226 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



strike root when taken as cuttings. It is a pleasure 

 to be able to raise some at least of the many plants 

 that are cultivated in our gardens. Their growth 

 and progress are oftentimes more closely watched 

 over when such is the case. The Virginian Creeper, 

 the Ivies, the Wistaria and Jasminum nudifiorum 

 among climbers, may aU be increased by the method 

 just detailed. The process would be too slow in the 

 case of the Rhododendrons ; these will be more satis- 

 factory if purchased. The common Berberis, or 

 Mahonia [B. aquifolia), is very easily increased by 

 the small suckers that are put forth from time to 

 time around the parent stem. These make very 

 pretty and most useful plants for small borders, with 

 a little nursing. The Yuccas (Adam's Needle) can 

 also be increased from suckers, which, when of good 

 size, can be severed from the parent plant. The 

 Enonymus latifoUus is readily propagated from 

 cuttings of the half -ripened wood, which should 

 have a spot chosen for insertion w^here partially 

 shaded. Nearly all the shoots of shrubs, in fact, 

 that are attempted to be struck from cuttings should 

 be inserted when the young growth is fairly made, 

 with both leaves and shoots becoming solidified. 

 This applies also to Roses of good constitution, 

 which will thrive as well, or better, on their own 

 roots than when either budded or grafted. If a 

 sheltered nook could be spared, only a few square 

 yards even, it would afford much enjoyment to 

 endeavour by propagation to increase the stock of 

 garden favoui'ites that are most preferred, or are 

 found to be the best suited to the locality. Such a 

 piece of ground should have a little fresh soil added 

 to it occasionally, with some road grit or sand, to 

 encourage the young and tender rootlets to make 

 better progress. 



Several garden favourites can be conveniently in- 

 creased by seed, with the protection of a cold frame ; 

 even a small one would during the season be 

 capable of nourishing a goodly number of plants. 

 Among these may be named the Carnations, 

 Picotees, and Pinks ; a packet of seed of either, pur- 

 chased from a reliable source, would furnish a 

 considerable number of plants. Personally we much 

 prefer this method of raising our stock, in the first 

 instance, of these beautiful fl.owers. After pro\'ing 

 them at flowering time, the worst can be discarded, 

 whilst the best and most promising ones should be 

 increased by layers, which is an easy operation to 

 perform, merely having to sever the best shoots 

 about half through the growth and in an upward 

 direction, leaving a tongue-like point, around w-hich 

 the future roots will be emitted when placed in 

 contact with some good loamy soil, into which they 

 will soon push forth their roots. Whilst this is in 

 progress, attention will be requisite, in the way of 



watering, to encourage more rapid root -action. In 

 six or seven weeks these will be mainly depending 

 on their own roots, and may then be cut oflf from the 

 = parent plant, and removed to their future quarters ; 

 or potted up into small pots, to be kept through the 

 winter in the cold frame, and planted out in the 

 following February. This is a better plan to follow 

 than reljdng on annual purchases from those who 

 hawk these plants about in the spring. These may 

 look promising, being robust and healthy, but fre- 

 quently lead to disappointment in the inferior 

 quality of the flowers. Other border plants that do 

 not readily push forth young roots, as they spread 

 along the groimd, can be treated in a like manner. 



Those plants which are disposed to take root as 

 they spread, and thus form many plants, as it 

 were, may be easily increased by division. It is 

 ad^isable, in fact, to take up the entire clump of any 

 given plant at times, and choose some of the most 

 promising pieces for re-planting, selecting at the 

 same time a fresh spot for them, or to renew the 

 old soil if planted in the same place again. Violets, 

 for instance, should be re-planted every spring to 

 insure a vigorous stock of blooming plants, choosing 

 the strongest and best pieces. About the end of 

 March is a good time to do this work, in order to 

 secure as long a season for the growth as possible. 

 The improved varieties of Violets that are now 

 grown, as has already been stated, will in favourable 

 positions and in good seasons give a good supply of 

 flower during the autumn months. We find in the 

 neighbourhood of London that the fogs of the 

 autumn are most injurious to their foliage, perishing 

 it in fact, in conjunction ^dth frost. A successful 

 cultivator has infonned me that he goes over his 

 stock and cuts off the leaves when they are over- 

 abundant before the flowering time. On a piece 

 thus treated he obtained a good quantity of flowers, 

 whilst on another that was left with the foliage 

 intact, hardly any flower was obtained, the foliage 

 in the latter case rotting down, and thus perishing 

 the early flowers. 



The near allies of the Violets, belonging in fact to 

 the same genus, are the Pansies or Heartsease, which 

 are beautiful flowers for the early spring months. 

 These can be purchased cheaply enough early in the 

 season, when the first flowers are beginning to unfold 

 themselves ; one cannot then be far wrong in pur- 

 chasing such in the cheapest market. Ha^dng got a 

 stock, the same can be increased by division as may 

 be necessary; they can also be propagated from 

 cuttings, but this is a more imcertain process to 

 those who have not had pre^ious experience. T^Tien 

 the flowering season is over, the straggling growi;hs 

 should be cut off ; this will induce the plant to break 

 afresh from the crown. After these young growths 



