I89I. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



91 



these plants so evidently Into the world of 

 commonplace realities. 



In the bulbs or pseudo-bulbs of Orchids, 

 we see another likeness to the Irises. The 

 resemblance is in some respects remote, but 

 in function It is the same, for a bulb or 

 bulbous growth is to be considered the 

 saving's bank of the plant wherein is stored 

 the surplus nourishment it obtains during 

 its season of active growth, and which it 

 will draw upon when the sea.son arrives to 

 produce its flowers. The pseudo-bulbs are 

 various in form and size; in some they are 

 large flask shaped bodies ; in others round 

 like Onions ; often they are handsome egg- 

 shaped or pear-shaped, and ot a beautiful 

 green color ; and 

 again they are drawn 

 out like miniature 

 stockings, and many 

 of these being joined 

 end to end constitute 

 the gouty stems of 

 many Dendrobes. 



And the likeness 

 to Irises is continued 

 in the terrestrial 

 (Jrchids, for these 

 have fibrous roots, 

 and often they pro- 

 duce underground 

 bulbs or tubers that 

 are filled with starch; 

 and, several import- 

 ant groups of Irises 

 have the same pecu- 

 liarity. But having 

 mentioned the pro- 

 duction of starch, it 

 should now be re- 

 marked that our- 

 native Orchids re- 

 deem the family 



from the charge of uselessness, for Orchis 

 morio and Orchis mascula, plants that are 

 plentifully produced in certain districts, 

 produce starch in suflficient plenty to be 

 useful as food, and moreover the starchy 

 produce of these Orchids is more nutri- 

 tive than any other product of the vege- 

 table kingdom to which it can, with any 

 propriety, be likened. 



Some species of Orchids have repute in 

 medicine, and are variously valued in the 

 countries that produce them. 



But the flowers of the Orchids do not con- 

 cern us. Artists paint them, botanists dis- 

 sect them, sweet ladies apply their noses to 

 them, gardeners grow them, and everybody 

 admires them. If you once get well fixed 

 in your mind the true theory of an Orchid 

 fiower, perplexity diminishes and delight 

 increases as you trace out the variations and 

 perceive how they refer themselves con- 

 tinually to the common plan that underlies 

 them all. This is a study that you may 

 begin anywhere in the family, but I cannot 

 say where it will end, for in truth it has no 

 end, for the variations of Orchids convey 

 to the mind, directly and by visible signs, 

 a fair apprehensions of the idea ot infinity. 



We begin with fifteen parts, in groups of 

 threes. It is strange, but true, that the 

 most complete and regular Orchid flowers 

 are the least interesting. In many of the 

 more attractive Orchids there are three 

 sepals and two petals of equal size, and 

 corresponding in color, while one of the 

 petals is converted into a bold labellum 

 The well-known Odontdnlossinn AlcxantJra- 

 is an example of an intermediate form, 

 sepals and petals being nearly, but not ex- 

 actly alike. The noble Tlmnid. Bchhohhf 

 Is an example of equality, and OnfiiUiiin 

 ti<irh>um, a striking example because of 

 the peculiar markings of the five equal 

 divisions and the broad expansion of the 

 yellow lip. 



(IVj be Continutil.i 



On the Propagation of Plants. 

 About the month of February is the time, 

 above all others, when the plant grower 

 looks to increasing his stock for summer use 

 by slixi propagation. It is a fascinating task, 

 this taking of portions of one plant and by 

 due process, obtaining from them numerous 

 individual plants, well-rooted and in shape 

 for developing into strong independent 

 stocks. It is an operation too, with which 

 most properly there is associated in the 

 minds of people less mystery than formerly; 

 the day when each plant slip must be pene- 

 trated by an Oat liernel, the sprouting of 

 which was to exert some favorable influence 

 on the rooting otthe cutting, has forever 



FROM BRANCH TO POTTED PLUNT. —Swhject: The Abutilan. 



passed away. It is the object of the present 

 paper to consider briefly, step by step, the 

 course ot successful propagation from 

 branch to plant, reference being had to the 

 engravings presented herewith. 



The Beaxch. With the generality of 

 soft-wooded plants, such as Geraniums, 

 Abutilons, Heliotrope, Carnations, Ver- 

 benas, Coleus, etc., the ends of newly formed 

 shoots make the best cuttings. Care should 

 be observed to not take them when too 

 young, or pieces that are so short as to be 

 very succulent. It will be seen in the en- 

 graving that the Abutilon slip (at top) was 

 taken from the branch (to the left) at the 

 internode just below the second joint, count- 

 ing from the bottom up. But severing the 

 parent branch at that point might seem 

 to be making rather a large cutting; by 

 proper trimming the size is none too large. 

