192 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
March 16, 1907. 
Propagating . . . 
Golden Privet. 
The Way to Take 
Independently of the use of this shrub 
for making hedges to villa, cottage and 
even larger gardens, it is also suitable for 
making a bed of shrubs to give colour in 
the garden. This Privet being evergreen 
the effect is practically perennial in the 
south, although in more northern gar¬ 
dens the leaves would be more or less 
destroyed during stormy weather such as 
we had during January and February. 
Another important characteristic of this 
shrub is that it may be pruned or cut back 
A shoot of Golden Privet, cut below a 
joint at the dark line, and having the two 
lower -pairs of leaves removed to form a 
cutting. 
like a Willow stool, if need be, in order 
to keep it dwarf. 
Old plants are sometimes inclined to 
grow too strongly in certain positions if 
cut hard back, but any one with a little 
knowledge of plant life can secure a 
batch of young plants that will give the 
desired colour, while they may oe kept 
down to a height not exceeding 6in. to 
i2in. according to the needs of the cul¬ 
tivator. 
and Pot the Cuttings. 
Propagation may be effected at any 
time from February to October. Those 
cuttings inserted in February will root in 
spring, while those put in in the autumn 
will root even earlier. During summer 
cuttings may be taken after the young 
shoots get sufficiently firm to keep sound 
and healthy until roots are produced. 
One of the accompanying illustrations 
shows a shoot, natural size, being pre¬ 
pared as a cutting. This was over 5m. 
long, and might be longer or shorter ac¬ 
cording to convenience. It is cut with a 
sharp knife immediately below a joint, as 
roots are most freely produced there. 
Then about two of the lowest pairs of 
leaves may be removed, and the cutting 
is ready for insertion. The pot illus¬ 
trated was 3^4 in. in diameter, and there¬ 
fore belongs to the size known as a large 
si'xty. Seven of the cuttings described 
formed a suitable number without crowd¬ 
ing, and while the leaves were still on 
the shoots. If the cuttings had been 
leafless a larger number might have been 
employed provided the cuttings are 
planted out in nursery lines or where they 
are wanted as soon as rooted. During 
late summer even smaller cuttings might 
be employed if inserted in pots in sandy 
soil and kept under a hand-light. 
The soil employed should be quite 
sandy, and when put in the pots should be 
made quite firm, as the cuttings take 
better than when dibbled into loose soil. 
The latter really holds too much moisture, 
and in winter the newly-made roots some¬ 
times perish owing to this condition. It 
can be obviated, however, by making'thi 
soil firm at the time the cuttings are in 
serted, but if dry weather should prevai 
the soil would very soon require to bt 
watered down, employing a rosed watering- 
pot. It the cultivator should be doubtfu 
about the soil being firm about the base 0: 
the cuttings water might be given immedi 
ately to settle it. 
-- 
Earthing=up Celery. 
A Labour-Saving Method. 
Earthing up Celery is in full swing ii 
October, and we often see notes on thf 
subject. I will endeavour to show in . 
short article a quick and labour-saving 
way of doing this, which a good many 
readers may never have seen. One mar 
can work it alone, but two make it mor< 
easy. 
The garden line is required, with ; 
spade or fork, or perhaps both. Star 
which end of the Celery trench you thin! 
best, and peg the end of the line in the 
ground a little bit away from the last plan 
in the left-hand row, if the row is a doubt 
one. Run out the line as far as you thini 
necessary along the ground, and you cai 
begin. If there are two to do it one cai 
hold the line and keep it tight; if onh 
one does it he can keep it tight with hi: 
left foot. 
We will say one is doing it alone. Hi 
should stand over the row, his right foo 
in the trench, and his left on the side 
Draw up the Celery plant straight, ant 
hold it with one hand, taking up the lim 
with the other, and simply twist it rount 
the plant once, not too tight, but just a 
you want it to be when finished, and hav' 
the line_as high as you intend to earth it 
The line must be kept just tight, whicl 
can be done by putting it under the lef 
foot, on the side of the trench, while yoi 
prepare the next plant, and so on. 
When there are two, one can hold th 
line and keep it tight. Do as much 0 
the row like this as the line will allow. I 
it is long enough to do a whole row s> 
much the better, but when double row 
are being done it is best to do so for on 
side, and then do the other side back, a 
the row'’ is finished off before- the line i 
taken off. When the plants are thus heh 
up straight all dead leaves and weeds cai 
be cleaned off, and in wet gardens, when 
worms and slugs are plentiful, a dressing 
of lime is very beneficial. Then the soi 
can be put round and between the plant 
quite easily, and finished up as high a 
required. The line will be found to conn 
off the plants without difficulty, in fac 
almost as fast as you can walk along th' 
row. To see a person doing part of a rov 
for five minutes in this way would shor 
anyone better than a page of reading, bu 
after doing a row it comes quite easy. 
I am quite convinced that Celery cai 
be earthed up this way much easier an< 
in two-thirds of the time than when it i 
done by being tied with matting, hay 
etc., or by 7 being held by one whil< 
another earths it, and without the bad 
aching and constant resting. Perhap: 
some readers have tried this method, am 
will give their opinion as to how it work 
and whether it is as practicable as I clain 
it to be. A. Wells. 
