168 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



to make it all uniformly damp throughout, after 

 which, the seeds may be sown, and lightly covered 

 with a sprinkling of the same damp earth. It is 

 important that the earth should be of a light 

 character, leaf-mould and sand preponderating; if 

 the soil be too heavy, it surrounds the seed too 

 closely, and prevents access of air, which is necessary 

 for germination.' 



In all this wo are merely imitating nature. After 

 the seeds have been shed, whether from a tree or 

 from the smallest plant, the leaves then die and fall, 

 they decay, ferment, and give out warmth, they rot 

 and pulverise, and lightly cover the seed, protecting 

 it through the winter, and furnishing it with suitable 

 soil to germinate and grow in when spring comes 

 round. 



The natitral time for sowing seed is when it is 

 ripe, for then it would, if left alone, fall and sow 

 itself. But it is not always convenient to allow seed 

 to grow just at that time. It is often desirable to 

 keep seed through the winter, and sow it in the 

 spring. In order to keep the seed in the best con- 

 dition all extremes must be avoided ; it must be kept 

 in paper bags in a room where the atmosphere is 

 neither hot nor cold, neither damp nor dry. 



Warmth hastens the germination of most kinds of 

 seeds, and some seeds that come from warmer 

 climates than ours will not grow unless assisted by 

 heat. It matters not how the heat is obtained, but 

 it must be uniform, or as nearly so as possible. 

 A shelf in a warm corner of the kitchen will be 

 found to be the best place at the command of the 

 in-door gardener. An enthusiastic old lady of our 

 acquaintance used to raise seeds in the pocket of her 

 dress ; in a glass bottle half full of damp earth she 

 grew at various times Oranges, -Lemons, Tamarinds, 

 Acacia lojjhantha, and several other plants, many of 

 which were to be seen afterwards in the foiTu of 

 sturdy little specimens decorating the window of her 

 room. 



Division of Roots.— The propagation of plants 

 can often be effected from buds as easily as from 

 seeds. While almost all plants have buds upon those 

 portions of their stems which are above the ground, 

 there are many plants which form buds on the under- 

 ground parts of their stems ; and as these grow into 

 shoots, roots are sent out from the lower portion of 

 them. Primroses are a familiar instance of this 

 method of propagation. If one of these plants be 

 dug up in the autumn and the earth be washed away 

 from the roots, it will be seen that it can be cut up 

 into several little plants, each of them being weU 

 furnished with roots. If these are potted separately 

 and kept in a shady place for a week, they will be 

 found to have suffered nothing from their removal 



from the parent plant, but will grow on as indepen- 

 dently as seedlings. 



There is one very important advantage in increasing 

 plants in this way. Where plants are raised from 

 seed there is frequently much variety in the size and 

 form of the seedlings, and in the colour of the flowers. 

 On the other hand, by dividing the roots you insure 

 ha\'ing an increased number of plants of exactly the 

 same variety. 



Striking Cuttings.— ^\Tiat a gardener under- 

 stands by a " cutting " is any portion of a plant which 

 can be induced to thi'ow out roots, and thus form a 

 separate plant. Small shoots from the sides are 

 usually taken for this purpose. Nevertheless a long 

 shoot may be cut up into short pieces, and, providing 

 that each piece contains two or thi'ee buds on it, there 

 need be no difficulty in making a plant out of every 

 piece. 



It wiU materially assist the intelligent cultivator 

 to understand the principle of growing plants from 

 cuttings, if he will keep before his mind the follow- 

 ing scrap of botanical knowledge. A complete plant 

 consists of three parts, a root, a stem, and a leaf. At 

 the place where the leaf joins the stem a bud is 

 formed, which grows into a shoot, having buds upon 

 its sides. At the base of these buds, roots are more 

 readily emitted than at any other part of the plant. 

 If a piece of watercress be kept for a few days in a 

 phial of water, the glass of which is thin and clear, 

 rootlets will be seen growing out at the parts indi- 

 cated ; and if the piece of cress be suspended by a 

 thread, so that the base of only one leaf be im- 

 mersed in the water, the rootlets will be found only 

 coming out at that part. This part is botanically 

 called a node, meaning a knot or swelling in the 

 stem, and in striking cuttings only one of these nodes 

 need be undergTOund. 



Until cuttings are fairly rooted they should be 

 carefully protected from the light of the sun, while, 

 at the same time, they are allowed the full benefit of 

 all its warmth. Sheets of newspaper will be found 

 to be efficient screens for this purpose. 



If there be one portion of horticulture which 

 requires more care than another it is watering. 

 Protection against improper watering is an all- 

 important matter to plants in pots. 



It takes some time to learn when a plant really 

 wants water, and how much should be given, and 

 nothing short of a thoughtful consideration of all the 

 circumstances of each case can enable any one to 

 answer these questions correctly. A beginner may 

 have been told over and over again, but he is verv 



