70 



GARDEXI^G FOR PLEASURE. 



cuttings) ; Verbenas, (seeds or cuttings) ; Veronicas. All of 

 the above have their principal attraction in their flowers. 

 The following are only useful for the brilliant color- 

 ing or other peculiarities of foliage. Alternantheras, 

 Achyranthes, Artemisias, Cerastiuni, Centaureas, (seeds 

 or cuttings) ; Caladiunis, Coleus, Cinerarias, (seeds or 

 cuttings); Dracaenas, Echeverias, Geraniums, (silver, gold, 

 or bronze) ; variegated Ivies ; Lysiniachia, variegated 

 Grasses ; Peristrophe, Sanchezia nobilis, Vinca major, 

 etc., etc. For descriptions see florists' catalogues. All 

 of the above can be raised from slips or cuttings taken 

 from plants, (or by seeds where noted), during the win- 

 ter or early spring months — January, February, March, 

 or April, either from plants that have been kept for 

 flowering in winter, or from large plants that have been 

 preserved for the purpose of propagation ; the young 

 plants raised from slips are in nearly every instance 

 preferable to the old plants. Our practice is, to grow 

 the old, or "stock" plants, simply to make cuttings, until 

 we get enough from them, and then to throw the old 

 plant away, reserving the young ones only for sell- 

 ing, or for our own planting In the open borders. 

 Cuttings are rooted in the way described in the chapter 

 on " Propagation of Plants by Cuttings," or if by seeds, 

 as in chapter on " Propagation by Seeds." The young 

 plants should first be potted in 2-inch pots, and if early 

 in the season, they will require to be shifted into 3-inch 

 pots before it is time to plant them out in the open 

 ground, which it is not safe to do in this latitude until the 

 middle of May ; nor in any other latitude before the 

 time when tomatoes or egg plants can safely be planted out. 



Nothing is more satisfactory to the lover of flowers than 

 raising his own plants, no matter how able he may be to 

 purchase. Those of his own raising, whether for his own 

 use or to present to his friends, are always more val- 

 uable than anything that money can buy. One of the 



