CUT-FLOWER CROPS 267 



cuttings or offsets from the parent plants during Febru- 

 ary or March; and selecting healthy, terminal shoots 

 from the parent plants between the middle of January 

 and the middle of March, and rooting them in the prop- 

 agating benches the same as other plants are propagated. 



In most cases, the last method is the most satisfactory, 

 for there is less danger from disease in the resulting plants. 

 If the cuttings have formed air roots, they are trimmed 

 off as the cuttings are prepared for the propagating bench. 

 The sand used must be moderately coarse and entirely 

 free from decaying foliage or organic matter of any kind. 

 The same sand should be used but once. 



Many growers follow the practice of using a combination 

 of the last two methods of propagation. The parent plants 

 are gone over from time to tune, and material for propa- 

 gating is selected. If there are young, well-developed 

 shoots on which sufficient roots have not formed to assimi- 

 late food, such may be prepared for the propagating bench. 

 Those having strong, clean, white roots are placed directly 

 in boxes of fresh soil. The soil should be sifted through 

 a medium fine mesh, and should contain but little manure. 

 Ordinary flats may be used, and the rooted cuttings are 

 placed about two and one-half inches apart. In setting, 

 the plants should be firmly placed in the soil, watered care- 

 fully and shaded for a few days. When they have be- 

 come established in the soil, they may be moved outside 

 into a cold frame, but they usually receive better attention 

 if placed in a cool greenhouse. Wherever placed, the 

 plants should be given abundant ventilation, and the glass 

 should be partially shaded. In selecting the flats, care 

 should be taken to have large holes in the bottom to insure 

 perfect drainage, for violet plants are especially liable 

 to be injured by too moist a soil. 



