24 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 10, 1898. 
’iNTS FOR MMATEURS. 
PROPAGATION OF BEDDING PLANTS. 
The amateur often finds it a matter of considerable 
difficulty to keep plants through the winter months. 
In addition to the direct effect of frost, damp 
exercises its very malign influence, and thus unless 
suitable structures are obtainable for wintering the 
plants in, deaths are apt to be very heavy, and the 
luckless cultivator is led to take counsel with himself 
whether, alter all, it is worth while to attempt to 
keep a stock of plants through the winter, or is not 
cheaper to buy what is required in the spring. 
Where the decision has been in favour of the 
latter alternative there is no need to disturb the 
beauty of the beds, but the plants may be allowed 
to grow away as they like until the frost comes to put 
its veto upon it all. On the other hand, those who 
are fortunate enough to possess a sufficiency of under¬ 
glass space wherein their pets may be stored through 
the dull season to warrant their working up their 
own stock, ha'e need to be up and doing, for the 
season is fast wearing to a close, and the mercury 
may ere long drop below the freezing point when the 
nights are c'ear. 
All haste should, therefore, be made towards get¬ 
ting in what cuttings are required, for every day of 
fine weather is of importance, seeing that the better 
rooted the cuttings are when winter sets in, the better 
chance have they of passing through it, and coming 
up bright and fresh next spring, ft is naturally a 
disagreeable task to cut about and, in a great 
measure spoil the beauty of the plants in the beds in 
order to obtain cuttings, and most gardeners are apt 
to put off the evil day for as long as possible, but it 
must come at last, and too much procrastination will 
then be found to have been a very real evil. 
Pelargoniums —In most cases the long spell of dry, 
hot weather which characterised the month ofAugust 
has caused the growth of the plants to be much 
less rank and free than usual, but it has yielded the 
compensating advantage of dwarfer, shorter jointed 
and firmer growth, so that while cuttings may not be 
quite so plentiful as they have been in other years, 
they are of far better material and likely to root 
better and to s’aud the winter with greater ease. 
In taking the cuttings select stout, healthy shoots, 
from 4 in. to 6 in. in length. These will require 
some little preparation before they are ready for 
insertion. The lower leaves should be cut off, and 
the leafy bracts also removed, together with all 
flowers and flower buds. Next with a sharp knife 
cut through the stem immediately under one of the 
joints or nodes, taking care that the cut is straight 
and clean, otherwise the cutting will be likely to 
damp off. Some cultivators like to wilt the cuttings 
to some extent by laying them out in the sun for a 
while, they being of opinion that by drying a little 
of the sap out of them in this way that they are less 
liable to damp off. Whatever our opinions may be 
with regard to the validity of this reason for the 
practice there can at least be but little need for 
exercise of the custom this year, since the cuttings 
are neither soft nor sappy. 
The soil for the cuttings is not a very important 
item, for it does not require to be rich. If nothing 
better offers recourse may be had to the old soil 
heap, where by passing part of the help through a 
riddle to clear away the rubbish a quantity of suit¬ 
able material may be obtained. If more is wanted, 
some of this old soil may be mixed with a little 
fresh loam and leaf soil, with a nice sprinkling of 
sand, for it is important that the soil should be 
mechanically St, even if it be rather poor in plant 
food. 
For all practical purposes pots are the handiest 
receptacles for the cuttings, for they can be so easily 
stowed away on shelves near the glass, which boxes 
cannot be. In large establishments, where many 
thousands of cuttings are taken, it is a serious matter 
to find pots for all, but these conditions do not 
obtain with the majority of amateurs. In filling the 
pots put a single crock in the bottom of the pot, if 
the 6o-size be used, and upon this put a handful of 
the rougher parts of the compost. Then follow up 
with the soil, makiug it quite firm by means of pres¬ 
sure with the fingers and a few taps on the bench. 
Last of all finish off with a layer of sand about a 
quarter of an inch deep. 
In putting in the cuttings they should be dibbled 
in deep enough to admit of them having a good hold 
of the soil, which must be made firm all round them 
—here the necessity of making the soil ftrm in the 
first place when filling the pots will be abundantly 
manifested A 6o-sized pot will hold five cuttings 
comfortably, four of them being placed round the 
sides, and one in the middle. 
After the first watering the pots containing the 
cuttings should be stood in an open corner in the 
garden, where the sun and the wind can get at them. 
No shading is necessary, for although they may flag 
a little for the first day or two they will soon begin 
to pick up, and at the end of the first week will be 
looking quite fresh. If the weather keeps bright and 
warm they must be closely looked after for water, 
the best plan being to go over them all with a rose 
can after the sun has gone off them. It is not an un¬ 
common practice in some parts of the country to 
dibble in the cuttings in the open ground, and to lift 
them and pot them up upon the advent of frost. 
When this plan is favoured, however, the cuttings 
should be taken by the beginning of September at 
the latest, otherwise they will not have much chance 
of making even a callus, to say nothing of roots. 
Calceolarias.— These have not flowered so freely 
as usual, for the dry weather during the last month 
seems to have been almost too much for the plants. 
Cuttings are, accordingly, somewhat scarce, although 
what there are are so firm and sturdy that with a little 
luck every one of them should root. Where only a 
few plants are wanted a few shallow pans well 
drained and filled with very sandy soil will offer 
sufficient space for the cuttings. These pans should 
be placed in a cold frame and covered with a hand- 
light so that they may be kept close. If a consider¬ 
able quantity of plants are wanted we should 
strongly advise the making up of a bed of soil in a 
cold frame, and the dibbling of the cuttings in it. 
