Genera I Rema rks 577 



The cultivation of herbaceous plants calls for more skill and 

 management than that of trees and shrubs, because there is a 

 greater diversity in their habits, habitats and special require- 

 ments, and because they are more exposed to the vicissitudes 

 of weather, and the attacks of insects and animals. And then 

 the work in the flower garden proper has to be repeated year 

 after year, and upon its skilful execution depends the amount 

 of pleasure derived from this the most attractive part of the 

 garden. Consequently we 'shall devote a special chapter to the 

 explanation of the best methods of raising, treatment, and 

 propagation of herbaceous plants, including also a few hints on 

 the management of flowering and ornamental shrubs requiring 

 special conditions. 



We may here say a few words on the general propagation 

 or multiplication of plants. There are two distinct modes of 

 raising plants, namely, sexual, from seed ; and asexual, which 

 includes all the different methods of grafting, budding, layering, 

 offsets, division, and also propagation by cuttings, etc* The most 

 important means of propagation practised by gardeners on a 

 small scale are from seeds, cuttings, and root-division. These 

 three methods represent the raising of annual plants, and the 

 multiplication of tender bedding plants and herbaceous plants 

 respectively. Grafting, budding, layering, etc., are practised 

 on a limited scale only, or not at all, by the small gardener of 

 amateur, and, to a certain extent, more for recreation or expe- 

 riments. But advantage should be taken of these means to 

 increase the stock, or propagate rare varieties, where desirable. 

 Otherwise these operations on an extended scale are restricted 

 to nurserymen and florists. Budding is the method generally 

 employed in the propagation of Roses, and variegated, double- 

 flowered, weeping and other varieties of ornamental trees and 

 shrubs. Usually some common or vigorous^growing species is 

 selected for the stock upon which the rarer varieties are budded. 

 For the Rose stock, clean stems of the common Dog-Rose ; for 

 weeping and other varieties of Ash, the common Ash ; for 

 various species of Cytisus and Grenista, as well as improved 

 varieties of Laburnum, the common Laburnum ; and so on, 

 always selecting a species of close affinity. 



Of late there has been a tendency on the part of horticul- 

 tural writers to depreciate this and that, till there is almost 

 nothing left for the garden. One objects to variegated plants, 

 another terms weeping trees abnormal and unnatural, whilst a 



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