304 
1HE GARDENING WORLD 
April 4, 1903. 
allow too many to go to seed. I have found from experience 
that a few pods left on do no harm. It is my custom to save 
most of my seed from large and well-filled pods, and the varie¬ 
ties I find to do well are Neill’s “ Ne Plus Ultra” and Daniels’ 
“ Giant White.” I venture to say that if the above plan is 
thoroughly carried out in all its details success will be certain. 
Such, at least, has been the experience of 
Hy. 11owi.es. 
8, Minster Terrace, Partridge Green, Sussex. 
Propagating. 
I always consider this one of the most interesting phases in 
plant culture. Much useful information is given in the ordinary 
weekly calendar of operations, but there a few special points 
which do not often get referred to. I have often heard people say 
they cannot succeed through not having proper accommodation, 
yet I am inclined to think the cause may more often be traced 
to want of proper attention. N ow, to become a successful propa¬ 
gator the first thing is to give careful and regular attention. An 
hour’s neglect may undo all previous care. It is careful attention 
to small details which largely tend towards success. Cleanliness 
is one great essential. A liberal use of lime water to cleanse the 
pit or frame, clean pots, clean crocks, and soil that is perfectly 
free from any substance likely to cause fungoid growths, are pre¬ 
liminaries. Then, for all tender subjects the soil should be 
warm, or rather it must not be much below the temperature of 
the house where the cuttings are taken, and cuttings from a 
warm house should never be taken out into a cold, draughty 
potting shed. In almost all instances the cuttings should be 
taken off and put in with as little delay as possible, and placed 
in the close pit before they get withered. (This, of course, does 
not apply to many of the succulents which may be laid in the 
sun for a time.) 
There is a good deal in “ making ” cuttings. Some may be 
cut off at any part of the stem, and put in deep in the soil, whi le 
others require much more care. Careful observation will greatly 
assist in the matter of making cuttings. It will be found that 
many subjects root from any part of the stem, and these gene¬ 
rally give little trouble; others absolutely refuse to produce 
roots, unless cut off close below a leaf, or leaves, for it is with 
many of the plants that produce leaves ojiposite that this occurs. 
Some plants produce roots from the stem at the joint only, and 
though the stem is not cut off quite close the roots come from 
the joint above, and plants with a hollow stem will only root 
when cut close below a leaf, where the stem is solid. Taking the 
Poinsettia as an instance, the strong tops will root if cut off 
close, but if a small portion of the hollow part is left failure is 
certain. Even Dahlias wall root after the stem has become 
hollow, if cut off quite close below a joint. Of course, it is usual 
to propagate from short cuttings taken off close to the root, but 
with choice roots it may r be an advantage to take the tops off 
young plants. 
With regard to length of cuttings, I prefer short ones as a rule. 
There are some subjects which, if put in far below the surface, 
are sure to rot off fyom the base. Coprosma baueriana is an in¬ 
stance of this, and the only way I have succeeded with Luculia 
gratissima is to take off the two basal leaves, and split the stem 
through the joint, and put it in just below the surface, using a 
stick to keep the cutting in position. In many of the semi-hard- 
wooded plants it is an advantage to split the stem through the 
basal joint. With tree Carnations there is a good deal in making 
the cuttings ; they do not require any cutting, but may be pulled 
out, and if done carefully will be sure to snap off at the joint, 
which is the only part where roots will be produced. If kept 
moist and cool on the surface, with a good bottom heat they 
root freely. This brings an important point to mind. With 
many soft wooded subjects too much surface heat will cause the 
cuttings to draw the sap from the base; they may have the ap¬ 
pearance of doing well, but on examination the base will be 
found to be quite hollow, and no callus has been formed. While 
the close case may be recommended 1 for most subjects, some will 
do better on an open stage if the atmosphere of the house can 
be kept fairly moist, and there is a good bottom heat. Even if 
the cuttings wither a little during the day it will do no harm. 
Heliotrope, Fuchsias, Petunias, Lobelia, and kindred subjects 
will do better on an open stage. I may here remark that though 
they succeed well when started in the open, if put in a close case, 
and taken out before they are rooted, failure will ensue. It will 
be better to start them in the open, and put them in closer 
quarters after they are well caliused. 
