Angnst ?, 1676. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



89 



left on for a week or ten days, aa this materially assists the 

 sprouts, after which the old leaves are all cleared away. 



Hill's Dwarf Incomparable, Nonpareil Improved, and 

 Wheeler's Imperial are the best for early, and excellent at all 

 times ; Enfield Market and Battersea, with Cattell's Reliance, 

 are larger — fine for general crop ; Cocoa Nut (Wheeler's) is very 

 early, turning in quickly, attaining a good size, and is the best- 

 flavoured of all, though Little Pixie, a dwarf sort, is excellent 

 in that respect ; Atkins's Matchless will do in rows 15 inches 

 apart and a foot asunder, alBo Little Pixie ; the early crops 

 18 inches apart, but if to remain for sprouts 2 feet, the latter 

 distance being allowed for the main crops. — G. Abbey. 



AUTUMN PROPAGATION OF BEDDING PLANTS. 



Whejjeyeb there are any great quantity of tender plants 

 bedded-out in the summer time, their propagation in autumn 

 always requires considerable attention. The sooner cuttings 

 of many plants are put in after the beginning of August the 

 better, as then they have a chance of rooting early and grow- 

 ing into plants that will stand wintering without loss. In 

 many instances autumn propagation is delayed as long as 

 possible, as taking the cuttings from the flower garden damages 

 its appearance for a time. Geraniums are always largely pro- 

 pagated in autumn. Most people are in the habit of rooting 

 their whole stock for the following season at this time. This is 

 very advisable, as unless Geranium cuttings are rooted very early 

 in spring they never make good plants at bedding-out time, 

 and there are always more cuttings to be had in autumn than 

 in spring. Before beginning to take off any cuttings everything 

 should be prepared for putting them in and proceeding un- 

 interruptedly with the work when it is commenced. 



The first thing to do is to make ready a quantity of soil. 

 This should consist of light loam, leaf mould, and silver sand 

 mixed well together. The mixture above mentioned is suit- 

 able for nearly all kinds of cuttings. When the soil has been 

 prepared, the pots, boxes, or whatever the cuttings are to 

 be put into, should also be in readiness. Where wintering ac- 

 commodation is scarce the cuttings must be put into what- 

 ever will hold most in the least space. Geranium cuttings keep 

 well in pots, but pots cannot be so closely packed together as 

 boxes. For all kinds of green-leaved Geraniums deal boxes 

 are suitable. The6e should be made of a convenient size for 

 lifting and shifting ; 2 J feet long, 18 inches wide, and 3 or 

 4 inches deep are the dimensions of a suitable box. Six or 

 eight holes an inch wide must be made in the bottom to allow 

 the water to pass from the roots. 



Variegated-leaved Geraniums are very subject to damp 

 during the winter, and when there are a large number of them 

 together it generally aggravates the injury ; therefore it is 

 often the best plan to put the variegated cuttings into pots — 

 7-inch and 8-inch pots are suitable. From twelve to twenty 

 cuttings according to size can be put into one of these. Three 

 inches of drainage must be placed at the bottom of each pot, 

 and above this a thin layer of moss must be placed ; the soil 

 may then be filled-in up to 1 inch from the rim, half an inch 

 of fine sand should be laid on the top of this, and the whole 

 well watered. Each pot must be done in this way, and a large 

 number of them should be filled before starting to put in the 

 cuttings. Boxes are filled in much the same way as pots, only 

 the same depth of drainage cannot be placed in them ; an inch 

 is sufficient, and the roughest bits of the soil should be laid 

 immediately over the crocks. Spent mushroom dung is some- 

 times used to put in the bottom, and it suitB the purpose very 

 well. In all cases the soil must be pressed firmly in, and the 

 top-dressing of sand should be made perfectly smooth. 



Having thus arranged, the cuttings may be taken off. This 

 must be done carefully, always cutting away the parts that 

 will least destroy the form of the plants and beds. Geraniums 

 whioh are growing Btrongly and closely together generally pro- 

 duce many tender Bhoots near the ground. These are from 

 their shaded position always tender, and although they may 

 look as if they would make good cuttings they do not. Hardy 

 top shoots are always superior ; they are sometimes not so 

 long, but they are surer in rooting and keep better after they 

 are rooted. Most people know how to make a Geranium cut- 

 ting, which is simply cutting through below a joint, removing 

 the two leaves attached to it, and the two further up if neces- 

 sary. A sharp knife should be used at this work. Clean cuts 

 must always be made. A dibble a little longer and about as 

 thick as one's middle finger should be used for making holes for 

 the cuttings. The cuttings should not be put farther than 



1 inch or 1A inch into the soil, and firming the soil about 

 them must be observed. A box of the size given above will 

 hold from four to five and sometimes six dozen cuttings. The 

 whole must have a thorough watering after the cuttings are 

 put in, and little or no more will be needed until they are 

 rooted. 



