204 



THE MIXED GREENHOUSE. 



of the sand altogether when they have nearly rooted, and plant them in 

 soil natural to the plant. The sand being properly moistened with water, 

 and pressed tight down in the pot and made as level on the surface as 

 possible, is then ready for the reception of the cuttings. 



In preparing the cuttings, much depends on the habits of the plants, 

 as some require to be of greater length than others, vaning from half 

 an inch to three or four inches in this respect. As a rule from which 

 there are very few exceptions, we may say that most cuttings should be 

 taken off at their second, third, or fomth joint from the top, and that the 

 base of the cutting be exactly under one of these joints. No more leaves 

 should be taken off than would be buried in the sand, and these should 

 be cut closely off. with a sharp knife ; but care must also be taken that the 

 stem be not injured in the operation. It was an old and very erroneous 

 practice, and one which no sensible cultivator wiU now foUow, to cut off 

 more or less of all the leaves of cuttings. Nothing could be worse than 

 this, because by so doing the respu-ation of the cutting was destroyed, 

 and with it to a great extent the chance of success in propagating it. 



When the cuttings are planted and watered they should be set in the pro- 

 pagation-house, frame, or under the hand-glasses, as above recommended. 

 If in a properly managed propagating-house, bell-glasses wiU be seldom 

 necessarj^, nor tnUI they either in a close pit or frame ; but in all situa- 

 tions where the air has full action round them, then glasses are indis- 

 pensably necessary. Some cultivators place most of their greenhouse 

 cuttings in a cool place to root, while others are equally successful by 

 placing most of them in a mild bottom heat. The advantage of the 

 former is, that it is more economical and convenient ; and of the latter 

 that it is^the most expeditious, and the merits of both are just in proportion 

 to the attention that is paid to making and planting the cuttings pro- 

 perly, watering, shading, and hardening them off when rooted. The 

 back or front of a common cucumber frame is an excellent place for 

 striking cuttings in of most of these species when heat is to be applied ; 

 but both in this case and also in that when heat is dispensed with, great 

 care must be taken that damp be as much as possible excluded ; and 

 this is only to be effected by a daily examination of them, and by keep- 

 ing the glasses clean and dry, and removing decayed leaves when they 

 appear. 



Cuttings put in in February, March, or April vrill in most cases, if soft- 

 wooded plants, be rooted in April, May, and June, and fit to be potted off 

 into small pots singly. The hard- wooded cuttings put in at the same periods 

 will be longer in attaining that state, but will be sufficiently so by the 



