PROPAGATION 



carefully firmed, makes the best propagating 

 bed. When inserting a cutting it is desirable to 

 make a hole with a pointed stick, called a " dib- 

 ble," into which the cutting is placed and the 

 soil carefully firmed around it. 



Plant the cuttings near enough to economize 

 space and avoid crowding — in rows three inches 

 apart. The soil must never become dry or the 

 cutting allowed to wilt. Thorough ventilation 

 is necessary, but drafts must be avoided. Cut- 

 tings of roots or root-stocks are easily made. 

 Bouvardia, Anemone japonica, respond to such 

 treatment. Anemone japonica is a plant so sat- 

 isfactory children should know it and how to 

 cultivate it. Cannas and Dahlias are propagated 

 by the division of root-stocks, as is also the 

 Blackberry. Rex begonia is the best plant for 

 illustrating propagation by leaf -cutting. It may 

 be done by inserting the petiole of a leaf, or by 

 using the whole leaf, weighting it in sand, and 

 severing the larger veins, or dividing the leaf 

 into several pieces and inserting the* veins in 

 sand. The young plants appear at the veins. 



Cuttings required for spring planting may 

 be propagated in winter, although as a rule cut- 

 tings strike better in the spring. Hardwood 

 cuttings strike successfully in the autumn and 

 winter and begin to grow in the early spring. 

 They require a uniform heat, plenty of water 



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