CUTTINGS 87 



done by placing the pots on boards, or a bed of ashes in front of 

 a wall or hedge, to give protection from the east and north winds 

 during the fortnight prior to the final planting. And for a long time 

 before this is done it is advisable to take off the lights altogether 

 every day except when frosts or heavy rains occur. There is no 

 need to repot the young plants. 



I will state briefly how I recently treated my autumn-raised 

 plants, which eventually did better than any others that I have 

 grown. My plants were raised in pots. In January they were 

 carefully turned out and planted 7 inches apart in a prepared 

 shallow bed of soil in a cold frame. Almost immediately very 

 strong basal shoots commenced to grow, and the main haulm 

 strengthened wonderfully well too. 



I was obliged to put small sticks to these plants very early in 

 the season, and when the time came for the final planting the plants 

 were grand specimens, strong and hardy. I put down a few ashes 

 in the frame first and made them smooth and firm ; on the ashes 

 I placed a thin layer of well rotted manure, and finally a good 

 compost 6 inches deep. It was a very easy matter to remove the 

 young plants by placing a spade under the soil. The roots formed 

 a network in the manure at the bottom, and all came away clean 

 from the ashes. 



Sweet Peas from Cuttings. The practice of increasing 

 Sweet Peas by means of cuttings is not generally known, although 

 it is a commendable method to adopt, especially with new and rare 

 varieties. When one has to pay at the rate of half-a-crown for a 

 dozen seeds, the fact that one can take off the tops, and insert them 

 as cuttings, is worth knowing. In the case of standard varieties 

 when practically any quantity of seeds are obtainable at a small 

 cost, it is not necessary or advisable to increase the stock from 

 cuttings. The seeds are sown in January, preferably in a heated 

 greenhouse. This will induce quick germination and growth. The 

 young plants are allowed to attain a height of 4 to 5 inches. Then 

 about 2 inches of the top of the shoot may be taken off to form 

 a cutting. This will leave at least two leaves on the seedlings, from 

 which two or three new growths will push out. When these are 

 from 3 to 4 in length 2 inches off the ends may be again 

 taken for cuttings. Thus one can have on an average four cuttings 

 from each plant ; these, with the plant itself, will make five young 

 plants from each seed which germinated. Many more could, if 

 necessary, be obtained from each seedling, but this is scarcely 



