56 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 26, 1896. 
INTS FOR MMATEURS. 
PROPAGATION OF TENDER BEDDING PLS.NTS. 
Last week we took into consideration the propaga¬ 
tion of what may be termed the hardier section of 
common beddiDg plants, i.e., those that find a place 
in almost every garden large or small, and that may 
be increased from cuttings without the expenditure 
of any artificial heat. 
In addition to these there are other plants which 
enjoy a considerable popularity as bedding subjects 
that are not quite so easily dealt with, and a few 
words upon these may be of service to some of our 
readers who either for the sake of variety, or from a 
special love for these plants, have given them a place 
in their flower garden, and now wish to obtain a 
stock of plants for use next year. 
For all the undermentioned subjects artificial heat 
will be necessary in order to get the cuttings to strike. 
The great difficulty, of course, will be, how to get 
the artificial heat. If the amateur counts a propa¬ 
gation case heated with hot water, among his 
possessions, well and good, for it will be all plain 
sailing for him A layer of cocoa-nut fibre refuse, 
some 5 in. or 6 in. in depth, may be laid upon the 
bottom of this, and here the cutting pots may be 
plunged to the rims. We have known enthusiastic 
amateur gardeners who have rigged up a fairly good 
propagator out of an iron cistern. This was divided 
into two halves by an iron plate The lower half was 
filled with water and an ordinary oil lamp set burning 
beneath it. The top half of the cistern was covered 
over with glass, and contained the cuttings, which 
under the influence of the genial heat of the hot 
water soon rooted. Those of our amateur gardeners 
who possess engineering tastes may profit by the 
hint, and go and do likewise. 
The Hotbed.—Here we have an excellent method 
of obtaining the requisite heat. If fermenting 
material, such as leaves and stable manure, can be 
obtained in fair quantities with little trouble we 
should strongly advise would-be propagators to build 
a hotbed. Grass from the lawns may be used in 
conjunction with the stable manure, when it will be 
of service, but it is of little use if employed by itself, 
as the heat it generates, although very fierce soon 
exhausts itself. What is really needed is a gentle 
uniform bottom heat lasting at the least for a period 
of a month or six weeks, which time will be sufficient 
for the cuttings to root. The hotbed should Dot be 
less than 4 ft. in height, for if made smaller the heat 
will not last long enough. An ordinary frame may 
be stood on the top of the heap, which to be neat 
should have been put up in the form of a rectangle. 
If coconut fibre refuse can be oblained, a layer some 
6 in. in depth should be placed upon the area 
covered by the frame. This will be needed to plunge 
the cutting pots in. If nothing else offers leaf mould 
will make an excellent plunging material. The hot¬ 
bed should be built several days before it is required 
for use in order that the rank gases generated by 
the fermenting material at the first may be 
dissipated. 
ARernantheras usually furnish plenty of cuttings. 
No matter if they are rather short they will answer. 
Trim the bottom leaves off the cuttings as previously 
recommended and cut the stem cleanly across just 
below a node, as previously advised. 
Nasturtiums. — The dwarf Tom Thumb 
Nasturtiums may be propagated very readily from 
CuttiDgs which root well if placed in a gentle heat. 
This is the best method of increasing the small 
yellow varieties which are thought so much of now. 
Insert the cuttings deeply enough in the soil to give 
them a firm hold, and press the soil well about them. 
Ageratums.—Many people prefer to raise these 
from seed sown in the spring. Cuttings, however, 
do very satisfactorily. They should consist of the 
side growths, some 3 in or 4 in. in leDgth which 
have not flowered. 
Mesembryanthsmum cordifolium variegatum 
—These are rather more difficult to root than the 
foregoing. We have succeeded best with them when 
the cutting pots have been placed on a shelf near to 
the glass in a heated pit, where they have been kept 
rather on the dry side. In a hot-bed, however, at 
least 50 per ceDt. of the cuttings will strike, and so 
by allowing a good margin for deaths a stock may be 
worked up. 
Lobelia pumila.—Here again many gardeners 
stick to the method of sowing seed in heat at the 
beginning of March. This answers very well if the 
sesd is obtained from a reliable source. If this pre¬ 
caution is not taken, however, the results are some¬ 
what mixed, light blue, dark blue, lilac, and white 
flowers showing in the same batch. If it is decided 
to put in cuttings and save all this worry, now is the 
time to see about putting it into practice. If the 
flowering growths of the old plants are pushed to 
one side, numerous little shoots will be observed 
springing up from the base. These make admirable 
cuttings and in a hotbed such as we have been 
describing nearly everyone may be depended upon to 
root. Make the soil very sandy, and spread a sub¬ 
stantial layer of sand upon the soil. 
Ventilation.—The frame should be kept fairly 
close, but as the vapours may be rather injurious 
if kept too closely pent up the light should be kept 
slightly tilted up by inserting a thin label or strip of 
wood between it and the frame upon which it rests. 
This may be left in day and night for the first ten or 
fourteen days, after the expiration of which it may be 
left out if desired. 
SOME MORE HARDY PLANTS. 
Lobelia cardinalis. — This is a very different plant 
in appearance to the Lobelia pumila which we have 
been considering, and it will be necessary to go 
about increasing it in a very different manner. After 
the flower stems have died away they should be cut 
down close to the ground. The roots may then be 
lifted and potted off in any old soil that may chance 
to be handy. Give the plants a place in a cold 
frame, where they will need no water through the 
winter. In spring they will commence to grow by 
throwing up small shoots right from the base. 
