Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-04-11
Useful Method Of Propagating Plants.
BY PETER HENDERSON.

L
A good many years ago, we publish
ed a method Of propagating Geraniums,
that we believe originated with us, and
which we called, for want of better
term, ''Layering in the Air." 1t con-
sisted in tonguing the shoot to be used
as cutting half through with knife,
as in the ordinary layering; the shoot
so treated formed granulations, or
''callus," on the cut surface, and was in
a condition to form roots Immediately
on being detached and put into the
arth.-Like many other useful practi-
ces, this was abandoned or forgotten by
us, until last fall, when we saw that,
owing to the unusual dry summer, our
stock plants of many of our finest orna-
mental-leaved Geranlums, and other
plants of like character, was so appar-
emily lacking in vigor, that to detach
cuttings in the ordinary way of propaga-
ton, would probably not only result in
the loss of the cuttings, but be Of great
injury to the ''stock plants "themselves,
by SO denuding them Of leafy
shoots in their then weak condition.
Here We again bethought ourselves OF
our long forgotten plan Of
''LAYERING IN THE AIR.
but this time we improved upon the for
mer way of doing it. Instead oftongu-
ing the shoot to be used for cutting,
as before, it was merely snapped short
off, at point where the condition of
the shoot or slip would make it hang on
to the plant. by the merest shred Of
bark, as shown in the engraving on page
100. Slight as this strip Of bark appears
to be, it is sufficient to sustain the
cutting, without any material injury
from willing, until it forms the ''callus,"
or granulated condition, which usually |
precedes the formation of roots. The |
cutting, or slip, may be detached in
from 8 to II days, after it has been
broken in the manner described and
then potted in 2 or 3 inch pots. If
watered and shaded rather less than
required by ordinary cuttings, it will
form roots in s or u days more, and
not one in hundred will fail, even Of
plants of the Tricolor Geraniums, which |
we all know are difficult to root under
the ordinary modes Of propagation,
particularly in hot weather. We last
fall propagated in this way nearly 10,- |
900 plants Of the Tricolor class, with a
loss Of one per cent; had we adopted
the ordinary method, even with the
plants in good condition. our eXper-
fence has been that a loss of at least
so per cent might have been expected. |
USEFUL FOR A VARIETY OF PLANTS.
This plan is applicable to many
other plants as well as Geraniums: we
are now using it with excellent success
on the new double Poinsetta. The /
following plants may be also propagated
with great centalnty by this method,
using the young uncipened shoots:
Ambition. Begonias. Carnations, Hello
tropes, Crotons, Cactus Of all kinds,
Lantanas, Oleandcrs, Petunias, (dou.
blel, Pelargoniums, OF Geraniums Of all |
kinds, together with nearly all kinds
OF a<half woody or succulent character.
Besides the absolute certainty of !
having the cuttings root by this method,
it has another most important advan-
tage: All propagators know that many
kinds Of plants when cut back for cut
tings, become weakened. so much that.
if not carefully handled, they may die &;
also that if two or three crops Of cut
tings are taken of as they grow, the
''stock plant" becomes permanently
injured. BY this method of breaking
the slip, so that it hangs by shred to
the parent plant, the roots have to use
their functions for its support nearly the
same as if it remained entirely attached
to the plant. This results, exactly as
we wish, in causing the parent plant to
strike cut shoots below the broken slip,
and these again, in their turn, can be so
treated.-We are using this method of
propagating this winter on all such
plants as we wish to make the most of,
and with satisfactory results.-I may
say that, in certain conditions Of the
shoot, instead ofsnapping it will knee"
or bend only; in such eases, it will be
necessary to slip it two-thirds through
with knife, but in most instances it
will snap and hang by the shred of bark,
which Is the best condition.