Notes and Gleanings. 237 



Propagating Aucubas by Cuttings. — The best time to put in aucuba- 

 cuttings is as soon as the growth is complete and the wood has become firm. 

 They should be inserted in light sandy soil in a cold frame, and the soil made 

 firm about them. A gentle watering should be given, and the lights kept on 

 during the day, and off at night ; but in dull weather they may remain off day 

 and night. Let the cuttings ha%-e the benefit of slight showers ; but protect them 

 from heavy drenching rains. Shade from bright sun should also be aftbrded. 

 When cold, frosty weather sets in, the lights will be useful for protection ; and, in 

 addition, a covering of mats should be given in very severe periods. The lights 

 must be tilted so as to let the cuttings have air, and the latter should be fully 

 exposed in mild periods. The cuttings may be struck out of doors in a shel- 

 tered, shady situation ; but they will be longer in taking root, and their growth 

 will be slow. From the end of August to October, the shoots will be in a good 

 state for making cuttings : but they may be put in up to the middle of Novem- 

 ber ; and, in that case, many will not root until the following autumn. 



Wintering Old Pelargoniums. — First, as respects some variegated kinds 

 which we wish to keep, and get cuttings from in spring. These we deprived of 

 a few of their largest leaves, and, when the roots were very straggling, cut them 

 in to six inches or so in length ; and then we potted singly in small pots (40's), 

 and set them in a slight bottom-heat in frames, admitting air all night, that most 

 of the leaves left might remain uninjured. 



In a second case, we took up some good-sized plants which we wish to keep 

 for centres of raised beds or pyramids next season. We find that these are 

 scarcely injured by the frost. As height is an object, we retain them almost at 

 their full height ; but to save room we take off all leaves larger than a sixpence, 

 cut the roots if necessary, and place in the smallest pots that we can get them 

 in, and put them under glass. Generally, these make fine plants in spring. They 

 would make fresh roots sooner if they, too, could have a little bottom-heat ; but 

 that we could not give them ; and, to save room, we wish them to grow very 

 little during the winter. 



The third is the most numerous lot, and the plants in this we merely wish to 

 keep. We prune in the heads closely, leaving only a bud or two at the base of 

 each branch. We prune in the roots to about four inches in length ; and then 

 we pack these roots closely in boxes, say thirty or forty of the close-cut deer- 

 antler-like plants in a wooden box three feet long by nine inches wide. If the 

 soil is somewhat moist, they will need little watering, — just a little to settle 

 the earth about the roots. To prevent damping, we dip the cut heads in a pot 

 of quicklime. As not a single leaf is left on these cut-in plants, packed as 

 closely as a wood fagot, they will keep anywhere in winter where they will be 

 secure from frost and damp ; and will need but little light until they begin to break 

 their buds, which they seldom do with us until March. These plants, first 

 treated with light then, and soon afterwards given more room, so that each plant 

 may grow freely, will make a good show in the flower-garden. This plan, or 

 some similar one, is the best to adopt by those who grow scarlet pelargoniums, 