When these are about 1 in. in length then is the time 
to operate. The roots may be split up into as many 
divisions as there are shoots, potted off singly into 
small pots, and placed in a gentle heat when they 
will start off vigorously and soon make good plants. 
It will be seen, therefore, that there need be no fear 
about taking cuttings now. 
Echeverias.—With these we must bring to a close 
our list of common bedding subjects. These pretty 
little succulent plants are very easy to grow, and 
almost as hard to kill. Each plant usually sends out 
two or three offsets during the season. These may 
be removed and dibbled into a bed of soil in a cold 
frame. The old plants also may be preserved. 
They will pass through the winter very well if 
planted close together beneath the shelter of a wall 
and protected from the rain. A long wet season is 
more injurious to them than frost. During frosty 
weather a little bracken may be lightly shaken over 
them, to be removed when the frost has gone. 
Echeverias are thoroughly good'tempered plants.— 
Rex. 
Early Chrysanthemums.—As soon as the flowers 
are cut, or have lost their beauty, you may cut the 
plants back, Y. This will facilitate the early pro¬ 
duction of cuttings, which are usually eagerly sought 
after. If sharp frost comes, place the pots in a cold 
frame, but they will take no harm out of doors for a 
few weeks yet. 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone 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. 
Winter-flowering Carnations.—A greenhouse such 
as yours, L. Young, in which the temperature is so 
low during the winter, is of very little use for Carna¬ 
tions which are expected to flower during the dull 
months. If the plants are placed under such condi¬ 
tions you will find that the flowers will not open 
properly. In order to obtain good results a light 
airy house is necessary, with a temperature of from 
55 0 to 58° Fahr. by night, rising to over 6o° by day. 
Watering, too, calls for very careful performance, or 
the plants, like good children, will not be long for 
this world. 
Onion Seed.—We would not advise you to trust 
absolutely to old Onion seed, B. Grant, It may 
germinate freely, and it may not, and if the latter 
should take place, you would be sadly handicapped, 
if after waiting a few weeks for plants that did not 
appear, you had to sow a fresh bed. As you say, 
however, it seems a pity to waste the old seed if it 
can possibly be turned to any use. Your best plan 
will be to make a small sowing in pots under glass 
early next spring—say some time in February—and 
if the result of the trial is satisfactory you may save 
the cost of new seed. 
A new enemy for Tomatos.—As if the popular 
Love Apple had not enough of enemies, IV., Reading, 
sends an account of what he considers a new, or at 
least an uncommon one. He has planted a number 
of Tomato plants against a low wall facing west. 
These have fruited very heavily, but lately he 
noticed that some of the ripest and finest fruits have 
been pecked about and half eateD, evidently by birds 
of some kind. By carefully watching he has at last 
discovered that it is not the birds of the air, proper, 
but rather the birds of the water in the shape of 
moorhens that are to blame. These pretty little 
creatures, continues our correspondent, are after all 
but following the popular taste in preferring their 
Tomatos raw instead of cooked. 
Embellishing Rhododendron Beds. — Artus makes 
the complaint concerning Rhododendrons that, 
although they are very beautiful during their flower¬ 
ing period, that period is all too brief, the flowers 
soon drop, and for by far the greater part of the year 
the beds look dull and ugly. He asks if there is no way 
of improving matters somewhat ? If the plants have 
been put in very close together and have attained a 
good size there is nothing to be done but grumble— 
or root them out; but if the plants are compara¬ 
tively small and have been given plenty of room, it 
will be an excellent plan to plant Liliums in between 
them. The peaty soil will suit them to a nicety, and 
they will bloom when the Rhododendrons, like the 
Fig tree of old, are nothing but leaves. Lilium 
auratum is one of the most suitable members of the 
whole genus for the purpose. L. pardalinum, L. 
MartagOD, L. M. album, and L. Hansoni, are all 
excellent, as they all do well if the conditions are 
anything near the mark. 
Heating a Greenhouse.—As the house is only a 
small one, a flow and return of 3 in. piping running 
the length of the house will be quite sufficient, J. B. 
You should lose no time in getting it in, for summer 
cannot always last, and we may expect to get frost 
at any time now. 
Beans Frosted.—Eight or ten degrees of frost 
would be quite sufficient to spoil the look of your 
Runner Beans and Tomatos, T., St. Margaret's. Let 
us hope that we may escape such an experience for 
a little longer. 
Peach-tree Gumming.—The only remedy, we can 
suggest in your case, W. Ellason, is to pull the tree 
out of it and plant another one. When gumming 
reaches such a pitch as it has in your case 
other remedies are of no avail. If only a solitary 
branch or so had been affected a judicious use of the 
knife would have put matters straight. 
Finishing Peaches.—If the weather keeps dull 
and wet and you think the fruit will not have a fair 
chance of ripening off properly, your best plan, G- 
T. Soames, will be to give a little fireheat. This will 
also assist in maturing the wood, which, seeing that 
the fruit is backward, will be almost sure to be soft 
and green. 
Earthing up Celery.—As a fortnight has elapsed 
since the time when the last earthing up was given, 
Enquirer, the plants should be able to stand another 
lot of soil. Press the soil gently round the plants 
with the hands, and finish off by giving a gentle pat 
or two with the spade. 
Plums Cracking.—Alas for those who reckoned 
on having a fine crop of dessert Plums, your wail, 
Oxonian, is but far :oo common this year. It is the 
rain that is the cause of the fruit cracking and 
spoiling in the way you mention. Late Plums, we 
fear, will be at a premium this year. We have 
noticed numbers of trees of that fine late variety, 
Coe’s Golden Drop, in different parts of the country, 
and in every case the same disastrous results of the 
rain were apparent. 
