CUTTING 



264 



CYANOTHAMNUS 



Gastrolobium, Gompholobium, Hardenbergia, Leschen- 

 aultia, Kennedya, Mirbelia, Oxylobium, Platylobium, 

 Pleroma, Podolobium, Pimelia decussata (for stocks 

 to graft the rest of the genus upon), Pultenaea, Styphelia, 

 Tacsonia, Zichya, and all New Holland shrubs of similar 

 habit. These require to be placed in a gentle tan-bed, 

 planted in pots, in silver sand, closely covered with bell- 

 glasses, which should be wiped dry occasionally, and 

 shaded from clear, bright sunshine. Great numbers of 

 stove plants of woody'habit require the same mode of 

 treating their cuttings, for which see the body of the 

 Dictionary. 



Cuttings of Partially-ripened Wood. Camellia, Cape 

 Pelargoniums, Coniferae, Erythrina, Echites, Gardenia, 

 Gordonia, Hakea, Magnolia, Metrosideros. Nerium, 

 Portlandia, Rosa, especially the China and Tea-scented, 

 and most kinds of hardy evergreen shrubs. 



Cuttings of Leaves with a Bud at the Base. When 

 cuttings of any kind of large-leaved plants are scarce, 

 they may be successfully increased by single leaves 

 with a bud at the base. We need not particularise any 

 species, as most of the last section, and several of the 

 others that have moderate-sized leaves, may be pro- 

 pagated in this mode of making cuttings. 



Cuttings of Leaves only, without Buds. The following 

 will increase readily by this mode : Achimenes, Gesnera, 

 Gloxinia, and all of similar habit, as well as some Begonias. 



Cuttings of Offshoots from the Base of the Old Plants. 

 Cinerarias, tall Lobelias, Statices, and most kinds of 

 herbaceous plants, increase readily by this mode. 



Cuttings of the Roots. There are a few plants that will 

 not readily increase by any of the above modes, par- 

 ticularly some herbaceous plants : (Enothera macro- 

 carpa is one, and (Enothera caspitosa is another. 

 Amongst hardy shrubs the Pyrus japonica and its 

 varieties will propagate by this mode ; also the Abele 

 poplar. In the stove, the Ardisias, Clerodendrons, 

 Dracaenas, Ipomceas (the tuberous-rooted species), and 

 the Petrea Stapelis. 



Cuttings of the Flower-stem. Double white and yellow 

 Rockets, the tall Lobelias, Double Lychnis, and a few 

 others, may be increased by cutting the flower-stem 

 into lengths, and placing the cuttings under a hand- 

 glass in a shady border. 



In all hollow-stemmed plants the presence of a node, 

 or joint, to cut through at is essential. This is the reason 

 why cutting through at a joint is also of importance 

 in other cases, and also the reason why taking those little 

 shrubby side-shoots as cuttings is often so successful, 

 what is technically termed the heel the point of junc- 

 tion between the elder branch and the young shoot 

 being well-supplied with incipient buds, which readily 

 produce roots. Whatever may be the mode and the 

 time in which a cutting is made, and whether it is 

 necessary, in the peculiar circumstances, to cut clean 

 through at a joint, it is of importance that the cut be 

 made with a clean, sharp knife. 



Time when Cuttings should be taken. When any par- 

 ticular period is mentioned for this operation in this 

 work, it is merely the period when, under general circum- 

 stances, the practice would be most suitable. Other 

 things being equal, spring and summer are the best 

 times for propagating greenhouse and stove shrubs, as 

 thus the plants are established before winter. 



Leaves of a Cutting. Unless in particular circumstances, 

 as many leaves should be removed as would enable the 

 cutting to be firmly fixed in the cutting-pot, and if the 

 leaves be large, a portion more may be removed, or 

 lessened in their dimensions, in order to reduce the 

 evaporating surface, success consisting in keeping the 

 cutting healthy, and yet preventing it from parting with 

 its stored-up juices ; and hence the reason why we 

 cover them with bell-glasses, and shade them from 

 bright sunshine. The more leaves left, provided they 

 can be kept healthy and vigorous, the sooner will roots 

 be formed by the elaboration of fresh material, and the 

 more quickly and without flagging will this elaboration 

 take place, the more light the leaves receive. Shading, 

 or diffused light, is essential at first ; but the sooner it 

 can be dispensed with the better. Continued too long, 

 the shading would make the cuttings weak and spindly. 



