Dflceiuber, 1918 



THE GARDEN AND FIELD. 



thus avoid a severe check to ilio 

 plants. For liftiiix, a small zinc plain 

 label, in tlie pointed end of which a 

 \'-shapcd notch has been cut, will be 

 fouiul a very elVieient tool, as it may 

 be bciit to any angle required. Each 

 plant should be levered out of the 

 soil by means of a large match with 

 one end pointed, carefully lifted with 

 the notched label, and deposited into 

 a small hole made in the new soil 

 with a pointed stick and carefully 

 dibbled in. In this way it will not he 

 necessary to touch the plants at all 

 with the fingers. As already stated, 

 this will require time and patience, 

 but it is surprising how quickly and 

 neatly it may be done with a little 

 practice. The seedlings should be 

 planted about 1 in. apart, and the 

 pan containing them then immersed 

 in a vessel of water as described 

 above, allowed to drain, and then be 

 put back again in the propagator and 

 kept close for a few days till root- 

 action is again vigorous. 



— Growing On. — 



From this time full exposure to 

 light (with the pans near the glass), 

 but not to direct sunlight, must be 

 given; a sturdy and robust growth 

 will then result. As soon as the leaves 

 begin to touch one another a further 

 shift must be given, this time plant- 

 ing singly in 2]^-in. pots, carefully 

 crocked and filled with soil consist- 

 ing of loam two parts, leaf mould and 

 fibrous peat of each one part, with 

 about half a part of coarse potting 

 sand, the soil being made moderately 

 firm about the roots, and the whole 

 moistened by standing the pots for a 

 few minutes up to their rims in water. 



From now onwards the plants 

 should be shaded from bright sun- 

 light and kept on a shelf near the 

 glass in a temperature of 60 deg. to 

 65 deg. The soil should be kept 

 moist, but the leaves must not be 

 wetted. When the roots begin to 

 work well round the sides of the pots 

 — which may be ascertained by care- 

 fully turning out the ball of soil by 

 inverting the pot — the final shift 

 should be given into 5-inch pots, this 

 size being the most suitable, for 

 flowering in the first year. The com- 

 post for this potting must be carefully 

 prepared, and consist of good mellow 

 fibrous loam three parts, lumpy peat 

 one part, leaf mould one part, and a 

 fair sprinkling of coarse sand to keep 

 the soil porous; a little guano may 

 also be added with advantage. 



Gloxinias enjoy during growth a 

 fair amount of moisture, but during 



tlie flowering season somewhat drier 

 Miroundings will result in a prolonged 

 llowering period. The best tempera- 

 ture to grow Gloxinias in is about 

 60 deg. to 65 deg., but they will, 

 when once started, do quite well 

 during the summer months in a 

 greenhouse in which there is no arti- 

 ticial heat. 



In conclusion, let it be impressed 

 on those contemplating the culture 

 of these charming plant^s to always 

 procure the best seed obtainable, and 

 probably what is known as "mixed" 

 seed, producing as it does a great 

 variety of colours and shades, will 

 give the most satisfactory results, 

 with every possibility of obtaining 

 some novelties as to size and cc)lour. 



♦ 



The Budding of Roses. 



An amateur rosarian should always 

 have a few stock handy for "working" 

 or budding hirnself. Perhaps he may 

 want to duplicate some of his own 

 varieties, or he might have the chance 

 of getting a bud or two of some 

 coveted Miovelty from a brother ro- 

 sarian, and if the stock be ready in 

 his own garden all difficulties dis- 

 appear. The operation of budding is 

 simply and easily learnt, especially 

 if one has the chance of actually 

 seeing it done. It is essential that 

 the stock be ready — that is, the bark 

 must come away from the wood 

 easily, showing that the sap is run- 

 ning. The only things necessary are 

 a budding- knife (cost 2/), which 

 must be sharp, some budding cotton 

 (3d. a ball), and a deft pair of hands. 



Commence by carefully removing 

 leaves and thorns for 4 in. along the 

 stock, where the bud is to be inserted. 

 Then the bud must be prepared. This 

 is done by taking the cutting from 

 which the bud is to be taken, and in- 

 sert the knife about half an inch 

 below the bud, cutting near half-way 

 into the wood of the shoot, con- 

 tinuing it with one clean slanting cut, 

 about half an inch or more above fhe 

 bud, so deep as to take off part of 

 the wood along with it; then with 

 the thumb and finger, or point of the 

 knife, slip the woody part of the bud 

 out, and observe if a tiny piece of 

 wood' still remains over what is called 

 the eye of the bud, if it does, then 

 the bud is perfect, but if not, then it 

 is useless, and another bud must be 

 cut. When this is done, place it in 

 the mouth, and with the knife make 

 a horizontal cut across the branch 



to be budded, right through the bark to 

 the hard wocjdy part. Then make a slit 

 downward.^ perpendicularly to the first 

 cut, also going through to the wood, then 

 neatly, wilh the llattened handle of 

 the knife, sei)arate the bark from thb 

 wood. Into this incision slip the pre- 

 pared bud, right down so that the 

 leaf stalk is al)out half an inch below 

 the first horizontal cut. The next opera- 

 tion is to cut off the top part of the 

 "shield," as the inserted bark is 

 called, even with the horizontal cut 

 first made, in order that the bark of 

 the stock and the bark of the shield 

 shall exactly coincide at the trans- 

 verse cut of both. 



Then, commencing from the bottom, 

 tie the two together with the budding 

 cotton, proceeding upward, closely 

 round every part except the eye of 

 the bud itself, and continue it a little 

 above the horizontal cut, not too 

 tight, but firm enough to keep the 

 parts well together and exclude the 

 air. At the end of ten days the tie 

 may be loosened, and if the bud has 

 taken, the tiny piece of leaf stalk 

 will fall off and the bud will appear 

 green, but if it has failed it will be 

 dried looking and black. 



Keep the stock well watered and 

 all growth, other than that of the in- 

 serted bud, cut back. Very little 

 practice will enable one to be most 

 successful in this interesting opera- 

 tion. A very pretfy effect can be 

 secured by working various kinds of 

 roses on to one. For instance, most 

 of us have a yellow Banksia growing 

 on trellis or arch, and this Rose is a 

 first-class stock. 



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