490 



Gardening for Amateurs 



The shoots most suitable for making into 

 cuttings are those about half-way up 

 the stem. 



Showing cuttings of Perpetual Carnation : on 

 the left, a cutting as taken off the old 

 stem ; on the right, a rooted cutting. 



roofed one ; it should be built so as to face 

 due south, thus obtaining the maximum 

 amount of light in winter. It ought to be 

 provided with a central wooden stage, and 

 another stage adjoining the framework, a 

 path 2 or 3 feet wide separating them. 

 Expert growers usually place slabs of slate 

 to form the base of the stages, and cover 

 these with shingle or even fine cinders from 

 which the ashes have been sifted. The top 

 and bottom ventilators must be made so 

 that they open outwards to the full extent, 

 then a free circulation of air is ensured 

 during mild weather. It is not necessary to 

 go to great expense in providing artificial 

 heating arrangements. A 4-inch flow pipe 

 beneath the outer stage, and a similar return 

 pipe placed underneath the central stage 

 are sufficient to maintain the requisite tem- 

 perature in winter. A greenhouse of this 

 description and equipment will be found per- 

 fectly suitable for the amateur ; it can, of 

 course, be constructed of any required size. 

 How Perpetual Carnations are In- 

 creased. The propagation of Perpetual 



Carnations is best performed during Decem- 

 ber, January, February, and March. Cut- 

 tings rooted during January usually make 

 the best plants for winter flowering ; those 

 inserted later than this do not form such 

 big plants in one year, and, of course, come 

 into bloom later. When taking cuttings it is 

 important to obtain them from plants that 

 are perfectly healthy, as weak or diseased 

 cuttings never develop into good plants. 

 The growths that are found about half-way 

 up the stems make the best cuttings ; they 

 should be removed when about 3 inches 

 long. Remove them with a gentle down- 

 ward pull, afterwards trimming the base 

 with a sharp knife. The best cuttings 

 usually produce the finest plants, so it is a 

 matter of some importance to choose them 

 from the position and of the size mentioned. 

 They must not be allowed to lie about when 

 taken off, but should be inserted at once. 

 They root readily if inserted singly in small 

 pots filled with sifted loam, leaf-soil, and 

 silver sand in equal parts. The dibber used 

 for putting in the cuttings must be the 



