February 13.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February, March, and onwards, at all times, and more 
especially after such a dull, mild winter, do what we 
can with our plants in windows, greenhouses, and cold 
| pits, we cannot keep them from growing. The oxpand- 
1 ing principle is contending, and but too successfully, 
especially in dull weather, with the accumulative prin¬ 
ciple. The stubbiest plant becomes lengthened, the 
tissues are expanded, the hard epidermis becomes soft, 
and the whole system is teeming with vital excitability. 
So much is this the case, that at this season there is no 
necessity for cutting to a joint in making cuttings from 
the majority of soft-wooded plants, as in favourable cir¬ 
cumstances roots are froely protruded from any part of 
! the stem. So much is this the case, that instead of 
requiring two nodes or joints to make a cutting, our 
clever amateurs, when it is worth their while, think 
nothing of splitting each joint into as many divisions 
as there are buds around it, using the split part of the 
stem alike for inserting in the soil and protruding roots, 
j But all this could never be effected if any great check j 
■ was given to vital expansion. Success greatly depends | 
J upon increasing the stimulus. No doubt even now our 
friends may multiply their favourites by inserting cut¬ 
tings under band-glasses and bell-glasses, and keeping 
them in shady places, cither in the window or green- 
I I rouse ; but the result will neither be so certain in the case 
of soft-wooded plants, nor half so engaging from its quick¬ 
ness as when placed in a sweet moderate hot-bed. There, 
the excitability already aroused is still farther developed 
by the increased heat; this heat being made to act more, 
if possible, upon the part of the cutting embedded in the 
light porous soil, than the part in the atmosphere; and 
thus roots are emitted contemporary and often before 
fresh expansion in upward growth ; while the moisture 
rising from the bed prevents rapid evaporation from the 
leaves, and the whole medium of the soft spongy cutting 
is inhaling nourishing gases from the decomposing 
matter that furnishes the heat. We may praise as we 
will hot water tanks, &c., for this purpose; but for all 
common things, give to us a bed of dung and leaves. 
Even in that case, however, the assistance of a hot-water 
pipe to dry up the damp would be desirable. So great 
is tbc beat that soft-wooded cuttings will bear in the 
spring with impunity, that for years I propagated the 
chief supply for a large flower-garden in the front of 
frames for early melons and cucumbers, hardening them 
by degrees until they could stand in the open air. Many 
of our greatest favourites for this, as well as for window 
and balcony decoration, that arc rather shy to propa¬ 
gate in summer and autumn, arc easily propagated now, 
after fresh growth has commenced, by means of a mode¬ 
rate hot-bed; for the heat in a cucumber box is too high 
for them, and, consequently, there is a little more care 
required in hardening them off. So easy is it during 
the present, the following, and even April months, to 
propagate, by means of a hot-bed, the various soft-wooded 
plants used for the above purposes, that I have uni¬ 
formly recommended those who had little room, to ensure 
merely a young healthy stock in autumn from which 
they might propagate to their heart’s content in spring. 
I ,et us not forget, however, that if we do not obtain this 
stock in autumn, we shall be rather badly off for cuttings 
in spring, and thus be forced to borrow and buy instead 
of having the pleasure of lending and giving. The 
knowledge, then, that plants are more quickly propa¬ 
gated in spring, will hardly avail you if you have got 
none to propagate from. A friend once wrote request¬ 
ing to know whether I could spare him any cuttings of 
; soft-wooded plants,—Verbenas, Calceolarias, Geraniums, 
; &c. This was in September. The reply was, “ Yes, a 
donkey-load, if you please.” I heard and saw nothing 
more of him until the middle of March, when our friend 
! appeared—not with a donkey, but with a pony-cart,—just 
| after almost every plant had been stumped. Though he 
307 
did not go away quite empty-handed, the lesson was one 
he never forgot. Ho found out that though plants pro¬ 
pagated in spring required less trouble, that if he 
neglected to provide a stock in the autumn, he must 
either buy or condescend to beg at a time when people 
were not wondrously fond of giving. 
1 find I have beeu running on, and yet should like to 
gossip a little longer. Hot-beds may be divided into the 
gentle, the moderate, and the strong. By the first is 
understood such a bed, consisting of from one to one 
and a half foot of fermenting matter, as is used for 
setting hand-lights on for the propagation of pinks and 
carnations, &c.,—the object merely being to present an 
increase of temperature to the base of the cutting ; and 
by the third is intended such beds as would be suit¬ 
able for cucumbers and melons, then the second or 
moderate hot-bed will be a medium between the two, 
such as in this and the succeeding month will give a 
bottom-heat of from 60° to 80°, and an atmospheric 
temperature from 48° to 60°. ft is this moderate hot-bed 
that is most suitable for greenhouse and half-hardy 
plants that are quickly propagated in spring. 
The materials for a hot-becl may be varied accord¬ 
ing to circumstances. There are few gardens, how¬ 
ever small, where the means cannot be got for such. 
All decaying vegetable matter when thrown together 
will produce heat during its decomposition, if moisture, 
heat, and air be present. Where dung is not to be had, 
all vegetable refuse should be kept dry until it is de¬ 
sirable to obtain the heat from its decomposition. Saw¬ 
dust, with a very little other animal or vegetable matter 
mixed with it and damped, will give a nice regular heat 
for some time; the only disadvantage attending its use 
being its likelihood to cling round the pots and impede 
their drainage. Fungus substances are also too freely 
produced. The refuse from flax-mills is also a good 
medium, and requires little or no previous preparation. 
Eighteen inches thick will retain a nice heat for a con¬ 
siderable time. Hops from large breweries arc also 
most useful for giving bottom-heat in beds. They 
merely require to be thrown into a heap to sweeten 
a little before using. Good oak leaves, well fermented, 
are tbc best of all, if it were not for tbc slugs and creep¬ 
ing things that they contain, which, in a short time, 
would make sad havoc of the tender cuttings. In using 
them, as I do, I like previously to give them a good 
heat by mixing them with stable-dung, turning them 
together once or twice, and watering only where either 
seems dry. The more violent they heat at first, the 
better I like it, as it either kills or flits the slugs, and 
destroys a great portion of the fungus spawn which is 
apt to adhere to the leaves. When the condensed mois¬ 
ture is clear as a dew-drop, any vegetation may be 
trusted with safety. Three parts leaves and one of stable- 
dung will make a good combination. A bed from eigh¬ 
teen inches to two feet in depth will be sufficient tor 
several courses of cuttings, with, at the most, a turning 
of the material and a little fresh added at the bottom. 
In making such beds, I do not like tbc material to be 
much decomposed, though sweet, to be very moist, nor 
yet to bo built very firmly together. 1 want to obtain, 
j and not to give to the open atmosphere, the beat which 
is the result of decomposition. 1 want not a scorcher, 
but a steady heat, and by not squeezing the materials 
too firmly together, air is enclosed between their par¬ 
ticles, and fresh air is always gaining access. If after a 
time the heat declines, I know it is because the material 
has become too dry for the air to act upon; and by 
boring small holes over the bed, and pouring into these 
hot water, I communicate both air and moisture, and 
heat is given out as the result of farther decomposition. 
R. Fish. 
