PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 291 



to the stigmas of the other. To do this properly, pre- 

 caution must be taken that no other pollen gains access 

 to the stigmas. This can be done by first removing the 

 anthers from all perfect flowers that are to be used as 

 females, before the petals open, and covering them with 

 small paper sacks. We have thus prevented them from 

 being self fertilized, or crossed with pollen of unknown 

 origin. The anthers may be pulled off with tweezers, 

 or the corolla may be cut away, thus permitting their 

 easy removal. 



As soon as the stigmas have developed, the pollen 

 from the other parent should be applied, using a tooth- 

 pick for small flowers, while the anthers may be broken 

 out from large ones with tweezers, and the pollen dusted 

 over the surface of the stigmas. To secure the best 

 results, a superabundance of pollen should be used. 

 The bag should then be replaced and kept on four or five 

 days. In this way, we may hope to secure seedlings 

 some of which, if they do not surpass them, will possess 

 to a high degree the good qualities of both parents. 



PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 



Success with this method of propagation depends 

 tapon the condition of the plants, and the surroundings 

 to which the cuttings are exposed. As a rule, most of 

 lour perennial greenhouse plants are grown from cut- 

 /tings. In some cases, seeds are not readily obtained, 

 /and in others the seedlings do not make desirable plants, 

 or they do not reproduce the variety. In a great majority 

 of these cases, cuttings are readily obtained and rooted. 



The plants from which cuttings are taken should be 

 strong and vigorous ; if stunted by insects or by improper 

 surroundings of heat, light, temperature, or food, or 

 weakened by excessive production of flowers, the results 

 will be quite unsatisfactory, and it will be equally so if 

 soft, watery growth, produced by a high temperature 



