April, 1912.] 



Horticulture, 



are formed, when it is given more freely, 

 and then roots make their appearance, 

 when they must at c nee be potted off 

 and the usual treatment followed. 



By Buds. 

 Make a shallow pan for them by first 

 putting in a portion of pure loam and 

 sand, then a covering of pure saud 

 alone ; give a gentle watering to settle 

 it, and then prepare the buds. Take 

 a shoot of moderate strength, cut off 

 the leaves, but not quite close to the 

 stem ; then cut off the two lowest buds, 

 leaving about a quarter of an inch of 

 wood below each bud. After that, split 

 the shoot containing the two buds down 

 the centre. If the two buds are not 

 exactly opposite, but one a little below 

 the other, the upper one must be 

 shortened below the bud to the proper 

 length. The upper cut should be very 

 nearly close to the bud. Make a suffi- 

 cient number ready at once to fill the 

 pan or pot, and plant them, using a 

 short blunt stick, a degree thicker than 

 the bud cutting. Insert them so as to 

 only leave the bud just above the sand. 

 Plant them close to and round the edge 

 of the pan, placing the cut side close 

 against the pot, which will, of course, 

 place the bud side inwards. Then fill 

 up the holes with a little dry sand, and 

 water gently again. Place them either 

 in a propagating house or in a frame. 

 Shade from bright sunshine in what- 

 ever situation they are placed, and water 

 as required. The buds will soon break 

 and show leaves, shortly to be followed 

 by a shoot. 



By Roots. 



Some kinds of Fancy Pelargoniums and 

 most of the Cape original species are 

 difficult to increase by any of the above 

 methods. In such cases there is left 

 the mode of increase by cuttings of the 

 roots, This is almost certain of success. 

 Take an old plant, carefully shake off 

 all the soil and cut the roots into short 

 pieces, retaining as many fibres as 

 possible to each. Put each root cutting 

 singly into as small pots as they can 

 be got into, leaving the top just visible, 

 Place these in the house or frame appro* 



priated to propagation ; give a gentle 

 watering, and shade effectually. New 

 roots will soon push forth, and their 

 shoots will appear generally in clusters. 

 When that takes place, reduce the snade 

 to give colour to the leaves and strength 

 to the shoots. As these advance in 

 growth, thin them gradually by slipping 

 one or two off at a time, till finally 

 they are reduced to one which is to 

 form the future plant. As soon as this 

 shoot attains the height of 2 or 3 in., 

 nip off the top to cause the side shoots 

 to grow, and so form a neat bushy plant, 



Culture op Established Plants, 



Cut them down in January, and leave 

 them in a cool pit. In eight or ten days 

 after being cut down, and receiving 

 moisture about the tops rather than 

 among the roots, the pots may receive a 

 fair watering — as much as will reach 

 every good root. When the buds break 

 gradually expose to the air. When 1 in. 

 or so in length take the plants to the 

 potting-bench ; shake the soil from the 

 roots ; examine and prune the roots a 

 little ; reshif t into similar, or what, in 

 general, will answer better, smaller- 

 sized pots ; place them again in the cool 

 pit, and keep close until the fresh roots 

 are running in the new soil. Then 

 gradually expose them entirely to the 

 weather, steering clear, however, of 

 cold rains and early frosts. Plants cut 

 down in January will require to be 

 placed in blooming-pots at the end of 

 April or May. Those cut down in 

 February will not want re-potting till 

 the spring of the following year, and 

 then different successions of blooms may 

 be expected. During the cold months 

 the temperature of the pelargonium 

 house should seldom be higher than 50 

 degrees Pahr. In the case of large plants, 

 little stopping will be required after 

 re-potting. Thinning instead will often 

 be necessary, Hence old plants generally 

 produce the earliest bloom, as every 

 general stopping of the shoots, as well 

 as every shift given, retards the bloom- 1 

 ing period, 



