INCREASING HARDY GARDEN PLANTS 

 BY CUTTINGS 



To the practical gardener and nurseryman whose business 

 it is to increase and multiply all classes of flowering plants, 

 the one general term " propagating " is that by which the 

 work is most usually understood. Propagation means taking 

 a young shoot or branch from a large parent plant and 

 removing certain leaves at the lowest part to endeavour by 

 a course of careful treatment to give that cutting an in- 

 dependent existence. For present purposes it will be 

 best perhaps to take one or two examples, and by follow- 

 ing those on simple lines to make their "propagation" 

 intelligible. 



The closely allied families of Carnations and Pinks are well- 

 known groups of hardy flowers, and represent two distinct 

 phases in the propagation of these much-prized hardy flowers. 



Firstly then the Carnation : 



The amateur gardener will notice when his Carnations and 

 Picotees are flowering in the month of July that some growths 

 are developing at the base of the flower stem. These growths 

 are called " grass," and are intended when fully grown to be 

 "layered," and thus make fresh flowering plants for the 

 ensuing year. These pieces of "grass" are known as 

 "layers" in all border Carnations and Picotees because of 

 the " layering " method by means of which the stock of these 

 is usually perpetuated. About a single flower stem of Carna- 

 tion there may be six or more pieces of grass or layers, and 

 the whole of these, if properly dealt with, will make fine 

 flowering plants for the following year. The work of layering 

 is usually accomplished in the end of July or early in August. 

 Perform it in this way. Take one of the layers in the left 

 hand, and beginning from the ground level carefully, remove 

 all the leaves on the stem for a space of two inches. Endea- 

 vour in removing the leaves not to tear the skin of the stem, 

 or if preferred remove the leaves with sharp scissors. The 

 object in removing the leaves, which occur in pairs on the 

 stem, is to allow of the growth being well laid down (hence the 

 term " layering ") in the soil. Every shoot or layer must be 



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