334 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Septehbeb 6, 1859. 
and scarcely a leaf on tliem, but the small ones near the 
point, and who says more than yon do on the importance 
of foliage P I get quite bewildered.” 
In answer to such queries, I would state that that 
system is best that answers best with the operator, and 
• suits his circumstances best. For instance: early and 
large cuttings, on the whole, cost least trouble in getting 
them made into plants ; and in July and August they will 
strike freely enough anywhere out of doors. The very 
size, however, that these plants will attain before housing 
time renders that housing a difficult matter where every 
inch of room under glass is most valuable, until you can 
turn part out of doors under protection in March. It is 
on that account chiefly, as well as sparing the flower-beds, 
that I use smallish cuttings, and make them later than 
some people do. If the cuttings are nicely rooted before 
the end of autumn, however small they are, they will just 
occupy less space in winter, and they will be large enough 
by bedding time. I do not practice pricking out in 
borders in the open air quite so much as I used to do. 
When time is valuable, you get the cuttings quicker in 
by that mode; but then they are all to be taken up, under 
ordinary circumstances, and that, of course, involves 
some labour, and also unsettles the young plants for a 
time. Had I such a thing as cold pits, or pits with a 
hot-water pipe, however small, round them, I would insert 
almost all my bedding cuttings in them at once, aud thus 
save a vast amount of moving labour in the season. The 
first cost, in such a case, would be true economy, if a few 
years are considered. 
The ease with which Scarlet Geraniums are propagated 
has made the question of leaves and their number a 
matter of less importance, as the succulence of the stem ! 
enables the cuttings, under ordinary circumstances, to ab¬ 
sorb as much moisture as they perspire, especially with 
a little rough shading during the heat of the day. 
This leaf-retaining matter, however, is the most 
puzzling affair with some of our inquirers, and right views 
should be entertained respecting it; otherwise, treat¬ 
ment that the Scarlet Geraniums would bear with im¬ 
punity would quickly ruin other cuttings, and young 
plants too. For instance: because young cuttings of 
Geraniums stood the sun, therefore small pricked-off 
seedlings of Primulas must do the same ; but the result 
of such a conclusion would soon teach another lesson. 
Without entering upon the general functions of leaves, 
it will be necessary for our purpose here to state, that 
every leaf on a healthy plant, during sun and heat, per¬ 
spires watery juices, and this is met by its absorbing mois¬ 
ture from the stem and roots, and also, under favourable 
circumstances, from the atmosphere surrounding it. When 
you sever the cutting from the parent plant, when both 
are in a vigorous, growing state, you at once cut off the 
main source of supply, and the leaves perspiring far more 
than they can absorb, the cutting in the open air must 
inevitably perish. The succulence of the stem of the 
Geranium constitutes here the reservoir of safety. In 
any particular plant, not succulent, that we wish to raise 
from cuttings, just in proportion to the number of leaves 
left must be our extra care by bell-glasses, hand-lights, 
and careful shading from sunlight, to prevent the leaves 
perspiring, and, on the other hand, force them to absorb 
moisture from the enclosed atmosphere round them; so 
that they will feel as little as possible their separation 
from the roots and main stem. Bring this to bear even 
on the Geranium cuttings, and theory as well as practice 
will at once, in our opinion, demonstrate that leaving all ) 
or great part of the foliage on, when the cuttings are to 
stand chiefly out of doors, or with slight protection, is 
attended with no advantage, but rather the reverse, be¬ 
sides entailing extra labour and unsightliness. Such 
full-leaved cuttings will not stand long under such circum¬ 
stances before all the larger leaves will droop and welt. 
In doing so, they rob the stem of a portion of its juice, 
and by-and-by they must be all picked off to remove the 
unsightliness, and very likely loosen the cuttings at their 
base. When most of the leaves are removed, the per¬ 
spiring organs are, to a great extent, removed. A slight 
sprinkling of water, now and then, from a fine syringe or 
brush, prevents the stems being unduly dried, and the real 
juices in the succulent stems are encouraged at once to 
produce new leaves at the points, and roots at the bottom, 
and there is neither the unsightliness nor the trouble of 
picking or removing withered foliage. On the other 
hand, did I wish to strike Scarlet Geraniums as quickly as 
possible, and could give them, conveniently, a close, moist 
atmosphere, then I would keep on nearly all the leaves ; 
but I would never permit one to flag or decay. 
This is the mode that should be adopted with scarce 
kinds ; and though I have no faith in leaves alone and 
singly making plants, there is nothing to prevent any¬ 
one, by such process, making a plant of every fresh leaf 
that has an embryo bud, and a small piece of the stem at 
its base. For all rough propagating I consider that leaving 
all, or nearly all, the leaves on first, unnecessarily ex¬ 
hausts the cutting, and then creates the annoyance of 
removing them when withered. These are trifling matters ; 
but the mischief is, that what rough treatment is found 
to answer with Scarlet Geraniums is apt to be employed 
with other things that will not stand it, because they 
have not got such a succulent stem to fall back on. The 
matter will be simplified if we look upon every leaf on a 
cutting as a robber of its stored-up juices, unless we can 
place that cuttingymder circumstances in which it will be 
forced to absorb as well as perspire, and in which the 
former, if possible, shall exceed the latter. 
In propagating, I like to get all the variegated kinds in 
by the first week in August; and if the cuttings are good, 
I do not mind them being small—say from two to three 
inches. The plain-leafed and Horseshoe, free growing 
kinds, I like to have in from the middle of August to the 
middle of September. The plants will be healthier, and 
keep better over the winter, if they never have any arti¬ 
ficial heat before being housed. A calico sash, or a glass 
light, shaded, and with plenty of air, especially at night, 
will hasten the striking process. id. Fish. 
HARDY FLOWERING HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 
( Continued from page 320.) 
JETIIIONEMA. 
Nat. ord., Brassicace®. Linn. Tetradynamia siliculosa. 
Geneeic Chabactee. —Calyx erect. Silicle obovate or oval, 
compressed, sub-emarginate; valves navicular, winged on the 
back ; cells one or two-seeded. Longer Jilaments either toothed 
or united. 
JEthionema heteeocaepum (variable-podded). Silicles two- 
celled, two-seeded, obcordate, crowded, valves winged at the 
back, entire; leaves linear, crowded, lower ones spreading. 
6 in. Purple. July. Armeria. 
A. MEMBKANacebm (membranous-podded). Silicles two-celled, 
two-seeded, obcordate, crowded, valves winged on the back, 
entire; leaves linear, distant, strictly adpressed. 6 in. Lilac. 
July. Persia. 
A. monospeemum (one-seeded). Silicles one-celled, one-seeded, 
indehiscent, emarginate at the top ; leaves oval or obovate; 
longer stamens toothed. 6 in. Pale-purple. July. Spain. 
A. rAKViFEOEnu (small-flowered). Gin. Lilac. July. Persia. 
A genus of hardy, low-growing, alpine plants, suitable for 
rockwork, or to grow on hillocks on a dry exposed border. They 
require a light sandy loam mixed with a little peat. Propagated 
j by seeds and cuttings. 
Sow the seeds as soon as they are ripe in light sandy peat and 
loam, either in shallow pans or in the open border, covered very 
thinly, and watered gently in dry weather till the seedlings are up. 
Then, as soon as they can be handled, transplant them in patches 
of threes, either on the rockwork or on the border where they are 
to grow. 
Cuttings .—Take the cuttings off in April, plant them in sand 
under a hand-light, and, as soon as they are rooted, treat similarly 
as described above for the seedlings. 
