220 



SATURDAY IN MY GARDEN 



is to provide good drainage, and thus prevent any accumulation 

 of moisture at the base of cuttings. If this were allowed it might 

 very easily prove fatal to all chances of success. 



The drill is then closed with a rake and trodden down firmly. A 

 pointed stick will be found useful for making holes about six 

 inches apart, and into this the cuttings are placed, care being taken 



that the base of the cutting 

 rests firmly on the bottom 

 of the hole. Each cutting 

 should be made perfectly 

 secure in its place by press- 

 ing the soil hard round the 

 stem. This will facilitate 

 rooting, and contribute not 

 a little to successful propa- 

 gation. Another method 

 which dispenses with the 

 necessity for making drills is 

 simply to make holes at 

 appropriate distances in the 

 bed, drop a small quantity of 

 sand into the holes, and then 

 put in the cuttings. 



Many gardeners shade 

 their pink " pipings " or 

 cuttings with a hand-light 



Diagram 27. PINK CUTTINGS. 

 Fig. i shows a good type of cutting 

 with a "heel" attached. In Fig. 2 an 

 upward cut is made from the base of the 

 cutting upwards. This is sometimes done 

 to promote root production. 



similar to that in Diagram 28, or if the gardener have no room 

 in his little plot for a specially prepared bed he may use a box 

 a foot deep, make a few holes in the bottom, and place in it 

 some rough cinders to carry away excessive moisture. Five or 

 six inches of sandy soil should be placed over the cinders, the 

 cuttings inserted, and the whole box covered with a sheet of glass. 

 Thus the amateur may have a ready-made propagating frame 

 which will serve his purpose admirably if he pay attention to 

 shading and refrain from over-watering. 



Pinks, like carnations, do not require coddling. Those set out 



