900 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



\ Juried 



glas3 placed over them as soon as the leaves become perfectly 

 dry, which will be in a short time. On placing the glass over 

 them, press it gently into the mould, the better to exclude the 

 admission of air. , This being done, all that is further re- 

 quired is to attend to shade them regularly from the sun, and 

 clear them of all appearance of damp or decay accordingly as 

 it may appear, and give them water when necessary ; but this 

 latter may not be required until the plants begin to root, which, 

 as soon as it has taken place, the bell-glasses are to be gra- 

 dually raised until they be entirely dispensed with. If it 

 should be necessary to water them, at any time, before their 

 roots arc formed, it should be done early in the morning, and 

 the glass left off for a few minutes until the leaves become 

 dry. They should also be inured to the sun by degrees, be- 

 ginning by allowing it to shine upon them in the mornings and 

 evenings, until they can bear it with safety, after which they 

 will soon make progress in their growth. 



The third and most successfid method of propagating car- 

 nations is by laying, and it is that which is most generally 

 practised. The precise time for beginning this operation is to 

 be determined by the forwardness or backwardness of the 

 season or situation ; the end of this month is often a good 

 time, while some do not begin before the middle or end of the 

 succeeding one. Hogg of Paddington, a celebrated culti- 

 vator of this flower, does not begin before the 21st of July, 

 and continues laying till the 21st of August. Others begin 

 before the flowers begin to expand, and are guided by the 

 shoots or grass when it is of length and strength sufficient to 

 admit of the operation ; whilst, on the other hand, many do 

 not begin till the flowers are fully expanded, or beginning to 

 fade. According to previous observation, the earlier that the 

 plants are laid, the stronger will they be before the winter sets 

 in, and consequently will be better calculated for producing 

 an abundant bloom the following year. The operation of 

 laying consists in first cutting off the lower leaves of the young 

 shoots all round the plant quite close, and then shortening the 

 leaves at the extremity of each shoot. An incision is then 

 made, by entering a sharp pen or budding knife about a quarter 

 of an inch below a joint, and passing the knife up through the 



