202 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



the ground, is worthy of consideration. Such examples as 

 Thorns, Hollies, and Mountain Ash are included in this 

 category. By the method described below, much ground is 

 saved, and labour which would be required to keep the beds 

 in good order avoided. When the seeds are gathered, place 

 them in heaps and mix with sand of about their own bulk, 

 each kind being kept separate, and turned over with a spade 

 once a month, or at least once in every six weeks, to prevent 

 excessive evaporation. When the proper time for sowing 

 has arrived, separate the sand from the seeds by means of a 

 sieve, and sow in the usual way. Seeds like the Gleditschia 

 (Three-thorned Acacia) which are enclosed in very hard 

 shells, should be soaked in water for a day or so before 

 sowing. Seeds germinate at infrequent intervals. Carefully 

 take the biggest seedlings out of the bed with a small three- 

 pronged hand-fork or trowel without damage to the re- 

 maining plantlets. Plant out in rows ten inches from each 

 other, and four inches from plant to plant in the rows. 



Cuttings. The raising of plants from cuttings is undoubtedly 

 the most popular of artificial methods of propagation. There 

 are three essentials to success, viz., heat, light, and moisture. 

 With such a wide range of subjects as we are now dealing 

 with it is difficult to individualise, and we must rest content 

 with general remarks. We shall, therefore, consider cuttings 

 taken at two seasons, i.e. first in early summer, when the 

 wood is young and half ripe, and secondly in autumn, when 

 it is quite mature. The first-named period is the best, pro- 

 vided circumstances permit. The undermentioned list will 

 give some idea of the class of subjects falling under this group : 

 Escallonias, Spiraeas, Itea virginica, Genistas, Hypericums, 

 Skimmias, Cistus, Veronicas, Loniceras, Deutzias, Berberi- 

 dopsis, Philadelphus, Cornus, Forsythias, Caryopteris, Dier- 

 villas, Hydrangeas, Vincas, Helianthemums. Broadly speaking 

 the best time to take cuttings of those just mentioned and 

 similar ones is when the wood is getting firm, which will, in 

 most cases, be from early summer to midsummer. Sturdy, 

 short-jointed pieces should be selected, ranging in length 

 from four inches to six inches, and if they can be procured 

 with a heel of the old wood attached so much the better, as 

 this greatly assists root formation, but if this cannot be 

 managed make a clean cut just below an ordinary joint. It 

 is necessary to be particular in every case, as some emit roots 

 more readily than others, but it is as well to take proper 

 care because valuable and scarce kinds may be treated in a 

 haphazard way and many failures recorded. When the 

 cuttings are severed from the bushes prepare and plant them 



