THE PROPAGATING BENCH 



83 



Fig. 25. — Inside an Ideai. Propagating House designed by and built for P. M. 

 Koster, Bridgeton, N. J. Note the flat benches and sashes, the hanging sash sup- 

 ports, the cloth bench screens and the slat screens outside the glass. No jetail 

 grower will need such an elaborate house, but it has some good features that many 

 could adapt to their needs 



heat is the thing that coaxes most cuttings to root quickly, and with 

 most softwooded stock it is essential. For example, you can root a 

 Coleus cutting in less than a week in warm sand, say of 70 deg. or 

 a^Uttle over; but with a cold bottom the same cutting might stay a 

 month without a sign of root, and would finally damp off. The 

 results are practically the same with Heliotropes, Salvias or Fuchsias 

 during the Winter or early Spring months. 



Just a little bottom heat for Carnation cuttings in January 

 will root ninety-nine per cent of them; they don't want 70 deg., but 

 should have about 10 deg. more than the temperature of the house 

 the plants are in. Usually the smaller grower will root his cuttings 

 in the Carnation house. 



Chrysanthemums also root more freely with just a httle bottom 

 heat. When it comes to rooting Dracaenas, Ficus or Begonia Cin- 

 cinnati, not only should you have sufficient bottom heat, but the 

 lower part of the bench should be properly enclosed to keep a steady 

 heat above 70 deg. In many establishments the grower will have 

 this enclosure built in sections so as to take a section out whenever 

 he wants to place bulb flats underneath for forcing. 



In order to maintain a certain temperature not only in the sand 

 but also in the air surrounding the cuttings above the sand, a frame 



