THE PROPAGATING HOUSE 



21 



back through the centuries, but though it is so old and takes so many 

 forms the principles involved are always the same, and the essence 

 of simplicity. 



GRAFTING CLEMATIS 



It might be found convenient here if we briefly refer to the graft- 

 ing of that ever-popular hardy climber the " Clematis." The more 

 modern method of working these on the stem 

 of Clematis vitalba has much to recommend it, 

 especially on the score of producing strong 

 saleable plants in record time ; but where huge 

 quantities are to be worked the methods of the 

 famous old specialists who made the clematis 

 what it is, are worth putting and keeping on 

 record, and are yet largely practised. Our 

 earliest years were spent with one of these great 

 specialist firms, and we cannot do better than 

 record our own routine. In those days it was 

 all root grafting, and to supply the necessary 

 roots a large number of C.flammula were grown 

 in the open ground, lifted when required, 

 deprived of most of their roots and replanted. 

 The mother plants in variety, to supply the 

 necessary grafts, were grown in pots, and about 

 the end of February they were taken into a 

 moderately heated house to start them. Directly 

 the wood was ready, that is fairly firm without 

 being hard, the grafting began, and each one 

 was inserted in a thimble pot, the compost being 

 purely peat and sand. The propagating pit 

 not being large enough to take several thou- 

 sands, it was supplemented by several hot-beds, 

 a brisk bottom heat being a sine qua non to 

 success. A glance at our illustration, Fig. 7, FIG. 8. Clematis 

 will show the procedure better than we can after six months 

 describe it. 



Two or three weeks were generally sufficient to start growth, and 

 the potting of the started plants was an almost daily job, because 



