The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-03-22
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

A Useful Method of Propagating Plants.
A good many years ago, we published 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 consisted in tonguing the
shoot to be used as a cutting half through
with a knife, as In the ordinary layering; the
shoot so treated formed granulations, or Seal
lus," on the cut surface, and was in coDdi-
ton to form roots Immediately on being de-
tached and put into the earth. Like many
other useful practices, 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 urfinest ornamental
leaved Geraniums, and other plants of like
character, was so apparently lacking in vigor,
that to detach cuttings in the ordinary way of
propagation, would probably not only result
in the loss of the cuttings, but be of great in
jury 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 slayer
ing in the air." but this time we improved
upon the former way of doing it. Instead or
tonguing the shoot to be used for a cutting,
as before, it was merely snapped short off, at
point where the condition of the shoot o.
slip would make it hang on to the plant, by
the merest shred or bark. Slight as this
strip of bark appears to be, it is sufficient to
sustain the cutting, without any material in
jury from willing. until it ferns the ''callus,"
or granulated condition, which usually pre-
cedes the formation of roots. The cutting, or
slip, may be detached in from to u days,
after it has been broken in the manner de-
scrbed and then potted in or inch pots.
IT watered and shaded rather less than re-
quired by ordinary cuttings, it will form roots
in 8 or IL days more, and not one in hun
dred will fail, not even of plants of the TrI-
color Geraniums, which we all know are diff
root under the ordinary modes of propagation,
particularly in hot weather. We last fall
propagated in this way nearly 10000 plants of
the Tricolor class, with loss of one per cent;
had we adopted the ordinary method, even
with the plants in good condition,-our expe-
rience has been that a loss of at least so per
cent might have been expected.
This plan is applicable TO many other plants
as well as Geraniums; we are now using it
with excellent success on the new double Po-
insettia. The following plants may be also
propagated with great certainty by this meth
cd, using the young unripened shoots. Abu-
tilon, Begonias, Carnations, Heliotropes, Gro
tons, Cactus of all kinds, Lantanas, Clean
ders, Petunias, (double), Pelargoniums, or
Geraniums of all kinds, together with nearly
all kinds of a half woody or sncculent charac-
ter. Besides the absolute certainty of having
the cuttings root by this method, 1t has anoth-
er most important advantage: All propaga-
tors know that many kinds of plants, when
cut back for cuttings, become weakened, so
much that, If not carefully handled, they may
die; also that if two or three crops OF cuttings
are taken off as they grow, the "stock plant"
becomes permanently injured. By this meth
cd of breaking the slip, SO that it hangs by a
shred to the parent plant, the roots have 10
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
in causing the parent plant to strike ont
shoots beloac the broken slip. and these again,
in their turn, can be so treated. We are us.
ing this method of propagating this winter Cd
all such plants as we wish to make the most
of, and with satisfactory results. 1 may say
that, in certain conditions of the shoot, in
stead of swapping it will ''knee" or
bend only in such cases, it will be necessary
to slip it two-thirds through with knife, but
but in most instances it will snap and hang
by the shred of bark, which is the best condi-
ton,