3IO 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



September, igio 



was a patron of botany. In its single 

 form it is a pretty flower, slightly re- 

 sembling coreopsis, but is more highly 

 colored than the latter. The hues are 

 varied in reds and deep and pale yellows. 

 There are several double varieties, but 

 this is a case where a beautiful flower 

 gains nothing by the doubling process. 



A CHEEBY FLOWEE 



Bright-eyed coreopsis is one of the 

 cheeriest of our August garden flowers, 

 and it is distinctly American in charac- 

 ter. The perennial variety, C. lanceolata, 

 is commonly cultivated by florists. 



The dahlia is named from a Swedish 

 botanist, Dahl, a contemporary of the 



great botanist, Linnaus. The large con- 

 ventional double flowers are not quite as 

 beautiful as the single ones. 



The zinnia^ although a gifted flower, 

 with a range of color comprehending 

 nearly the whole scale, has one palpable 

 fault. It is unmistakeably stiff. 



The Mourning Bride (Scabiosa atro- 

 purpurea) has been greatly improved of 

 late. It was a favorite of the old-fash- 

 ioned garden, but the newer varieties are 

 so much larger and finer than the old, that 

 it would scarcely be recognized as the 

 same flower. The Black Scabiosa — a 

 dark claret maroon color — has a striking 

 effect. 



Secure and Plant Your Cuttings in September 



Wm. Hunt, Ontario Agricultural College 



other of the apparently minor but no less 



EARLY in the month is a good time 

 for amateurs to increase their stock 

 of flowering plants for the window. 

 L'uttings of geraniums, coleus, iresine, 

 salvia, ageratum, petunia and other per- 

 ennial soft wooded plants are best taken 

 in August, though geranium and petunia 

 cuttings can be taken until early frosts 

 set in. Coleus cuttings especially are 

 best taken before chilly cool weather 

 sets in. 



When selecting and making the cut- 

 ting, select a thrifty, vigorous terminal 

 or side shoot of young growth. The 

 length of the cutting must be determined 

 by the habit of growth very largely, as 

 well as by the texture or substance of 

 the stem of the cutting. The selection 

 of the part for the base of the cutting is 

 most important to ensure success in root 

 production. The base of the cutting 

 should be of medium texture, neither too 

 hard or woody, or too soft and pulpy, 

 about the nature or texture of a young 

 tender carrot. A cutting with a hard 

 woody base develops roots very slowly, 

 if at all, whilst a too soft, pulpy, sappy 

 cutting will often rot or decay at the base 

 without producing roots at all. Like all 



important details contributing to success 

 in plant culture, much can and must be 

 learned by close observation, experience 

 and practice. 



The base of the cutting should be im- 

 mediately below and close to a node or 

 joint of a main stem, usually where the 

 base of the petiole or leaf stem — or flower 

 stem — joins the main stem. With many 

 plants, such as coleus, for instance, it 

 is not absolutely necessary that the base 

 of the cutting should be just below a 

 node, as many cuttings will throw out 

 roots between the nodes, but roots de- 

 veloped at points between the nodes are 

 not usually as numerous or as strong as 

 those produced at the node or joint. 



The base of the cutting should be cut 

 transversely so that the base of the cut- 

 ting is level or flat. It is a mistaken 

 idea to cut the base of the cutting at an 

 angle as is often done, as this method 

 often induces decay. 



The lower leaves on the cutting should 

 be removed, leaving one or two leaves 

 at top of the cutting for transpiration 

 purposes, or in other words, for sap cir- 

 culation. The amount of leaves or 



Plant Cuttiiift 



First to the left— Coleus cutting, ready tor putting in sand. Number two— Rooted Coleus cut- 

 ting, showing root development at nodes or joints. Number three— Ageratum cutting, showing root 

 development at the nodes or joints. Number four— Rooted Impaticns Sultani cutting (Bloom for 

 Ever). 



An Inlerettini Hybrid 



Illustration No. 2. (See Article on Page 2111 



foliage depends on the kind of foliage. 

 If the leaves are large, as in the case 

 of the geranium or some begonias, one 

 or two leaves at the top are suflficient to 

 leave. With smaller leaved plants, such 

 as salvia and ageratum, a greater num- 

 ber of leaves can be left on. The smaller 

 the leaves the more can be left on Aie 

 cutting. The lower leaves should always 

 be cut off close to the main stem. All 

 stipules should be removed as well as 

 all blooms and bloom buds where pos- 

 sible. With cuttings of some plants 

 such as coleus, about one half of the two 

 largest leaves on the cutting may be 

 cut off. A sharp knife is necessary for 

 taking cuttings. 



MATERIAL AND APPLIANCES 



A small shallow box is the best to root 

 cuttings in although they will root verv 

 well in large flower pots or seed pans. 

 A box 8 by lo inches and three inches 

 deep will hold from four to five dozen 

 ruttings of mixed varieties of plants. 



The bottom and sides of the box can 

 be of half inch lumber and the ends of 

 inch lumber. Five or six holes, half an 

 inch in diameter, should be bored 

 through the bottom of the box to ensure 

 good drainage. About half an inch of 

 broken flower pot, gravel, coal cinders or 

 lump charcoal should be placed in the 

 box first to keep the drainage clear. Use 

 about an inch of this drainage material 

 in each large flower pot if these are used. 

 Then fill the box or pot with rather 

 coarse, clean sand, pit sand is the best. 



If lake or river sand is used see that it 

 is free from sawdust, bits of wood or 

 decayed vegetable matter of any kind. 

 Rinse sand from the roadside can be used 

 if free from impurities. The sand should 

 be well moistened Ijefore being put in the 

 box. Fill the box loosely level full, then 



