224 



ON PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 



of August or September, and kept in a cold frame, from which the 

 frost is completely excluded, till the growing" season in spring, when 

 they may be put into a gentle heat. It is not in general necessary to 

 cover these cuttings with bell-glasses. The taxodium roots best in 

 water. 



Cuttings of hardy or half-hardy herbaceous plants, such as pinks, 

 carnations, sweet-williams, wallflowers, stocks, dahlias, petunias, 

 verbenas, rockets, and in general all herbaceous plants that have stems 

 bearing leaves, root readily in sand under a hand-glass, placed in a 



Fig. 171. 



and planted. 



shady border, or in a gentle heat, if greater 

 expedition is required. All the cuttings must 

 be cut through close under a joint, or in the 

 case of pinks, carnations, or sweet-williams, 

 the operation of piping may be performed. 



Some plants, such as pinks, carnations, 

 picotees, &c., are increased by pipings or layers. 

 The operation is performed when the plant 

 has flowered, or soon afterwards, when it has 

 nearly completed its growth for the season. 

 The shoot chosen is held firm by the left hand, 

 to prevent the root of the plant from being 

 injured, while with the right the upper portion 

 of the shoot is pulled asunder at the joint above 

 the part held by the left hand. A portion of 

 the shoot is thus separated at the socket formed 

 by the axils of the leaves, and the appearance 

 A piping of a pink prepared ig ag in fig m g ome p ropagators shorten 



the leaves before planting, but others leave 

 them as in the figure. The 

 soil in which the pipings 

 are to be planted being 

 rendered very fine, mixed 

 with sand and then well 

 watered, the pipings are 

 stuck in without the use 

 of a dibber or pricker, and 

 the operation is completed 

 by a second watering, 

 which settles and renders 

 firm the soil at the lower 

 end of the piping. 



Cuttings of soft- wooded 

 greenhouse plants, such as 

 pelargoniums, fig. 172, 

 fuchsias, fig. 173, brug- 

 mansias, maurandyas, and 

 all other soft - wooded 

 plants, being cut off where 

 the wood is beginning to 



Fig. 172. 



A cutting of the rose- scented pelargonium, 

 prepared and planted. 



