PROPAGATION BY SINGLE BUDS. 29 



inches of mulch ; clean straw, hay, or leaves are good, and 

 perhaps the best for this purpose. Keep the plants tied to 

 stakes, etc., as already directed. It is no unusual thing 

 for plants, grown in this manner, to reach the height of 

 six feet the first season, and they are usually more stocky 

 than when grown all the season under glass. 



It is best not to start all the plants in the propagating 

 house at one time, as in that case they will all be ready to 

 be re-potted or planted out the same time ; but they should 

 be started at different periods, say a week or ten days 

 apart, making two or three lots, especially if there is a 

 large quantity to be grown. Then the different stages of 

 growth will enable the propagator to attend to each lot as 

 its growth requires, and at the proper time. When the 

 plants are planted out in the open ground, as I have just 

 described, the material used for shading the first lot may 

 also be used for the second, and so on, instead of being 

 compelled to purchase enough to cover all at one time. 

 The boards for protection are sometimes omitted, as well 

 as the shading, and in some protected situations they may 

 not be needed. There is also a great difference in the 

 strength of the leaves in the different varieties, some being 

 capable of withstanding sun and strong currents of wind 

 much better than others ; yet I believe all will grow 

 enough better to pay for the expense of protection. 



STARTING IN HOT-BEDS. 



The main object in making a hot-bed is to produce art- 

 ificial heat, and to have this heat continue uniformly for 

 several weeks. For this purpose various materials are 

 used, such as tan-bark, leaves, hops that have been used 

 by the brewers, etc. ; in fact, almost any fibrous material 

 may be used that will continue to ferment a sufficient time 

 to produce the amount of heat necessary to cause seeds and 

 cuttings to grow, and keep the soil and atmosphere within 



