THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 
83 
of some importance to multiply these plants by every pos¬ 
sible means, it is necessary that the reader be initiated into 
three great mysteries. Cuttings may be struck all the year 
round under glass. For this purpose, make up a bed in a 
greenhouse, the materials of the bed to be equal parts of 
sharp river-sand, and cocoanut-fibre refuse. In this mixture 
the smallest bits of stem, providing they have each a good 
healthy leaf, will soon make roots. From March to October 
no heat will be needed, but in the remaining four months the 
beds must be heated. Therefore it is well to make a bed for 
winter work in a proper propagating house, or on the top of 
a tank connected with the “ flow ” of the hot-water pipes. 
This brings us to mystery the second. It is quite a common 
thing for cuttings of tricolors to “ damp off” in winter; in 
other words, to rot away instead of making roots. To pre¬ 
vent this, proceed as follows. Take two small pieces of stick, 
say small worn-out wood tallies for example, tie one of them 
across the cutting’, about the sixteenth of an inch above its 
base, with a strip of bast or worsted. Tie the other length¬ 
wise to the cutting, so that it projects two inches beyond the 
base, and overlies the crosspiece. Now, if the upright stick 
is thrust into the earth until the base of the cutting just 
touches the soil, the cutting will be held firmly in its position, 
and in due time will throw out roots, which may be covered 
with a sprinkling of the mixture the bed is made of. By this 
mode of procedure an enormous number of soft shoots may 
be struck during winter, and the losses by damping will be 
“ next to nothing.” The third mystery may be disposed of 
in a word. All the tricolors grow more rapidly when grafted 
on the common zonals than when on their own roots. Graft 
at any time from March to August, always keeping the 
plants extra warm, and somewhat shaded for a month 
afterwards. The best stocks are common seedlings. The 
following are the best varieties for bedding: Victoria 
Regina, Louisa Smith, Sophia Cusaclc , Macbeth , Beautiful 
Star. 
Silver Zonals are generally known as “ Silver Tricolors.’* 
They should be grown in the poorest ground, and, if possible, 
in raised beds. If grown in rich and rather damp soil, the 
leaves grow to a large size, are much wrinkled, and the dark 
zone is so fully produced as to spoil the effect of the variega¬ 
tion. In all other respects treat as advised for the Golden 
