298 SATURDAY IN MY GARDEN 



same time shall not retain moisture in such quantities as to make 

 the soil sour. Stagnant moisture is the great bane of all unrooted 

 cuttings. If ordinary soil and leaf mould be the only ingredients 

 in the compost stagnation is inevitable, and it is worse than useless 

 to attempt to strike cuttings in such a compost. 



" Damping off," as it is called by the professional gardener, can 

 be obviated by incorporating with the soil a plentiful supply of 

 sand. And when I write of sand I do not mean the dark yellow 

 material which the builder uses. The proper kind of sand is 

 almost white. It is "sharp," gritty and coarse, and consists 

 almost entirely of water-worn nodules, pebbles and flint. This can 

 be obtained in sufficient quantities and at a reasonable price from 

 any florist or seedsman. An ideal mixture for the reception of 

 cuttings should be composed of light loam, leaf mould, peat and 

 sand. These constituents should be mixed thoroughly, and passed 

 through a quarter-inch sieve. 



The next point to be decided is whether the cuttings shall be 

 induced to root in pots, boxes, or in a bed made up in the frame 

 itself. The last-named plan is undoubtedly the best for shrubby 

 calceolarias. If the cuttings be zigzagged three inches apart in 

 rows three inches asunder they will root readily, and when growth 

 becomes vigorous in the spring they will have room for expansion. 

 If pots or boxes are employed it is of the utmost importance to 

 have them thoroughly clean. More failures in gardening than 

 the inexperienced amateur imagines are due to the use of dirty, 

 non-porous pots If possible, use new, well-made, light red- 

 burnt pots for cuttings ; but where it is necessary to use old 

 pots, see that they are scrubbed absolutely clean before bringing 

 them into use. The same precaution is necessary in regard 

 to the crocks used for draining the pots. Attention to details 

 such as these may mean all the difference between success and 

 failure. 



You will also require a dibbler, with which to make spaces hi 

 the soil for the reception of the cuttings. This may be constructed 

 from the sharpened end of a stout flower stake, which should be 

 the thickness of an ordinary black lead pencil, 



