234 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 14, 1889. 
SEASONABLE NOTES ON PRO¬ 
PAGATING. 
Araucaria excelsa 
It is a well-known fact to plant buyers that this 
makes the best furnished plants from cuttings. The 
naked stem that is usually such an eyesore in seedlings 
can be got rid of by striking cuttings, the best wood to 
take being the tops of seedlings, or the side shoots that 
throw up after the top has been taken off a strong plant. 
Being naturally of slow growth, they take a consider¬ 
able time to emit roots, and there is no good way of 
hastening them along. The side shoots are best taken 
off with a heel attached, and should be allowed to lay 
upon the surface of the propagating bed, or they may 
be hung up for a day or so, to allow the resinous matter 
with which they are charged to congeal, after which 
they should be placed in single pots, and plunged in a 
very gentle bottom-heat, keeping them close, either by 
large bell-glasses, or by plunging in a case. In the 
matter of taking the tops from seedlings, it will be as 
well to make an incision through the stem—an actual 
stab through the stem—exactly under the tier of 
branches, where it is intended to permanently sever. 
If this be done some time during the summer months, 
and a thin chip of wood pushed through to keep the 
wound from growing together again, a dry callus will 
form on the wound, from which the roots will all the 
more readily proceed when actually severed at the 
present time. The bottoms left will again form side 
shoots, which can, in the course of time, be heeled off, 
as previously stated. Any trouble expended upon suc¬ 
cessfully rooting this plant will be amply repaid in the 
long run, as cuttings make such superior-looking 
subjects, and being so hardy and much sought after for 
room decoration, the time is well worth the trouble. 
Daphne odop.a rubra. 
This sweet-scented greenhouse plant may be increased 
by cuttings at the present time of the year, selecting 
shoots fairly vigorous, but without blooms showing at 
the points if possible. The cuttings should be about 
3 ins. in length, and should be inserted on the edges 
of pots—three or four in a -3-in. pot that has been well 
drained, placing a little moss or some very fibry peat 
over the crocks, before placing the sandy soil on the 
top, into which the cuttings are to be inserted. Put 
the cuttings in very firmly, watering the whole when 
finished to settle the soil firmly about the base of the 
cuttings. Allow them to stand for an hour or so, by 
which time the water will have dried up on the foliage, 
and likewise have drained away from the pot. They 
should then be plunged in moderate bottom-heat and 
covered with large bell-glasses, if no case be at hand 
for them, allowing a period of six weeks for their 
rooting, by which time they should show signs of 
requiring potting into single pots. 
Another mode of increasing this plant, is by grafting 
it upon Daphne mezereon, and should this mode be 
preferred to cuttings, the work of grafting may be done 
any time during the next few weeks. Preparation 
should have been made for this mode of increase, by 
having had a number of -young healthy plants of the 
D. mezereon potted up in the spring months, and these 
should have been plunged either in coal ashes or else 
in the open ground all through the past summer, to 
allow the plants to become established in the pots, as 
grafting does much better when the scion is placed upon 
an established stock, to what it otherwise would do if 
placed upon a stock just lifted from the ground. The 
best way to graft this plant is to cut the top completely 
off the stock, about 1 in. above the top of the pot, 
split the stock down one side, and insert the graft, 
which should be cut wedge-shaped, into the opening 
made, tying up securely with matting, and covering 
the wound made on the top of the stock with grafting 
wax, to prevent bleeding. A case, with a heat main¬ 
tained at about 60°, will answer admirably for them 
for about six weeks, by which time a good union ought 
to be effected, and the plants may be potted on and 
gradually inured to ordinary greenhouse treatment. I 
find, as a rule, that the grafted plants are not so 
subject to decay of the root action as are plants upon 
their own roots, which may be attributed to over¬ 
watering in many instances. 
Ifojlea Horsfallle. 
TThere it is necessary to increase the stock of this fine 
climbing plant, the present may prove an opportune 
time for the work, as there will generally be plenty of 
bottom heat about now, and this is essential to success. 