Steps should be taken to separate this part of the 
frame from the remainder, which may be filled with 
plants requiring a fair amount of ventilation. A few 
pieces of old mats or a thickness or two of tiffany 
will be all that is required. After the first watering 
of the cuttings they should be kept close for the 
first week, and shaded during the time that the sun 
on them, but after the expiration of that time they 
may be ventilated a little, increasing the amount of 
air given day by day as they are able to stand it, 
until during mild weather in the winter they will 
bear to have the lights pulled right off them. If this 
course of treatment is followed little fear of damping 
off need be entertained. 
Pentstemons— Although these handsome and 
free-flowering plants can easily be obtained by sow¬ 
ing a pinch of seed in spring time, propagation by 
cuttings is followed, when stocks of favourite varie¬ 
ties have to be worked up. Beds of mixed seedlings 
are very pretty and ornamental in the garden, but 
not infrequently it is desired to have a line or a 
break entirely of one colour for the sake of effect. 
The present time is the most convenient in the whole 
year to obtain these stocks, for plenty of cuttings 
can now be obtained from the side shoots of healthy 
plants. These cuttings should be not more than 
4 in. in length, and should consist of the tips of side 
shoots, which have not flowered. They may be 
dibbled in quite closely together, just allowing the 
leaves to touch in the rows, and with about 2 in. 
of clear space between the rows themselves. A 
bed similar to that made up for the Calceolarias will 
suit Pentstemons admirably, and, indeed, the subse¬ 
quent treatment to be accorded them is almost iden¬ 
tical with that given the Calceolarias, so that the 
two subjects will do quite well in the same frame. 
Yiolas.—Year by year these plants increase in 
popular esteem, and it would be hard to find a 
garden in which they do not enter into the bedding 
arrangements for the year. There are so many fine 
named sorts to propagate and keep up a stock of, that 
not infrequently a considerable amount of room is 
required for Violas alone. At least the more delicate 
varieties should be given the shelter of a frame 
during the winter, although for most of the sorts 
placed on a border b;neath the shelter of a wall facing 
to the south will give all the protection needed. 
Just now cuttings can be had in abundance from the 
young growths thrown up from the bottom. These 
should be carefully selected, and the longer and more 
straggling of them passed over for the shorter and 
more vigorous ones. Make up a bed of soil in a frame, 
in much the same way as for the Calceolaxias and 
Pentstemons, but do not put so much sand amongst 
the compost, and add rather more leaf mould. --Rex. 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
" Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Seedling Chrysanthemums.— Ariel-. The plants 
raised from seed sown at the end of January in the 
present year should bloom this autumn, although 
they may be rather late. The dwarfness of which 
you speak as being characteristic of your plants may, 
or may not, be permanent. It is more than likely 
that it will disappear next year, for the plants have 
not as yet fully developed their true habit. You will 
probably find that the plants which you may select 
to be grown on next year will be taller than they are 
this season. 
Gathering Pears.— Expedio : Pears are fit to 
gather when the fruit will part readily from the trees 
at the joint in the footstalk, on the application of a 
little sideward or upward pressure. Williams’ Bon 
Chretien is ready to gather now. 
Crested Begonias. — In a batch of tuberous 
Begonias, raised from a packet of seed, there are 
several single flowers carrying a crest or beard on 
each of the petals. These flowers are very novel and 
pretty. Is the crested Begonia a common occur¬ 
rence ?— Ayo. 
It is becoming so, although it is quite a recent 
development in this charming and popular flower. 
Naming Tuberous Begonias.— R. C. : It will 
be scarcely worth while to give names to the 
varieties. There are so many fine ones, nowadays. 
The blooms you send are of fair quality, but there is 
nothing remarkable about them. 
Cabbage for Spring Cutting.— Mearns — Enfield 
Market ts a first-class variety with large, heavy 
heads. Ellam’s Early Dwarf is one of the best of the 
small headed type. It is very sweet, hardy and 
early. A good stock of Nonpareil is likewise good. 
The heads are of medium size, solid and of capital 
flavour. 
Soot for Chrysanthemums.— Tyro : We do not like 
the idea of sprinkling the soot on the soil in the pots. 
You will do far better to stick to the old plan of soak¬ 
ing it in water. 
Clerodendron Fallax — C. T.: This pretty Clero- 
dendron may certainly be propagated by cuttings, 
but we much prefer to sow seed. Seedlings always 
make more shapely plants, they grow stronger, 
flower better, and are generally more satisfactory. 
If you keep the plants in a warm greenhouse, or an 
intermediate house, they will set their fruits right 
enough, but they will not do it in a cool house. 
Lilium auratum with Fasciated Stems — 
G. R: L.: The fasciation of the stem that has caused 
your Lilium to bear such a large number of flowers 
is comparatively a common occurrence with Lilium 
auratum. Several cases are brought to our notice 
each year, and doubtless there are many others in 
various parts of thj country that are not taken 
notice of. 
Dahlias not Flowering — Impatience : The lack of 
sunlight is probably the immediate cause of your 
Dahlias not growing. If they had been growing in 
a less shaded spot they would almost certainly have 
been in flower by this time. The leDgth of the 
stems and the quantity of foliage also points to this. 
Possibly also they are very tall varieties naturally. 
Another year you should make an effort to start the 
plants into growth under glass. 
Rose Ulrich Brunner.— Geo. N. : This Rose was 
raised by M. Levet and sent out in 1882. 
Strawberries for Forcing. — Extensa : Lose no 
time in potting up the young plants, you are several 
weeks late row. You are quite right to keep all the 
runners cut away, for they would only rob the 
crowns of nutriment that should go to help them 
plump up. 
Pruning Yews —Jus. B. : The present is a good 
time for pruning the Yew trees. You may cut back 
nearly to the old wood, but take care not to cut tco 
hard or the trees will look bare and unsightly. 