 If it were smaller, the chances are it would 

 be too soft for developing into the best qua- 

 lity of plant. 



The Slip. Having removed this from the 

 parent as alluded to, it now requires trim- 

 ming preparatory to rooting. While in 

 many plants like Coleus, Verbenas, Agera- 

 tums, Cupheas, etc., it is found that roots 

 are emitted as well if the cutting is squared 

 — that is, trimmed crosswise at the bottom 

 with a sharp knife — at any place between 

 joints, yet with the generality of plants it is 

 undoubtedly safer to square them just 

 below and close to a joint, as shown in the 

 engraving. It might be cut even a little 

 closer than is indicated above. This with 

 trimming away the leaves of such lower 

 joint, as illustrated, and in the case of large 

 leaves reducing the remaining lower ones 

 somewhat by clipping ott' the ends, is all that 

 Is required to flt the cutting for the sand. 



Some young cultivators make the mistake 

 of cutting the base of the slips obliquely 

 instead of squarely across. The fault of so 

 doing is that the roots are sent out stronger 

 on one side .of the cutting than on the other. 



resulting in a plant of inferior quality. 

 Many a failure could be attributed to this. 



Callus and Root. For a medium in 

 which to root cuttings clean sand is, by good 

 propagators, preferred to any other material. 

 The quickest results in rooting slips are ob- 

 tained when the sand into which they are 

 set is kept some fifteen degrees warmer than 

 the atmosphere above. To secure this end 

 the fiorist who possesses a greenhouse 

 encloses a section of bench which has 

 heating pipes, flues or tanks underneath, 

 with boards from the sand down, to confine 

 the heat bringing it up through the sand 

 that holds the cuttings. 

 Amatexirs sometimes arrange a good 

 sized box to have a 

 sand bed for cuttings 

 at the top, and then 

 set a small lamp into 

 the enclosed bottom 

 part of the box (hav- 

 ing access by a door), 

 thus securing a mini- 

 ature plant propaga- 

 ting case. 



An ordinary ma- 

 nure hot-bed provides 

 bottom heat well 

 suited for the propa- 

 gation of all soft- 

 wooded growths. But 

 where the means of 

 providing bottom 

 heat are not at hand, 

 then cuttings can be 

 rooted, if not so 

 quickly, yet nearly 

 as well in an ordinary 

 pot or box filled with 

 sand. 



A condition essen- 

 tial to success in any 

 case, is that the sand be well drained to ob- 

 viate any excess of moisture, which is liable 

 to lead to rot. The cuttings should be in- 

 serted in the sand from one-half an inch to 

 an inch or more deep, according to their 

 size, firming the sand closely about them 

 afterwards. They should be sprinkled over 

 the tops several times daily, with a view to 

 keeping the sand moderately wet at all 

 times and the atmosphere somewhat moist. 

 At any time from a week to several weeks 

 after the cuttings are put in, varying some- 

 what according to conditions, the first signs 

 of rooting should appear. The real roots 

 are preceded by a formation at the end of 

 the cutting, known as callus, the presence 

 of which indicates a favorable state for root- 

 ing, especially while such callus is clean 

 and white. Should cuttings reach the callus 

 state and then meet with an excess of 

 moisture, drouth, heat, cold or other unfav- 

 orable condition, this might so effect them 

 that roots would not follow and death 

 soon ensue. With the environments all 

 favorable, roots should be present very soon 

 after the appearance of callus, thus mark- 

 ing the stage when the slip is converted into 

 a new individual plant. 



The Plant. When it is found by exam- 

 ination that a large proportion of cuttings 

 in any batch are provided with roots, how- 

 ever short, it is at once time to pot the slip 

 into soil. To wait until the roots have 

 reached out an inch or several of them, into 

 the sand for food, which is not there, before 

 potting, is a grave but not uncommon error. 

 Under such conditions roots are very fragile, 

 and when of some length are almost certain 

 to suffer breakage in potting. 



The potting should be done in light, fertile 

 soil, and it is an advantage to use rather 

 small pots at first, shifting into larger ones 

 after the roots have pretty well occupied the 

 new element. From this stage the course 

 of treatment in general for the young plant 

 is that suited to older plants. 