One more point is ventilating and shading. The case or frame 
should always be opened in the morning for a short time, and 
shading should be put on before the cuttings get withered, and 
taken off early, that is a little before the sun is off. If a little 
flagging occurs in the afternoon they will soon revive after the 
sun is down, but if cuttings get flagged in the morning they do 
not revive through the day. Propauatoe. 
Pot Culture for Alpine Plants. 
Be it far from me'to suggest that pot-culture for alpine plants 
is preferable to their culture in a rock garden, for it is only on a 
well-formed rockery we can hope to see the plants approach 
anything like natural vigour. At the same time, much can be 
said in favour of pot-culture for many alpines. In the first 
place, ’tis not in every garden possible to establish a rockery, but 
be the garden small or large, in town or country, it is possible to 
do something in the way of growing a collection of alpine plants 
in pots, and they are so interesting and beautiful that even a 
lew are an acquisition to any garden. 
There are many choice alpi lies which bloom so early in the 
year that too often inclement weather destroys their flowers when 
growing in the open, whereas if in pots they can be removed to 
the shelter of a pit or cool house. Indeed, a few pots of alpines 
will considerably help to decorate the conservatory, corridor, or 
verandah at a season when flowering stuff is scarce, to say nothing 
of the convenience of this method of culture for exhibition pur¬ 
poses, when newly-lifted clumps are apt to be somewhat un 
shapely and awkward. I do not, of course, imagine that I am 
advocating something new or strange, for I am well aware that 
collections of alpine plants in pots existed long before I existed 
myself, but I am confident much more could be done in this way 
than is done at present. 
In a recent issue mention was made of the alpine house at Kew 
and expression was given to the desire that houses of Similar 
character might multiply in numbers. I would heartily say 
amen to that, for truly an alpine house vies in interest with 
either stove, fernery, or Orchid house, and the cost of its main¬ 
tenance is infinitely smaller, all that is required for the choicest 
gems being shelter from rough winds and storms, and yet within 
the limits of even a small house an almost continuous display ot 
bloom of exquisite beauty may be obtained. 
Starting with the species and varieties of early-flowering Iris, 
many of which have of late been so ably described and well illus¬ 
trated in these pages that it is unnecessary for me to mention 
names. Even a few 6-inch potfuls grown in open fibrous soil do 
much toward brightening the dull days of the early part of the 
year. After flowering they may be removed to the open, where 
they win complete the season’s growth, their place in tiie house 
being taken by other things. The purple and white forms of 
Sisyrinchium grandiflorum thrive well in pots of sandy compost, 
of which peat forms the larger part. The Soldanellas, with their 
blue flowers, are never finer than when grown in shallow pans 
such as are used for raising seeds. Another charming plant for 
pan-culture is Leucojum vernum, which is not half so much 
grown as it deserves to be. A few pots of smaller Daffodils, 
Snowdrops, and species of Crocus all help the display. The 
many varieties of alpine Primulas are charming subjects for pot 
culture. I have just now a fine batch of P. rosea flowering pro¬ 
fusely. They were raised from seed last year, and three crowns 
in a 5-inch pot make quite good plants. Interspersed between 
them are plants of Androsace coronopifolia in 3-inch pots. 
The airy umbels of their white flowers serve as a setting to the 
bright rose of the Primulas, and the effect is graceful and cheery. 
Aubretias flower remarkably well in small pots, as also do 
Saxifragas. Succulent plants such as Opuntias, Sempervivums, 
and the choicer Sedums, possess a charm of their own that- is not 
limited to a short flowering season. These things are, generally 
speaking, far more satisfactory when grown in pots under slight 
protection than when planted in the open. 
Throughout the summer the difficulty is not so much to get 
flowers, as to keep them for any length of time, but with a little 
care the alpine house may be kept gay. A thick bed of moist 
ashes for the plants to stand on, a free circulation of air, 
abundant supplies of root moisture, and slight shade during the 
hottest part of the day, can all be supplied with but a small out¬ 
lay of labour and expense, and under these conditions the alpine 
house in summer will be an interesting place. 
Space will not allow me to 1 say much of autumn-flowering 
plants, but many tilings are available to keep the house bright 
even at Michaelmas. The great thing is to make a start ; having 
once done that, ’twill be an easy matter to add to the collection of 
alpines in pots. Heather Bell. 
*** The prize last week in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to ‘‘J. R. B.” for his article on “ Freesias,” page 
283. 
