February, 1911 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



11 



Take root cuttings from the old chrysanthemum 

 to make the big blooms of November 



window in a warm living-room — 65 de- 

 grees is the ideal temperature. Your 

 reward will be flowers. You cannot get 

 both foliage and flowers unless you start 

 them into growth gradually, by a more 

 moderate heat. 



STARTING UP STOCK PLANTS 



Did you save from last year your old 

 geraniums and chrysanthemums? If so, 

 you can begin now to take cuttings for the 

 supply of the coming year's plants. Noth- 

 ing is easier to propagate than the geran- 

 ium if you observe one precaution: do 

 not keep it too wet. The cuttings will 

 stand drying off more comfortably than 

 they will being kept too moist. The latter 

 will cause them to rot quickly. 



By starting cuttings now, if you have 

 only one or two plants left that have been 

 carried over the winter, you can propagate 

 cuttings from these again within a very few 

 weeks and by the time the bedding-out 

 season arrives, have as many geraniums 

 as you can use. 



Growing up from the root of the old 

 chrysanthemum plant, as the season ad- 

 vances, you will see the little shoots which 

 can be taken off when about two inches 

 long, and if put into sand will quickly 

 root. You must begin now if you want 

 to make large plants for November flowers. 

 Successive cuttings may be taken as the 

 season advances, which will give bushy 

 plants; but for large specimens, you must 

 begin now. It is too late when spring 

 is upon you. 



GREENHOUSE FLOWERS FOR WINTER 



Begonia Gloire de Lorraine still remains 

 one of the most useful of all our winter 

 flowering plants. If you have an old 

 one that has gone out of bloom you need 

 not throw it away and have nothing! By 

 merely taking a leaf off and putting it in 

 a_ small pot you can start your own 



plant for next winter. The critical time 

 in the growth of this plant is in the first 

 potting, when the leaf cuttings are struck 

 . in the usual way. The amateur will do 

 best to put the cutting directly into a 

 small pot and let it root there. 



To the amateur who has a greenhouse, 

 the home propagation of roses offers an 

 opportunity for a good deal of amusement. 

 Of course, you can buy plants nearly as 

 cheaply as you can make them, but there 

 is some satisfaction in having your own 

 roses. For greenhouse cultivation the 

 best results are had from roses grown 

 on the Manetti stock. This stock is a 

 wild rose of Europe, and the dormant 

 pieces can be had from the nurseryman 

 or from the seed store. If you are near a 

 florist growing cut flowers, you can prob- 

 ably purchase a few Manetti roses. 



Grafting roses is simple if you have the 

 facilities for putting them into a close frame 

 to callus. A hotbed can be used, but 

 usually a propagating box in the green- 

 house is preferred. The secret in rose 

 grafting is to get the Manetti stock just 

 after it has made a good break, and before 

 the growth has attained any appreciable 

 size. The illustration shows the suc- 

 cessive stages of rose grafting. It is 

 best to have the stock and the cion of the 

 same diameter, so as to make complete 

 contact. If the stock is much larger than 

 the cion, make a cut on the stock to cor- 

 respond with the size of the cion, as nearly 

 as possible. Put the two edges together, 

 tie them with a piece of raffia, and put 

 into the propagating box or hotbed. After 

 the batch of grafted roots is ready, give 

 a slight spraying, enough to give moisture 

 to the air in the box but not enough to 

 drench the plants. 



Now close the box and keep it air- 

 tight and at a temperature of 70 degrees, 

 for from ten to fourteen days, or until 



Start dahlias and increase the stock of your favorites 

 by taking off the cuttings 1 



the wounds have properly callused. The 

 plants may now be taken up, potted and 

 will be ready for putting into the green- 

 house benches for flowering later. 



INCREASING DAHLIAS AND CANNAS 



A most interesting work for the ama- 

 teur to start during this month is getting 

 ahead with the cannas and dahlias. The 

 advantage of starting the canna in some 

 kind of heat now is that it will begin to 

 flower in the early summer and will con- 

 tinue blooming all season. You can enjoy 

 its beauty all the time. The advantage 

 of starting the dahlia now is that you can 

 increase your stock of desirable varieties. 

 Both these roots will start to grow if given 

 moisture and heat. You can increase your 

 stock of cannas by cutting the roots into 



The art of grafting roses. On the left a Manetti stock in proper condition. On the right the stock and 

 cion (supported in a wire) ready for union. Completed graft in centre. Use flowering wood for the cion 



