206 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDEXIXG. 



water in excess, the want of artificial overhead 

 Avatering;;, to compensate as far as can be done by 

 art for the lack of the invigorating, feeding, cleansing, 

 natural rains and dews — these have killed tens of 

 thousands of town Eoses, while the polluted atmo- 

 spheres of which we hear so much have only killed 

 their hundreds. 



PEOPAGATION 



By "\V. ^Vatsox. 



THE EAISIXG OF SPECIAL GEXEEA FROM SEEDS. 



IX the last chapter wo considered in a general way 

 those conditions which play an important part in 

 the germination of seeds, and which, if properly 

 Tmderstood, should be sufiicient to enable any gar- 

 dener to succeed in the management of seeds of any 

 particular kind. For information of a more special 

 nature, as well fis for the details of that treatment 

 most suitable for the seeds of ordinary garden 

 plants, such as vegetables, annual flou-ering plants, 

 Szc, the reader is referred to those chapters which 

 deal with each class. It would be out of the question 

 to attempt such information here. There are. how- 

 ever, one or two special classes of jjlants to which a 

 few lines here may not be out of -phdce, and the first 

 of these is — 



Conifer^.^ — Seeds of all the cone-bearing family, 

 of which the Pinus and Cupressus may be named as 

 examples, are when prociu-able the readiest means 

 of propagating these plants ; but owing in some 

 cases to the difficulty of obtaining foreign seeds, 

 and to the trees in this country not producing them, 

 cuttings or grafts are resorted to as the only means. 

 The seeds of Conifers are homo in between the bases 

 of the scales of which the cones are composed, some 

 cones containing as many as 300 seeds. Xotwith- 

 standing their oily nature, they will keep perfectly 

 fresh for three or four years if allowed to remain 

 in the cone, but lose their vitaHty in less than 

 a year if removed. It is usual to gather the cones 

 before they are quite ripe, and before the scales 

 have separated so as to allow the seeds to drop 

 out. Some kinds, however, do not open, and it 

 therefore becomes necessary to soak them for a day 

 or so in water, and afterwards expose them to sun- 

 heat, or place them in heated kilns specially con- 

 structed for the purpose. I or sowing the seeds, if 

 to be placed out of doors. April is the most favour- 

 able time. It is a good plan to place the seeds in a 

 bag, and then steep the whole in water for two 

 or three days. After this take the seeds out and 

 dry them gently in the sun before sowing them. 



The soil should be soft and rich, mellowed by 

 the preceding winter's frost, and raked as fine as 

 possible. After sowing the seeds cover them with 

 a thin layer of fine light soil, and then run a light 

 roUer over the bed. To prevent the sun from dry- 

 ing the soil a covering of Fir branches^ hurdles. 



Fig. 1.— Seedling Pine. 

 a. Section of seed, 

 showing position of 

 enibrj-o. 



Fig. 2.— Seedling of Salisbiiria. 



or sti'aw should be placed over it. Mice and birds 

 are fond of these seeds, and must therefore be pre- 

 vented from getting at the seed-beds. Should the 

 weather be dry it will be necessary to water the 

 beds often enough to keep the soil moist. Gei-mina- 

 tion should take place in from three to five weeks. 

 As the seedlings push through the soil the covering 

 should be remoA'ed so that light may reach them. 

 For the first year or so seedling Conifers grow very 

 slowly ; they should not be transj^lanted imtil they 

 are about four inches above the gi'ound. ^"NTien 

 pots are used it will be unnecessary to cover the 