It has been a rule to increase this plant, amongst trade 
propagators, by grafting it on to the roots of some other 
Ipomaea, the species generally employed being I. 
ternata, a free-growing, white-flowered kind, that in 
itself is a very useful stove climber. I think that 
where expedition is required in the increase of the stock 
of this plant, no more certain mode can be adopted, for 
the plants, as soon as the union becomes complete 
between scion and root stock, have a reservoir of life 
from which to draw their sustenance that cannot 
possibly exist in a rooted cutting, and consequently 
must make the strongest plant in the shortest time. I. 
Horsfallite will be at the present time in a semi-dormant 
state and in a good condition for propagation. Shake a 
strong plant of I. ternata from the soil in which it has 
been growing, and select some of the strongest roots ; 
upon these roots insert pieces of I. Horsfallke with 
about two leaves attached, pot at once into pots as 
small as the roots can be conveniently got into, burying 
the root quite up to the union. Be careful to pot in 
soil that is sufficiently moist, so that no water will be 
required until such time as an appearance of activity 
takes place in the scion, which will not be long should 
the work progress satisfactorily. Plants worked now 
and in this manner will make very strong plants by 
the following autumn, provided they are pushed along 
in a brisk stove heat. 
Small Ferns. 
These should at all times claim attention, as they 
progress from the prothallus onwards, selecting, pot¬ 
ting up and pricking out those kinds that are most 
in demand. Give them as good positions as possible, 
so that their progress may be satisfactory, to be well 
on their way before more pressing work will want 
attention.— Verax. 
-=> 2 ^- 
The Am ateurs’ Garden. 
Planting and Protecting Roses. 
The planting of all the more delicate kinds of Roses 
had better be completed as early this month as 
possible, otherwise it had better be deferred till 
February. Those that are put in now should be 
mulched at once with stable manure to keep out the 
frost, which is injurious to the newly-planted roots. 
The alternate freezing and thawing of the soil around 
the collar of the stems often causes the destruction of a 
large number of newly-planted Roses. Standards 
should be staked immediately, to prevent their being 
swayed about by the wind. The dwarf Chinese kinds 
may be protected by means of a few Evergreen boughs 
placed amongst them, so as to hang over the plants, 
and thus ward off a large amount of frost. The evil 
effects of the latter at the collar of the plant may be 
mitigated by covering the bed with coco-nut fibre in 
the absence of manure, or where by close proximity to 
the dwelling-house the latter would be considered 
objectionable. While the weather remains mild, pro¬ 
tecting with Evergreen boughs is unnecessary, but 
after this time the latter should always be held in 
readiness in case of an emergency. 
The Otaheite Orange. 
The idea of growing an Orange tree is often very much 
cherished by amateurs, and plants are occasionally 
raised from the fruits obtained from the shops. This 
can be done with great facility in greenhouses, windows 
or even in the open garden during summer. What 
will, no doubt, astonish many, is that a single seed 
will often give rise to two, three, or even four seedlings. 
This has long been known to those in the habit of 
sowing seeds, or of examining the latter. Although 
Orange trees may be raised with such facility from 
seeds, they must be grown for many years, and attain 
a large size, before they will either flower or fruit, so 
that cultivators get tired of waiting, and ask why they 
will not fruit. The reason is, that they must be 
grafted with kinds already in bearing ; and they may 
be flowered in a moderately small state. The Otaheite 
Orange, already grown to some extent for the beauty 
of its small fruits, would suit amateurs admirably, and 
flower and fruit in their greenhouses or conservatories. 
They do so freely when only 1 ft. or 2 ft. in height. 
Oranges are very liable to scale and mealy bug, which 
cause the leaves to become covered with a black filth. 
If the trees are to be kept healthy, this must be 
washed off with soft-soap and water, using a sponge, 
so as not to injure the leaves. 
Climbers for Walls and Cottages. 
Now is the time for planting all kinds of climbers, 
whether evergreen or deciduous, in order that all bare 
walls may appear not only cool, but gay in summer, 
and in the case of certain kinds, in winter as well. 
