1230 



FICUS 



FICUS 



The method of propagating now popular in America 

 employs old bushy stock-plants, either in pots or tubs, 

 or planted out into a bed where the night temperature 

 can be kept from 60° to 75° F. As soon as the young 

 shoots are 5 to 6 inches long they are operated upon. 

 An incision is made at the place where it is intended to 

 root the young plant, cutting upward on a slant mid- 

 way between two eyes, making the cut anywhere from 

 1 to 2 inches long, according to the thickness and 

 length of the young shoot or Ijranch. A small wedge, 

 as a piece of match, is then inserted to keep the cut 

 open. A large handful of clean, damp, well-prepared 

 moss is then placed around the branch to cover the 

 cut and is tied moderately firm with twine or raffia. 

 Some use a small piece of charcoal for a wedge in the 

 cut; others coat the two cuts with a mixture of char- 

 coal dust and lime. The latter practice is beneficial in 

 that it expedites the callusing of the cuts and the root- 

 ing of the young plant after being cut and mossed. The 

 moss should be kept constantly moist, and the higher 

 the temperature, within reasonable limits, the quicker 

 the rooting process goes on. The roots of the young 

 plant usually appear on the outside of the oval-shaped 

 bunch of moss. A complete cut can then be made below 

 the moss and the young plant potted. The smaller the 

 pot at first the better. The leaves of the young plants 

 should be tied up in order that they may not be injured 

 by coming in contact with one another or by lying 

 flat on the pots. The young plants now require a gentle 

 bottom heat and frequent syringing, — a dozen times on 

 clear days. As soon as the young plants are taken from 

 the stock-plant, a little wax should be put on the end of 

 the cut to prevent the milky sap from escaping. The 

 best time of the year to propagate and root ficus is from 

 the first of Januarj' to May. The European growers 

 never start much before the Christmas holidays; and 

 from then until spring they make all their cuttings. 



The older method of propagating rubber plants is 

 still the favorite one abroad; it employs single-eye cut- 

 tings. Sometimes, if the branches 

 are very thick, only one-half the 

 stem is taken with the eye and a 

 single leaf, the leaf being curled up 

 and tied with raffia, and the small 

 piece with the eye set into the prop- 

 agating-bed. This is a bed of sharp 

 sand, or sometimes of sand and 

 chopped sphagnum moss or fine 

 cocoa-fiber. Frequently the single- 

 eye cuttings are put at once into the 

 smallest -sized thumb-pot,' with a 

 mixture of very finety ground po(>- 

 sherd and charcoal filling about one- 

 half the pot, and either .soil or sand 

 for the remainder. A small stick is 

 used to hold the leaf upright. These 

 pots are plunged into the propaga- 

 ting-benches in either sand, moss 

 or fiber, and a steady bottom heat 

 of 75° to 80° is applied and kept 

 up until the plants are root«d. As 

 a rule, such beds are inclosed in a 

 glasshouse, in order to keep about 

 them a close, warm and moist at- 

 mosphere. Only ventilation enough 

 to permit the moisture caused by 

 the evaporation to escape is allowed 

 on these beds. In this coimtry, propagation by the first 

 described method can be continued nearly all the 

 year round. From experience of both methods, the 

 writer can say that the top-cutting and mossing pro- 

 cess is better by far, especially where plenty of stock 

 plants can be maintained. 



After being shifted from the smaller-sized pots into 

 3- or 4-inch pots, the young plants will stand a great 

 deal of liquid manure as soon as they are rooted through 



ISOO. Young figs. 

 Showing how they 

 arise from the axis 

 of the leaves. 



or become somewhat pot-bound. Many propagators 

 plant out the young plants from 3- and 4-inch pots into 

 coldframes after the middle of May, or when all danger 

 of night frost is past. They do very well in the briglit, 

 hot, open sun, but must receive plenty of water. After 

 being planted out in frames, they should be potted not 

 later than September, and for early marketing as early 

 as August. The plan of planting out and potting in 

 the later part of summer or early autumn is a very prac- 

 ticable one, as the plants do not suffer so much from the 

 severe heati during the summer. 



INDEX. 



altissima, 28. glomerata, 25. Parcellii, 7. 



aurea. 12, 30. heterophylla, 11. pupulnen, 16. 



auslratis, 26. hispida, 6. Pseudo-Carica, 2. 



Barteri, 9. humilis, 11. pumila, 4. 



Bellingeri, 27. indica, 31. quercifolia, 11. 



benghalensis, 32. infectoria, 22. radicans, 5. 



Benjamina, 13. Krishnse, 8. religiosa, 14. 



brevifolia, 16. lutescens, 18. repens, 4. 



Carica, 1. macrocarpa, 3. retusa, 29. 



comosa, 13. macrophylla, 19. Roxburghii. 24. 



Cunninghamii, 23. minima, 4. rubiginosa, 26. 



diversifolia, 18. nitida, 29. Sieholdii, 17. 



Duvivieri, 12. oppositifolia, 6. stipulata, 4. 



elastica, 12, 26. Palmeri, 21. variegata, 5, 12, 



erecta, 17. pandurata, 10. villosa, 20. 

 glabella, 15. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



A. Fr. large, edible: Ivs. deeply lobed, decid- 

 uous for at least 5 months: plants almost " 

 hardy from N. Y. southward. 



B. Lvs. wavy-margined or lobed 1. Carica 



BB. Lvs. deeply lobed: fr. roughish 2. Pseudo- 



AA. Fr. not usually edible, at least not as the [Carica 



fig is edible: lvs. entire or toothed, but not 

 deeply lobed and not deciduous for such a 

 long time: plants, with exception of F. 

 macrophylla, not hardy, and cult, in green- 

 houses or outdoors in frostless areas of 

 Fla. and Calif. 

 B. Habit climbing or trailing, often clinging 

 to walls. 

 0. Plant a climbing shrub or tree: lvs. 



about 5 in. long 3. macro- 



cc. Plant a creeping vine: lvs. less than 4 in. [carpa 



long. 

 D. Lvs. unequally heart-shaped at base... 4. pumila 



DD. Lvs. only slightly notched at base 5. radicans 



BB. Habit erect or straggling, shrubs or trees; 

 not climbing or trailing. 



c. Lvs. usually opposite 6. hispida 



cc. Lvs. always alternate. 



D. Foliage variegated 7. Parcellii 



DD. Foliage not variegated, except in a 

 variety of F. elastica. 



E. The lvs. cup-shaped 8. Krishna 



EE. The lvs. not cup-shaped. 



F. Length of lvs. more than 4 times 



the breadth 9. Barteri 



FF. Length of lvs. less than 3 times 

 the breadth. 

 G. Form of lvs. fiddle-shaped or 



banjo-shaped, very large 10. pandu- 



GG. Form of lvs. not as above. [rata 



H. Lvs. lobed, much as in the 



native oaks: a shrub 11. querci- 



HH. Lvs. not so lobed. [folia 



I. Primary lateral nerves more 

 than 8 pairs, usually much 

 more. 

 J. The primary lateral nerves 



50 pairs or more 12. elastica 



K. Sheath rosy, showy: lvs. 



4-12 in. long 13. Benja- 



KK. Sheath inconspicuous: lvs. [mina 



S-4 14 in. long. 

 JJ, The primary Uiteral nerves 

 less than 50 pairs. 

 K. Color of fr. purplish. 

 L. Tree 100 ft. or less: lvs. 



very long-acuminate. . . . 14. religiosa 

 LL. Tree small: lvs. short - 



acuminate 15. glabella 



KK. Color of fr. not purplish. 



