PROPAGATION 



carefully firmed, makes the best propagating 

 bed. When inserting a cutting it is desirable to 

 make a hole with a pointed stick, called a " dib- 

 ble," into which the cutting is placed and the 

 soil carefully firmed around it. 



Plant the cuttings near enough to economize 

 space and avoid crowding in rows three inches 

 apart. The soil must never become dry or the 

 cutting allowed to wilt. Thorough ventilation 

 is necessary, but drafts must be avoided. Cut- 

 tings of roots or root-stocks are easily made. 

 Bouvardia, Anemone japonica, respond to such 

 treatment. Anemone japonica is a plant so sat- 

 isfactory children should know it and how to 

 cultivate it. Cannas and Dahlias are propagated 

 by the division of root-stocks, as is also the 

 Blackberry. Rex begonia is the best plant for 

 illustrating propagation by leaf-cutting. It may 

 be done by inserting the petiole of a leaf, or by 

 using the whole leaf, weighting it in sand, and 

 severing the larger veins, or dividing the leaf 

 into several pieces and inserting the veins in 

 sand. The young plants appear at the veins. 



Cuttings required for spring planting may 

 be propagated in winter, although as a rule cut- 

 tings strike better in the spring. Hardwood 

 cuttings strike successfully in the autumn and 

 winter and begin to grow in the early spring. 

 They require a uniform heat, plenty of water 



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