PROPAGATION 



can be propagated by stem or leaf cuttings, although they may also 

 be increased by division of the roots, by cutting the tubers into 

 pieces, or by seeds in the ordinary way. 



SEEDS. — ^Most bulbous, tuberous, and rhizomatous plants may 

 be raised from seed. There is, however, a wonderful difference in 

 the length of time between the sowing of the seeds and the 

 development of flowering plants. Thus, such dicotyledons as 

 Begonias, Dahlias, Gloxinias, Cyclamen, etc., having tuberous roots 

 or stems, may be easily brought to the flowering stage in the first 

 year of their growth from seed. Many other plants in this group 

 may take a year or two to accomplish their complete cycle of 

 growth — that is, from the time the seed is sown until the flowers 

 develop and ripen seed again ; but with true bulbous monocotyledonous 

 plants it may take from three to seven, eight, or ten years before a 

 good flowering bulb or corm can be produced. There are a few 

 exceptions to this rtde, notably the Freesias and the Gladioli; 

 but, generally speaking, it takes several years to raise flowering plants 

 of such well-known bulbous plants as Dafibdfls, Tulips, Hyacinths, 

 LUiums, etc., from seeds. However, specialists do it, and wonderful 

 creations have rewarded their skill and patience with such plants 

 as Daffodils, N^arcissi, Gladiolus, Lilium, Freesia, etc. 



The difficulty of raising true bulbous plants from seed being 

 thus so great and occupying so much time and attention, it is 

 only natural that they should be propagated by the much easier 

 and more simple method of offsets. When plants are increased 

 by any other method than seed, there is one consolation, and that 

 is the fact that any particular species or variety may be kept 

 perfectly true and pure. When, however, plants are raised from 

 seeds; and especially when they are readily fertilised by insects, 

 there -is always the chance of variation in colour, habit, and 

 constitution in the progeny raised from the seeds of such plants. 



Gross-fertilisation and Hybridising. — This knowledge of course is 

 of the greatest value to the hybridist. Knowing how easily one 

 species will cross or breed with another, he selects and controls 

 the operation in the case of those species or varieties in which 

 he is. particularly interested. In this way by transferring the 

 pollen from the stamens of a certain variety to the stigma of 

 another, he effects what is known as crossing or hybridising. When 

 the same species or variety is fertilised with the pollen from a 

 similar species or variety, the process is simply known as cross- 

 fertilisation, and roughly corresponds to the marriage of people 



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