Cuttings of all kinds of Geraniums root freely in August set 

 in the open air and freely exposed to the sun. They should 

 remain in this position until the autumn frosts appear. Cuttings 

 that are rooted, and kept as long as it is safe in an exposed 

 place, are in much better condition for meeting a damp or severe 

 winter than those rooted and coddled under glass. When it 

 becomes necessary that they should be taken under cover it 

 should be into some place where frost can be entirely excluded 

 and damp expelled with a little fire heat when it is required. 

 " Drawing," which is caused by the plants being far from the 

 light and air, must be avoided at all times. 



A few dozens of Verbenas rooted in autumn will supply hun- 

 dreds of cuttings in the spring. The best way to deal with 

 them is to put a number of cuttings in closely under a hand- 

 light or any kind of frame, and keep them close until they 

 are rooted. Soil the same as that used for the Geranium suits 

 them. In case of failure the inexperienced should always put 

 in more than are wanted. Shoots with no bloom on the points 

 make the finest cuttings. The cuttings are made in the same 

 way as from the Geraniums. When rooted they should be 

 lifted and transferred to pots or pans. Ten or a dozen plants 

 may be put into an 8-inch pot. Good drainage is indispensable 

 to their well-being throughout the winter, and plenty of sand 

 and leaf soil must be used amongst the rooting compost. By 

 putting cuttings in early the plants become established after 

 being transplanted before the short days occur. They should 

 have a little artificial warmth in dull cold weather. They are, 

 especially the white sorts, very subject to mildew in winter ; any 

 signs of this must be checked in time by dusting a little sulphur 

 over the affected parts. 



There are many other kinds of bedding plants that should 

 be propagated in large or small quantities in autumn. The 

 Variegated Alyssum is readily rooted in spring, but stock for 

 this must be put in now. It roots in 6 or 8-inch pots filled 

 with a mixture in which sand predominates, and set in a cold 

 frame. That most useful white-leaved plant Centaurea ragu- 

 sina is often shy in rooting. It roots exceedingly freely when 

 placed singly in small thumb-pots. The cuttings are broken 

 off with a heel from the side of the old plants, and the only 

 dressing they receive is the cutting away cloEely a few of the 

 lowermost leaves. After they are put in firmly and watered 

 they are placed in a cold frame, and kept shut up closely until 

 they are rooted. This takes place in about three weeks, and 

 when once the roots begin to show at the outside of the ball 

 they are shifted out of the thumb-pots into 3-inch pots. A 

 light sandy mixture is always used at this potting. They re- 

 quire to be wintered in a dry airy place to prevent them from 

 damping. Old plants are often kept over the winter and the 

 cuttings taken off and rooted in spring, but this mode has no 

 advantage over the autumn propagating. Ageratums may be 

 increased quickly in spring, but to provide for this a quantity 

 of cuttings must be put in now. Eighteen or twenty may be 

 put into a 6-inch pot, in which they may remain all winter. 

 PetuniaB are often most difficult to root. A few old plants 

 should always be kept in store in case of failure. They root 

 more freely in spring than in autumn. In the latter season 

 they must be kept in a close somewhat moist frame until they 

 begin to grow. Heliotropiums may be done in the same way. 



Good and uniform plants of Lobelia are not often had per- 

 fectly true from seed. Cuttings should be selected from the 

 best plants and rooted in autumn. To do this successfully 

 they must be kept Bhaded and moist, and plenty of sand must 

 be used in the soil. They are easily preserved after they are 

 rooted in any dry atmosphere free from frost. Some of the 

 Tropsolums are not easily rooted. T. Cooperii is one of the 

 worst to manage. A great many more cuttings of it should 

 always be put in than are wanted. Cuttings root more freely 

 on a somewhat dry greenhouse shelf than in any other place,, 

 and they cannot be kept safely during the winter in a less heat 

 than 50°. 



Coleuses root freely at any time. A score or two of au- 

 tumn-rooted cuttings will supply hundreds in spring. When 

 kept moist they are liable to damp in winter. They may be 

 fully exposed to the sun when rooting in a frame. Alternan- 

 theras should all be rooted now. This can be done with far 

 less trouble at the present time than in spring. About a dozen 



