HOW DO YOU INCREASE YOUR PLANTS? 



Fig. 



Fig. 6. 



THE amateur is often perplexed as to how 

 to propagate plants in ways that are at 

 once simple and successful. Fig. i shows 

 perhaps the simplest way of increasing 

 plants, but it is of use only for a certain 

 class, as the rex begonia, gloxinia, sempervivum, 

 gesnera and echeveria. To get several plants, cut 

 the leaf with a sharp knife at a, b, c, etc., and each 

 piece will root and form a plant. These pieces can 

 be placed in sand as directed for other cuttings, or 

 they may be laid on sandy soil in a moist, shady 

 place, as on the soil of plants occupying large pots, 

 weighted with a little sand. 



Layering, as in Fig. 2, is a favorite way of propagating 

 clematis, wistarias, honeysuckles, tecomas, grapes, pas- 

 sion flowers, 

 A^etc., and differs 

 from propaga- 

 tion by cuttings 

 in that the lay- 

 ers are attach- 

 ed to the par- 

 ent plant until 

 roots are form- 

 ed, a is the 

 main plant, /' the portion above the surface, and c the 

 part covered with soil, from which the roots emerge. 

 Some bushy plants, like the hibiscus, quince, cercis, 

 (Judas tree), Paradise apple, etc., instead of being bent 

 down and buried, merely have earth hilled up to cover 

 the lower parts of the branches, and this being kept 

 moist, roots will start from them, when they can be di- 

 vided and planted singly. 



A variation from ordinary layering is shown in Fig. 3 

 where the plant is too tall for bending over, so a pot is 

 broken in two and the pieces are placed around the stem, 

 then tied together, a 

 support arranged, and 

 the pot firmly filled 

 with soil, which must 

 not be allowed to get 

 dry. After the plant is 

 well rooted the stem is 

 cut below the roots and 

 the new plant is grown 

 on in a new pot. 



Fig. 4 shows another" 

 mode of layering for 

 low branches of trees or shrubs. As shown at a, a long 

 cut is made on the lower side of the limb, and when the 

 latter is bent in the ground and pinned down, the cut 

 parts and aids the formation of roots. A piece of wood 

 may also be inserted to prevent the parts from growing 



together, as they might, instead of rooting. The same 

 method is shown at b, except that instead of a tongue be- 

 ing cut on the limb, a ring of bark several inches wide 

 is removed, and then the limb is pegged down. 



Fig. 5 represents several cuttings placed in the sand 

 ready for rooting, a is a cutting of the oleander, b of 

 the carnation, and c of a geranium. For making cut- 

 tings, the wood should be in' a proper condition, and 

 as a general rule, this is the case when it will break 

 off clean when bent. It is important to observe this, 



otherwise 

 failure often 

 results, t h e 

 wood being 

 either too 

 soft or too 

 } hard. 



Fig. 6 shows 

 a simple and 

 at the same 

 time one o f 



the best contrivances for rooting cuttings that might fail 

 in an ordinary cutting bed. A pot, 7 or 8 inches in 

 diameter or smaller, is partly filled with broken pots, a, 

 coarse soil, etc., and then a 4-inch pot with the hole 

 closed with clay, is set in the center, and the sides, ^, 

 are filled with sand. This can be placed on the back of 

 the stove for bottom heat, and the inner pot be kept 

 filled with water. It may also be used for sowing seed, 

 by using sandy soil instead of pure sand. Certain suc- 

 cess in starting Cobea scandens may be assured by using 

 such a pot, and setting the seeds in edgeways and right 

 end up. 



Fig. 7 illustrates the way of preparing a common box 

 for rooting even quite difficult subjects, like double petu- 

 nias, double primroses, pansies and others. A box, a, 3 

 or 4 inches high 

 is taken, and 

 for use in the 

 house a water- 

 tight lining 

 (painted tin or a. 

 galvanized 

 iron) is fitted 

 inside ; and be- 

 tween this lin- 

 ing and the 

 sides and ends, enough space is left to allow glass, b, to 

 be inserted and held firmly in place. The glass should 

 come about 10 inches above the box. When the latter 

 is filled with sand, it should be set on the back of the 

 kitchen stove, if quite light, or over a hot-air register or 

 on the steam radiator, kept properly watered and covered 

 with glass. No better propagator can be desired. Once 



