462 



Gardening for Amateurs 



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tffi. '**'-'.. .f*rf 



Incurved Chrysanthemum H. W. Thorpe (white). 



moderately strong and about 4 in. long 

 should be selected, and cut off just above 

 the soil level. If severed below it the 

 stems there are white and roots do not 

 grow from that portion as freely as from 

 the base of the green-stemmed portion. 



Cuttings from the stems of old plants are 

 employed only when others are not available. 

 When cuttings are scarce on the old roots 

 late in autumn some of the surface soil 

 should be removed carefully and replaced 

 by sandy soil. Moisten this, then place the 

 pots containing the roots in a warm green- 

 house (temperature about 50), and syringe 

 occasionally. 



There is another way of treating backward 

 roots, namely : shake away most of the old 

 soil, then pack the roots fairly closely together 

 in boxes 6 or 7 inches deep, well working in 

 among the roots a light, gritty soil. Give 

 water, afterwards syringe daily, and keep 

 the boxes in a warm greenhouse. Usually, 

 a nice crop of cuttings appears in due time. 



Inserting the Cuttings. Deep, narrow 

 pots are filled with the prepared compost, 



sand being scattered on the surface ; a hole 

 is made in the centre with a blunt-ended 

 stick, and the cutting inserted, the hole 

 filled with sand, and the cutting made firm, 

 especially at the base. Water through a 

 fine-rosed watering-can, and place the pots 

 close together in a frame about 1 foot deep. 

 Sifted ashes should be placed in the frame 

 on which to stand the pots. Label all 

 cuttings correctly. The front stage in a 

 greenhouse is a good position in which to 

 have the propagating frame, or box. Fail- 

 ing this make use of an ordinary garden 

 frame, but always protect the cuttings from 

 frost. Every morning the glass should be 

 wiped dry and left raised for about an hour, 

 exposing the cuttings to the air, then close 

 down the glass covering for the day, but 

 wipe the glass inside dry again at night. 

 Shade lightly with tissue paper if the sun 

 is shining brightly and the leaves show 

 signs of drooping. Often a light syringing 

 is more beneficial than an ordinary watering 

 of the soil. If put in about Christmas the 

 cuttings will take a month to form roots, 



