PKOPAGATION. 245 



foriL a plant. Many succulents are so free to root, that when 

 pieces Lave been accidently left on the tan-bed, or carelessly 

 left on the soil on a pot, they push roots from their sides or 

 ends directly into the earth, and would, if left, soon become 

 perfect plants ; other things emit roots at their joints, with- 

 out any other encouragement than the damp the atmosphere 

 affords. The vine frequently does this, the balsam commonly ; 

 the verbena will trail along the ground, rooting at the base of 

 every leaf, and a single elongated shoot may often be cut up 

 into many plants. But there are other plants so obstinate, 

 that they require all the skill of an experienced propagator, 

 who could tell us of his many failures before he succeeded to 

 his mind. It is, in fact, so important a branch of the pro- 

 fession, that scores of good gardeners would be totally inca- 

 pable of undertaking a place ; and "Wanted : a propagator" 

 is as distinct from " Wanted : a gardener," at the head of an 

 advertisement for a man in that capacity, as " Wanted : a 

 bookkeeper." The first lessons in propagating hj cuttings 

 would be well given upon simple and freely-rooting plants. 

 To increase such plants, let the operator be shown first that 

 every leaf is at what is called a joint, and that as roots 

 emanate from joints, the first step after the cuttings are off 

 the plant is to cut the lower end clean up to the base of 

 a leaf Next, as the lower leaf would be inconvenient for 

 setting in the soil, the leaf should be cut off ; not that this is 

 a necessary condition, except for the convenience, because 

 many think the leaf would assist the rooting ; and it is quite 

 certain that, but for the inconvenience, it would be just as 

 well on. The leaf however, is always in the way, especially 

 if a number are to be placed in the same pot ; the cutting of 

 the lower leaves off, therefore, as high up as the stem is to be 

 set in the soil, is a matter of course. 



The next point to attend to is, to have the cutting made of 

 the right length. One joint above the soil, and one below it, 

 are sufiicient in many things ; a branch of geranium, for in- 

 stance, may have half-a-dozen joints ; these might be divided 

 into three proper cuttings, each ^vith its joint at the base 

 under the soil, and one joint above the soil. Cuttings of 

 subjects with closer leaves, — such as pinks, heaths, acacias, 

 diosmos, and many others, — require several joints below, and 

 the same above ; and if the leaves were not, for a certain dis- 

 tance, to be taken off, such cuttings could never be properly 



