ON PLANT PROPAGATION. 96 1 



General Care. — Cuttings require a certain amount of practical 

 care from the operator. Heat is required according to the 

 nature of the plant to be propagated, but it must be kept 

 uniform, no fluctuation being allowed. Cuttings of any kind 

 must always be kept in the shade; those of exotic plants are 

 mostly placed on bottom-heat in the frames of the propagating- 

 house, which must always be kept in a suitable degree of 

 moisture. No drying up should be allowed, as it will cause the 

 cutting to "flag," or "droop," and probably die. As previously 

 mentioned, for propagation on a very small scale, cuttings may 

 be inserted in pots or pans, covered with a bell-glass, and kept 

 in a suitable house. Attention must be given daily, removing 

 all decayed parts to prevent them from spreading. The lights, or 

 bell-glasses used should also be carefully sponged every day to 

 remove all drip. 



Treatment after Rooting. — As soon as cuttings have rooted, 

 they must be "weaned" by potting them up in small pots, 

 according to the strength of the subjects and their future 

 development. After being potted, the plants should be replaced 

 for a few days under similar conditions regarding heat, &c. Air 

 must be gradually admitted, and when roots are to be seen at 

 the bottom of the pot the plants should be removed from the 

 propagating-house. Shading must be carefully looked after as 

 in the case' of cuttings, and as soon as the plants are strong 

 enough to thrive by themselves they can be treated as fully- 

 established ones. 



Large foliage plants, such as Cyanophyllums and Sphaerogynes, 

 must not be removed so quickly, and it is preferable in many 

 cases, if the house intended for their culture is not close enough, 

 to keep them until they have been repotted twice, and they are 

 sufficiently well rooted to stand the unavoidable fluctuations of the 

 said house. Such plants as Begonias and Dracaenas may leave the 

 house as soon as they are potted up; so also may many others, 

 such as Alternantheras, Achyranthes, Coleus, Lantanas, &c, 

 which, as they are required for the ornamentation of our gardens 

 during the summer, must be treated in such a way as to enable 

 them to stand the outside temperature. This is easily managed 

 by gradually getting the young plants used to a lower tempe- 

 rature. 



Many of the hard-wooded section are propagated under frames 

 outside ; they do not present any difficulties as regards 

 "weaning," on account of their hardiness. 



A certain class of plants and trees cannot be reproduced by 

 herbaceous cuttings ; only well-ripened wood, which has lost all 

 its herbaceous appearance, can be used. Cassia floribunda and 

 several Araliacece. have to be thus treated. Many hardy shrubs 

 are best propagated by this means, e.g., Lilacs, Privet, Roses, 

 Gooseberries, Currants, &c. Some other plants seem to strike 



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