November li. THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 11)7 
into heat with a view to strike them quickly; whereas, 
if the cuttings are rather weak, their leaves do not 
transpire so much, and the cuttings, consequently, live 
longer without roots, and have time to send them forth 
hefore they perish for want of support from the roots. 
In spring, the cuttings require a gentle hotbed; but in 
summer and autumn they strike root readily enough in 
a cold pit or frame. The cutting pots should be prepared 
in the usual way ; that is, drain the 2 ) 0 ts well by filling 
them halffull with broken potsherds; upon these place 
a layer of the rough siftings of the compost, and upon 
, that place a layer of rich, light, very sandy compost, 
nearly up to the rim of the pot; and lastly, fill up the 
pot to the level with fine silver sand; then give a gentle 
watering to settle it and make it firm; and while that is 
taking place, look out for and make the cuttings; choose, 
as 1 said hefore, young weak shoots, and cut them off 
close to a joint, dress off the lower leaves so as to allow 
about an inch to be planted in the sand, and not more 
than three or four leaves at the top. Plant them with a 
short stick, pressing the sand closely to each. The pot 
may be filled with cuttings in rows across it, or, if space 
is plentiful, place them out round the edge; I prefer the 
latter method, if circumstances will allow it, hut it is not 
absolutely necessary ; for I have now a pot of cuttings, 
. well-rooted, of the true Shruhlaud Rose, planted and 
growing all over the surface of the pot—these were put 
in last August. As soon as the required nmnber of pots 
are filled with cuttings, observe that the holes made by 
the planting-stick are filled up with dry sand. Dry sand 
is mentioned, because it runs more readily into the holes 
I than moist sand would do; then give a gentle watering 
again, which firmly fastens the sand round each cutting; 
leave them on the bench for an hour to dry off the surface 
moisture and any that may be standing on the leaves. 
After that time, or thereabouts, place them, if in spring, 
in the gentle hotbed, or, if in summer or autumn, in the 
pit or frame; shade from bright sunshine, and water 
when the surface becomes quite dry. In spring and 
autumn this will seldom be required, but it must not 
be neglected. A celebrated propagator has often told 
me, that the proper and judicious watering of cuttings 
was the grand secret of success in propagation of all 
kinds of plants, whether hard-wooded or soft-wooded, 
from the most delicate Heath down to the easily-struck 
Tom Thumb Scarlet Geranium; and he was quite right. 
There are more cuttings destroyed by untimely and 
injudicious watering, than by any other (excepting 
scalding by too much heat) point of propagation. 
Therefore, mind the watering-pot, and do not use it too 
freely upon cuttings until they are fairly rooted, and 
show evident signs of having made roots and growth. 
As soon as these appear, give plenty of air, and expose 
them fully. The spring and summer cuttings should 
he potted-off immediately when rooted: hut those struck 
late in the year may remain in the cutting pots through 
the winter, if room is scarce. When they are potted, 
let the season he when it may, they should be placed 
i in a frame or pit, where they can be shaded and kept 
close for a few days, until fresh roots are produced ; let 
them then he gradually inured to hear the full light 
and air. 
Propagation hy Seed. —The grand object of propa¬ 
gating by seed is to obtain improved varieties; and in 
, order to increase the probability of success, it is ad¬ 
visable to hybridize. Rees and other insects do this 
for us to some extent, and many cultivators are content 
with this natural hybridizing; not so the more scientific 
operator. He observes the deficiency in some property 
that an otherwise desirable variety possesses, and endea¬ 
vours to supply or obtain that wanting property from 
; some other variety that has it. This is done by cutting 
of!' the pollen cases from one flower, and supplying pollen 
j from the one whoso qualities are desirable to infuse into 
the one operated upon; and to prevent the insects from 
bringing any other pollen, the impregnated flower 
should be covered with fine net muslin. Seed thus 
obtained is truly valuable, and is almost certain to 
produce superior flowers. The seed sljould be gathered 
as soon as it is ripe, and be carefully cleaned from the , 
seed-vessels, and kept dry and cool through the winter. 
Sow it in the spring in shallow pans, placed in a gentle 
hotbed, or on a shelf close to the glass, in a warm 
greenhouse or propagating-house. When they come 
up, ])rick them out in similar pans, rather thinly. This 
can scarcely be done too early, for if allowed to remain 
too long in the seed-pan there is great danger of their 
damping-off. When they have made three or four 
leaves, then pot them singly into thumb-pots; and as 
soon as there is no fear of frosts injuring, then plant : 
them out in a nursery-bed till they flower, and choosing j 
such as are really good, throw the rest away. 
T. Aiu'lery. 
(7'o he continued.) 
WALKS AND EDGINGS FOR SUBURBAN 
GARDENS. 
{Continued from page 88.) 
In continuation of the subject of Suburban Gardens, 
which last week we left in a simple, roughly-trenched- 
over manner, it becomes novz a duty to study the direc¬ 
tion of walks, the disposal of trees, and other things. 
Walks, in a general way, run in lines parallel to the 
outside boundary, if the latter be straight, if not, tlie 
walk must not be forced to take every abrupt turning 
which circumstances may have given to the fence, but 
may be carried a considerable distance away from it, 
rather than give those intricate “ ins” and “ outs” which 
descend into “ the frivolous;” and the direction being fixed 
on, the formation is ne.xt. This subject has attracted 
much attention of late, some great authorities asserting, 
that a foundation of more or less depths of rough stones, 
&c., was not only unnecessary, but absolutely hurtful, 
and insisting on the w'alk being composed of a few 
inches of concrete, asphalte, or some other mixture 
aualagous to them; the advantages of this description 
of walk, they say, is a smooth, hard surface, and tlie 
prevention of weeds. Now this latter qualification is 
really of less importance to the suburban gardener 
than to that of the country gentleman; the former, 
having but little ground to operate upon, i-arely grudges 
the labour it costs, if ho takes a delight in it; while the 
latter may, in other respects, be so taxed, as to be 
anxious, by all legal means, to get rid of this impost. 
On the other hand, the materials for an asphalte or con¬ 
crete walk are more generally at the command of the 
townsman than of the country horticulturist; the former, 
surrounded by all the substances required, can readily 
obtain some one to lay them down in a mechanical 
manner, which, if done well In other respects, may 
serve many years; but I never saw any yet that per¬ 
fectly jileased me: the unyielding hardness is such as 
to be painful to walk upon, when slightly covered with 
fine gravel, as is usually the case, and the small stones, 
about the size of beans, are unpleasant (to say nothing 
else) for tender feet, while, in wet weather, the imper¬ 
vious nature of the walk renders the fine ])ortion of I 
loose stratum at top, a sort of puddle, which remains j 
so until the superabundant moisture is carried oil by i 
evaporation. Now these evils are not easily overcome { 
in tliose mechanically-formed walks, even wherr they are i 
done in the best manner; while it too often happens, ^ 
that tlie absence of something in the affair, or the undue 
presence of something else mars the whole matter, and the ! 
walk breaks up in flakes. If, therefore, good gravel is to j 