Amongst the deciduous kinds are the various species 
of Jasmine, of which the best for open-air culture are 
Jasminum officinale, J. revolutum, and J. nudiflorum. 
The last is now flowering, and will continue to do so 
till next spring during mild weather. The Virginian 
Creeper (Vitis quinquefolia) and Vitis tricuspidata, 
better known as Ampelopsis Veitchii, are too well known 
and highly appreciated to be overlooked. Clematis 
Jaekmanni is still one of the most fioriferous and 
easily grown of its kind ; C. montana produces such a 
wealth of snow-white bloom in spring, and covers such 
an area in course of time, that it should be planted 
where procurable. Roses in large numbers are also 
available. 
-- 
Hardening §Tiscellany. 
Carnations and the Green-fly. 
I have several dozens of seedlings saved from Mrs. 
Reynolds Hole—yellows, purples, and rose or pink 
seifs—the seed of which was sown on August 30th last. 
These are now good sturdy plants, and have been put 
into single pots for some considerable time. They 
occupy a shelf near the glass in the greenhouse, but 
although in the best of condition, I found recently that 
the plants were attacked by green-fly. The plants were 
soon collected, arranged on the potting bench and 
covered with a large sheet of paper, when, with the 
aid of my fumigator, dense volumes of smoke were 
poured in amongst them. The enemy was soon placed 
hors cle combat , and after two applications completely 
annihilated. The plants apparently are none the worse, 
many of them being from 3 ins. to 4 ins. high, and as 
strong or nearly so as some which I have struck from 
cuttings in the autumn. I sowed the seed as soon as I 
had got it well ripened, because I am anxious to get 
the plants into a flowering state before they have 
reached the age of twelve months ; hence the plants, as 
a matter of course, are carefully grown, without being 
subjected to any checks that impede healthy progress.— 
Geo. Fry, Lewisham. 
Linum trigynum. 
This grand old winter-flowering plant is grown in great 
quantity in the Botanical Gardens at Old Trafford, 
Manchester. They are well done in S-in. pots, making 
good bushes literally covered with their bright, cheerful, 
golden yellow flowers. They continue in bloom for a 
very long time, as they throw a long succession of 
flowers. The old Heterocentrum roseum is also well 
cared for here, and is most useful at this dull season. 
Its bright trusses of rose-coloured flowers are very con¬ 
spicuous. — TJrbanus. 
The Fragrant Chimonanthus. 
The pale yellow flowers of Chimonanthus fragrans are 
not very showy shrubs when grown against a wall, but 
their delicious fragrance more than compensates for the 
lack of brilliant colouring at this dull season of the year. 
The large-flowered variety, C. f. grandiflorus, is more 
popular at certain places than the type, but the aroma 
given off by its flowers is not so strong. Both com¬ 
mence flowering in November or December, according 
to the mildness of the season, and continue at intervals 
till March. The plant is quite hardy in all the southern 
counties, but the expanded flowers are liable to be 
destroyed in severe weather. The value of the bloom 
consists chiefly in their use for mixing with cut blooms 
in dwelling-rooms, where the odour given off is very 
pleasing. The great difficulty experienced with this 
plant is in propagating it. This is effected by means 
of layers, which, however, are very slow in emitting 
roots. Seeds are occasionally produced in this country, 
and germinate readily enough in a warm pit. It is 
questionable whether the large variety could be raised 
in this manner true to name. A small late-flowering 
variety was grown in the Royal Horticultural Society’s 
gardens at Chiswick, where C. f. grandiflorus is now in 
bloom. The plant has been grown there for a great 
number of years. There once existed a yellow variety 
as well, in which the purple centre of the type, as well 
as of C. f. grandiflorus, was absent. 
Mealy-bug. 
In a report of a paper recently read at a meeting of the 
Manchester Gardeners’ Improvement Association, I 
saw it stated that mealy-bug was the most difficult of 
all insect pests to deal with. To this I would say No, 
most distinctly, because, although difficult and trouble¬ 
some when once allowed to make headway, it is the 
