CHAPTER XXII. 

 PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 



THE subject of propagation of plants is full of interest. 

 It is not so difficult as many suppose, and with a little 

 care there should be very few failures. 



PROPAGATION FROM SEEDS. 



The raising of plants from seed has already been fully 

 described in earlier chapters on annuals, biennials, peren- 

 nials, and rock-plants. It is much the same in all cases, 

 following fairly closely that of half-hardy annuals, which 

 may be summarised as follows: Shallow boxes are filled 

 with light loamy soil, and the seed sown in January to 

 February. The boxes are watered, and placed in a warm 

 dark cellar. When the little plants appear, the boxes are 

 placed on a shelf near the glass in the greenhouse. The 

 seedlings are pricked off when large enough to handle, 

 3 ins. apart each way, into other boxes. In May they 

 are hardened off in the way described in Chapter III, 

 and planted out in their permanent positions at the end of 

 that month. 



PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 



I have dealt with the propagation of hardy perennials 

 from cuttings in Chapter VI. But there are many other 

 plants which may be propagated by cuttings, including 

 half-hardy biennials, half-hardy perennials, etc. These 

 are mostly plants used for summer bedding, and if stock 

 is needed for next year the cuttings have usually to be 

 taken in September. Calceolaria, Pentstemon, Pansy, 



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