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HORTICULTURE. 



The Propagation of Plants. 



By J. K. Nock. 



A great deal might be written on "Propagation of Plants," but on an 

 occasion like this, where space is limited, it cannot really be dealt with fully. 

 The object here will therefore be to state in as concise a form as possible 

 the different methods of propagation, giving sufficient practical hints concern- 

 ing each to allow of their adoption by those interested, and in the case of the 

 methods needing illustrations for their better explanation merely to mention 

 them so as to have the list as complete as possible. Plants are propagated by 

 seed to create new individuals, and by cuttings, division, slips, bulbs, conns, 

 tubers, rhizomes, offsets, leaves, runners, roots, suckers, grafting, budding, and 

 layering to increase these individuals. 



PROPAGATION BY SEED. 



This is the most natural mode and the most advantageous unless a plant 

 exactly similar to the parent is required, when other modes to be described 

 hereafter must be resorted to. The finest and most vigorous plants are produced 

 from seed. The provisions of nature in such ways as causing the seeds of certain 

 deciduous trees to drop before the fall of leaf, so as to provide a covering to 

 protect them and leaf-mould for them to germinate in, and others requiring 

 less depth to drop their seeds after the fall of leaf, form an interesting study, 

 and afford valuable hints as to their requirements. We gather that seeds usually 

 fall in their natural state among decaying vegetable matter and therefore require 

 a light, rich soil to germinate in, also that the depth they should be sown varies 

 as a rule with their size. Some kinds are furnished with a hard covering as 

 those of Acacia decurrens and require to have boiling water, about four times 

 their quantity by measurement, poured over them to facilitate germination. 

 The water is allowed to cool down, and after 24 hours most of the seeds will 

 be found to have swollen ; the process must be repeated with that still hard. 

 Others, such as Ceara rubber, need to be filed. Seeds imported from good merchants 

 in England are generally specially dried before despatch, and Peas, Beans, etc., 

 should be soaked in water, not necessarily warm and certainly not boiling, for 

 12 to 24^hours before sowing. 



All seeds must be ripe, i.e., possessing perfectly developed embryos, and 

 have been well kept or germination will not be satisfactory. Storing should be 

 done in a cool, dry room from which all moisture can be excluded, but as a 

 rule this is hard to get in the Tropics and most imported kinds soon lose their 

 vitality. Some seeds retain their germinating powers for only a short time, 

 others for several years, and the time taken for germination varies considerably, 

 those of the English Holly for instance being known to take so long as two 

 years. The soil should be made fine but porous enough for water to drain off 

 well. If too fine it is apt to cake on the surface after constant watering and 

 the action of the sun, the tender plumule in forcing its way through becomes 

 injured and the resulting plant is invariably poor. The addition of sand will be 

 found to bring it to its proper consistency. As regards the depth seeds should 

 be sown it is a good principle to cover them with soil about equal to their 

 own thickness, but this must be done with judgment. As an exception I may 

 mention beans which are planted 2 inches deep, though only an eighth or quarter 

 ofithis in thickness. 



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