August Opportunities in Plant Raising — By Jas. T. Scott, 



New 

 York 



LITTLE APPRECIATED CHANCES FOR THE AMATEUR TO ACCOMPLISH BIG WORK THIS MONTH IN ROOTING 

 CUTTINGS OF EVERGREENS, SHRUBS, AND INCREASING ALL KINDS OF PERENNIALS BY LITTLE EFFORT 



SUMMER propagation of evergreens, 

 flowering shrubs, and many peren- 

 nials, offers a large field of interest 

 for the progressive amateur, and 

 there is an added charm about plants that 

 we have actually raised ourselves. 



The rooting of cuttings is really not at all 

 difficult provided only that a few certain 

 points are kept well in mind. 



ESSENTIAL CONDITIONS 



It takes green cuttings of half ripened 

 wood from four to eight weeks, according 

 to the kind, to make roots. During the 

 time that the cut is callusing (healing) 

 the atmospheric conditions must be such 

 as will cause as little wasting as possible in 

 the tissues of the cutting. The wood and 

 leaves must be kept as fresh and plump as 

 possible until roots are formed. 



A branch or twig cut from a green grow- 

 ing bush and left exposed to the sun, or 

 even stuck in the earth, yet left exposed 

 to the sun and wilting atmosphere will 

 soon dry up and wither; the same piece, 

 if cut and left exposed in damp rainy 

 weather, will retain its freshness as long as 

 the weather remains cool and moist. If 

 the weather would continue thus for the 

 length of time that it takes such a subject 

 to heal it would be a simple matter to 

 raise plants by the million. 



Such weather conditions, however, do not 

 prevail continuously, so it becomes nec- 

 essary to create such a condition artificially, 

 and this can be accomplished by means of 

 frames. 



Nurserymen usually have a greenhouse 

 which they shade heavily, but many use 

 frames and sash, though they require 

 more attention than a greenhouse. 



FRAMES FOR CUTTINGS 



Turn the ordinary garden frame so that 

 the slope of the glass will face to the north, 

 instead of to the south. Ordinarily it is 

 faced to the south to catch the full rays 

 of the sun, and create heat; but for our 

 present purposes we need to keep the 

 frame as cool as possible. If a place can 

 be found at the north side of a wall, so 

 much the better, as less shading will be 

 required. 



A very gentle bottom heat will induce 

 quicker results. About two weeks prior 

 to putting in cuttings, fill the frames with 

 12 to 15 inches of fresh stable manure, 

 tramping it down firmly. Give it a 

 thorough soaking of water and put on the 

 sash. The resulting fermentation will gen- 

 erate heat, and as soon as its virulence 

 is spent, tramp the manure again. The 

 mass will shrink considerably. On the 

 top of this then spread from 4 to 6 inches 

 of clean sand. Now put on the sash and 

 leave the frame alone for a few days, test- 

 ing the heat subsequently by putting your 

 hand into the sand. When the heat has 

 practically subsided is the proper time 

 to put in the cuttings. 



Before planting firm the sand well with 

 a brick or the back of a spade and get a 

 level surface. Then with a straight-edged 

 piece of wood the length of the frame, laid 

 flat on the top of the sand, as a ruler so 

 to speak, mark a small furrow by drawing a 

 small pointed stick along the straight edge. 

 Make this furrow two to three inches deep. 

 After inserting one line of cuttings make 

 them thoroughly firm before making the 

 next line, and when several lines are in 

 cover with dampened paper to pre- 

 vent drying out. As soon as the 

 frame is full, 

 give a good 

 watering, and 

 put the sash on 

 tight. 



Cuttings may 

 be set quite thickly to- 

 gether even touching but 

 at the same time not 

 crowding one another. 

