are emitted, and then the period of its cutting- 

 hood is over, and it has become a perfect plant. For cuttings of most flower- 

 garden plants at this season no place is so good as a close cold frame. In pre- 

 paring pots or pans for cuttings at this period of the year, it should first be 

 determined whether they are to remain in store-pots for the winter, or be 

 potted off as soon as rooted. If the former, a third of the pot should be 

 filled with drainage ; if the latter, a much smaller proportion of drainage will 

 suflBce. Cuttings that are to stand in their store-pots until next spring must 

 also be inserted thinner than those that are to be potted when rooted. Ten 

 verbenas, or other such cuttings, will be enough for a 48-sized pot to maintain 

 throughout the winter. Twenty might be inserted if they are to be potted oft' 

 directly. Some cuttings, such as scarlet geraniums, have, however, a superabun- 

 dance of sap when removed from the parent plant ; if placed in the same medium 

 that would suit the tip end of a verbena-shoot, instead of forming roots they 

 •would decay by wholesale. Various expedients have been recommended to 

 check this tendency — laying the cuttings in the air after they are made, to dis- 

 sipate their superflaous juices, &c. &c. No practice is, however, so good as 



