PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS 75 



shoot is pulled out of its socket. They are easily manipu- 

 lated. Taking the shoot in the left hand, the operator 

 with the other pulls out the " piping," which, it is most 

 important, should not be long, but short and soft. That 

 is largely essential to success. "Pipings" must on no 

 account be allowed to "flag," old-fashioned gardeners 

 making it a point to carry a vessel of water with them 

 and dropped the " pipings " therein as they were taken. A 

 choice position to insert these was near the base of a west 

 aspected garden-wall, where after being inserted and 

 watered they were left to themselves. " Pipings " strike 

 roots very successfully also in ordinary cold frames, shaded 

 and kept moist, or, where there are only a few, bell-glasses 

 or handlights may be employed as protectors. These are 

 efficiently shaded by dipping in water and sprinkling sand 

 on the inside. When done with, another dip removes 

 the sand. 



With regard to striking Carnations, it depends greatly on 

 the season of year propagation is effected. The methods 

 adopted in the case of Tree-Carnations are treated under 

 that section, but ordinary Carnations, during summer, 

 may be rooted in much the same manner as Pinks. In 

 autumn the cuttings should be inserted in light soil in 

 flower-pots, cutting-boxes, or in cold frames in shallow 

 beds, but in all cases success follows cool treatment, the 

 soil being kept moist and the frames close, to preserve the 

 cuttings from flagging. 



Pinks of the plumarius section and Sweet Williams are 

 perpetuated by a kind of cutting that has already emitted 

 roots when propagation is effected in September or 

 October. Nothing is more simple than this method. 

 The plants to be propagated are lifted, and the shoots 

 pulled apart, each with its "air" roots forming a little 

 plant. These are " lined " into a prepared bed in some 

 suitable place in the open garden, where during the 

 winter the production of roots proceeds, and by spring 