 And remember when put- 

 ting in the CUttingS not Cutting of ramb- 



to expose them to the ler rose showing 



1 • 1 how to take it with 



drying sun any longer a .. heer of the old 

 than is absolutely nee- wooc j 

 essary. Also when mak- 

 ing the cuttings keep them well sprinkled 

 with water and covering them, in the box 

 or basket in which they are held, with 

 damp paper. When putting them in the 

 sand take out only a few at a time, for it 

 is of the utmost importance that the cut- 

 tings be kept fresh till the last moment. 



SHADE AFTER PLANTING 



I prefer a lath shade though many people 

 shade the sash with whitewash. The 

 lath shade can be made cheaply from ordin- 

 ary plaster lath. Use two heavier pieces 

 to tack the lath on to, leave a full inch 

 between the laths. When using them do 

 not lay them flat on the glass, but keep 

 them six inches above (by means of blocks, 

 a flower pot, etc.) leaving an air space 

 which helps materially in keeping the 

 frame cool. 



No further attention will be needed for 

 two or three weeks, and it is just as well 

 to forget about the frames. Lifting the 

 sash every day and looking at the cutting 

 retards rather than helps matters. If the 

 general weather conditions are dry and 

 hot give water in about two weeks; but 

 if damp and cool the frames can be left 

 alone for three weeks. After this second 

 watering close up as before, and by the 

 time watering is needed again the cuttings 

 ought to have begun to make roots. 



AFTER ROOTING 



It is not necessary to pull out any of the 

 cuttings to see if they are rooted (although 

 the temptation to do so is great). You 

 will know if root action is taking place by 

 the fresher color of the cutting and the new 

 growth. 



When the young plants commence to 

 21 



grow ventilate the frame by raising the 

 sash about an inch to start with, increasing 

 the air gradually until ultimately the sash 

 and shade are removed to harden off the 

 plants before transplanting into the open 

 ground. 



For the first winter the young plants 

 should have a sheltered place, if possible; 

 and after freezing weather sets in cover 

 them with a mulch of leaves or salt hay. 

 This covering is to keep the ground from 

 thawing and freezing, and 

 without it the young plants 

 will be entirely thrown 

 out of the ground and all 

 your labor wasted. 



PROPAGATION OF CONIFERS 



Evergreens require longer to 

 root than most other plants. In 

 July their growth is nearly com- 

 plete; in August fully completed. 



The careful gardener goes through 

 his evergreens at this time and with 

 his shears trims off any branches 

 that have grown out of proportion 

 to the rest of the plant. These 

 clippings he uses for cuttings. 



The growth of this year, cut off 

 with a "heel" from the point where 

 it started this spring, makes the best 

 cutting. It is useless to put in small 

 cuttings, and of no advantage to put 

 in large ones. Try and get them 

 of a uniform size; say from 5 to 6 

 inches long. Set them from 2 to 2\ 

 inches in the sand, the part that goes in 

 being trimmed close to the main stem 

 with a sharp knife. Many good cuttings wil 1 

 be more than six inches long, but these can 

 have their tops trimmed off to make them 

 conform to the others. When the heel cal- 

 luses they will start to grow; but since 

 the young roots are emitted chiefly along 

 the stem, it is important that the sand be 

 well firmed around the base of the cutting. 

 When the roots are an inch long it is 

 time to set out the young plants; if left 

 longer in the sand they will deteriorate, 

 and, moreover, there is the added danger 

 of breaking the young roots if they are any 

 longer. Plant them out in a piece of well 

 prepared ground, if possible in a shel- 

 tered place, and shade for a few days if 

 the weather is bright. If possible, do the 

 planting out on a dull day. 



Since the junipers take the longest 

 time to root it is well to commence with 

 them. Not only the common red cedar, 

 the Irish juniper, and all the fine glaucous 

 varieties, but also the prostrate and pro- 

 cumbent varieties of communis, Chinensis, 

 and Sabina, etc., are all easily rooted from 

 cuttings. Some of the varieties, notably 

 Virginiana glauca, take a long time to root, 

 sometimes six months. They form a 

 heavy callus, which seems to sup- 

 port them. They may be planted out 

 with the others, however, and if pro- 



