90 PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE. 



simple, and may easily be imparted by writing, even to 

 one having no acquaintance "whatever with the operation. 

 I will first state the system practised by commercial florists, 

 following with that suited for amateurs or private gar- 

 deners. 



"When the operations are such as require a house SGI 

 apart exclusively for propagating, the best style, in our 

 opinion, is that shown by the diagram on page 55. 



We have used this style for the past three years, and, 

 thus far, cannot see how it can be further improved upon ; 

 it works perfectly, and if the simple conditions which we 

 lay down for our guidance are strictly followed, failure is 

 an impossibility. It will be seen by the diagram that 

 the heating is done by hot water pipes, two of which 

 (4 inches in diameter) run under each bench ; but it must 

 not be supposed that it is indispensable that the heating 

 of a propagating house should be done with hot water, to 

 insure success. The common smoke-flue, run under the 

 bench in the same position as shown for the pipes, will 

 give bottom heat, if carefully regulated, just as well as 

 the hot water pipes ; only in all cases where the first cost 

 is not an object, we advise heating by hot water in pref- 

 erence to flues. The bottom of the bench is best formed 

 of slate or thin flagging-stone, as they are better con- 

 ductors of heat than wood. When it is not convenient 

 to obtain these, common rough boarding will answer. 

 The scale applied to the diagram will give the measure- 

 ments. 



We are in the habit of placing 3 or 4 inches of well- 

 rotted refuse hops, tan bark, or some such material, well 

 beaten down, over the boarding or flagging ; over this 

 we place about 2 inches of sand. Our reason for using 

 the first-named materials, passing the heat through them 

 before it reaches the sand in which the cuttings are placed 

 is, that it becomes modified and approaches to the moist 

 and genial heat of the hot-bed. This practice is by no 



