98 PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE. 



and propagating at a low temperature is capable of 

 producing a larger quantity of stock during the season than 

 at a high temperature and in a close atmosphere. There 

 need be no failures, and it has the important advantage 

 of producing a healthy stock, which the close or high 

 temperature system would fail to do in the case of many 

 plants. We have often heard propagators vauntingly tell 

 of taking out two crops of cuttings in 10 days. We are 

 well aware that this may be done, but we are also aware 

 that it is often done in damp and cloudy weather at the 

 risk of the whole crop, and it must be done at a high 

 temperature, which, at all times, causes the plants to draw 

 up slender, and thus impairs their vigor. 



I am of the opinion that permitting a moderate circula- 

 tion of air in the propagating house tends to prevent the 

 germination of that peculiar spider-web-like substance, 

 which, for want of a better term, is known among garden- 

 ers as the "fungus of the cutting bench." Every one 

 who has had any experience in propagating knows the 

 baneful effects of this ; how that, in one night, it will often 

 sweep off thousands of cuttings that a few hours before 

 were in healthful vigor. But this insidious enemy of the 

 propagator requires, like vegetation of higher grades, con- 

 ditions suitable to its development, which evidently are 

 a calm atmosphere and a temperature above 55 or 60 de- 

 grees. Hence, to avoid this pest, we make every effort by 

 shading, airing, and regulation of fire heat, to keep the at- 

 mosphere of the house so that it shall not exceed 60. 

 This, of course, is not practicable when the outside tem- 

 perature in the shade is above 60, but the tempera- 

 ture can be reduced considerably by dashing water on 

 the pathways and other parts of the house. It is rarely, 

 however, that the outside temperature ever exceeds 60 

 degrees for any length of time in this district before the 

 middle of May, and all propagating should be finished 

 previous to that time, unless of tropical plants, or plants 