Soil. Our practice has been to use good loam, peat, 

 and sand in equal parts, with a little extra sand on the 

 surface, and have found the sharp sea-sand preferable 

 to that from inland sources ; and the nearer the cuttings 



are inserted to the side of the pot, the sooner will they 

 protrude roots. An inverted small pot at the bottom of 

 the larger one gives good drainage, and also allows the 

 bottom-heat to rise. For special treatment see instruc- 

 tions for various plants ; but we may add that a propa- 

 gating frame or pit should always be opened early in 

 the morning and closed before the cuttings get withered, 

 and any bad leaves should be removed, or cuttings that 

 may show signs of decay. 



Cuttings of Hardy Fruit-trees. Any time between the 

 fall of the leaf and the first swelling of the bud in the 

 spring, such cuttings may be put out. As a general rule, 

 we should say that the end of October is a very good 

 time, provided the trees in question have cast their 

 leaves. By early planting, the wounded portions be- 

 come, as it were, healed by the callosity which will 

 frequently form at the lower end, even during the winter. 

 It is of importance to select a good situation : a sunny 

 and dry spot is a bad one ; and one too shady, especially 

 if with overhanging trees, is apt to cause the cuttings to 

 grow weakly. The north side of a wall is very good, 

 placing the cuttings not nearer than within four feet of 

 the wall, and not farther than seven feet. Here they 

 will get shading during the more difficult portion of their 

 rooting period, which will be during April and May ; and 

 by Midsummer, or soon after, when all those which will 

 succeed will be well rooted, they will both receive and 

 enjoy a liberal amount of sunshine. The cuttings must 

 be made somewhat firm at their lower end ; and if a 

 very dry time occurs in March, April, or May, it may 

 become necessary to lightly sprinkle them occasionally. 



CUTTING-IN is shortening the branches. 

 CYANA'NTHUS. (From kuanos, blue, and anthos, a 

 flower. Nat. ord. Bellftpwers [Campanulaceae]. Linn. 

 5-Pentandria, i-Monogynia. Allied to Campanula.) 



Pretty little hardy herbaceous plants ; requires the 

 same treatment as alpine plants. Divisions and cuttings 

 under a hand-light ; sandy soil. 

 C. Hooke'ri (Hooker's). Blue. China. Annual. 

 ,, ,, hi'spida (roughly-hairy). Blue. China. 1905. 



Annual. 



,, inca'nus (hoary). Yellow. Himalayas. 

 ,, leio' calyx (smooth-calyxed). Yellow. W. China 



and Tibet. 1905. 



,, infla'tus (inflated). Blue. Himalayas. 

 ,, linifo'lius (flax-leaved). See C. MICROPHYLLUS. 

 ,, loba'tus (lobed). }. Purple, blue. August. Chinese 



Tartary. 1844. 



microphy'llus (small-leaved). Blue, purple. Hima- 

 layas. 1905. 



CYANA'STRUM. (From kuanos, blue, and aster, a 

 star ; in reference to the starry, blue flowers. Nat. ord. 

 Hasmadoracea3.) 



A stove herb, with a creeping rootstock. Divisions in 

 spring. Loam, peat, and sand. 



C. cordifo'lium (heart-leaved). Pale violet, starry. W. 

 Trop. Africa. 1894. Syn. Schcenlandica gabonensis. 



CYANE'LLA. (From the diminutive of kuanos, blue. 

 Nat. ord. Lilyworts [Liliaceas], Linn. 6-Hexandria, i- 

 Monogynia. Allied to Anthericum.) 



Pretty little bulbous plants, from the Cape of Good 

 Hope, which succeed best planted out in a deep border 

 of light, rich compost in front of a greenhouse, to be pro- 

 tected from frost like Ixias, and such-like bulbs. All 

 the small bulbs we recommend to be thus treated may be 

 grown in pots like Ixias. Increased by offsets. 

 C. a'lba (white), i. White. July. 1819. 



,, cape'nsis (Cape), i. Blue. July. 1768. 



,, linea'ta (lined). See C. LUTEA LINEATA. 



lu'tea (yellow), i. Yellow. July. 1788. 



,, linea'ta (lined), i. Striped. July. 1816. 



,. odorati' 'ssima (sweetest-scented), i. Red. July. 

 '1826. 



,, ,, ro'sea (rosy), i. Rose. 1872. 



odorati' ssima (most fragrant). See C. LUTEA ODORA- 

 TISSIMA. 



,, orchidifo' rmis (orchis-like), i. Blue. August. 1826. 



,, ro'sea (rosy). See C. LUTEA ROSEA. 



CYANOPHY'LLUM. See MICONIA. 

 C. vitta'tum (striped). See CLIDEMIA VITTATA. 

 CYANOTHA'MNUS. See BORONIA. 



