PLAXT3 MULTIPLIED BY CUTTIX&S. 



35 



The reason of this is, that if the cuttings are wounded at 

 both ends, they will lose a much greater portion of their 

 sap or juice, and be much more likely to die. "When they 

 are taken off, (which should uniformly be just below 

 a bud;) they may either be planted out in a light soil in a 

 southern situation, and a hand-glass placed over them, or, 

 what is much better, may be planted from six to ten in a 

 pot, in shallow pots well di-ained, and placed under a 

 hand-glass, in a warm situation. They will occasionally 

 rec[uire sprinkling with water from a pot with a fine rose, 

 and constant shading from the heat of the sun, as well as 

 protection from cold nights, both of which latter purposes 

 may be accompHshed by placing a piece of garden mat 

 over the hand-glass. In this situation, and with "this 

 treatment, they will speedily form roots and grow, when 

 they may be repotted, or planted out, as desked. Where 

 the cuttings are taken from the roots, (such as dahlias,) a 

 small portion of the crown of the root should be taken 

 off, attached to each cutting, which will cause them to 

 form roots much more speedily. 



There are a few plants which are cultivated for orna- 

 ment, such as heaths, myrtles, and some others, which are 

 exceedingly difficult to propagate, and demand even more 

 attention than those last treated of. These may be multi- 

 plied precisely in the same manner as pelargoniums, ex- 

 cept that they can be placed more numerously in the pots, 

 and must be prepared and planted as soon as possible after 

 they are taken off, and each pot should have a small bell- 

 glass over it, instead of placing a number of pots under one 

 large glass. Failure in the propagation of such plants as 

 these, is solely attributable to the circumstance of water 

 being allowed to stagnate about the roots; therefore, the 

 cuttings should be planted in pure white or silver (not 

 river) sand, and have an abundance of drainage. The 

 inside of the glasses should also occasionally be wiped with 

 a dry cloth, as the moisture from evaporation generally 

 accumulates on the inside of the glass, and if it is allowed 

 to drip on the cuttings, will seriously injure them. Great 

 care is also necessary, with regard to shading them from 

 the sun, as, if this is once neglected, they will unavoidably 

 perish. Some interest and amusement may be occasioned 



