The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-09-12
HOME INTERESTS.
Propagating Plants.

As this season OF the year is the best time
adapted to increasing our stock Of plants, . few
hints from my own experience may be Of bene-
fit to my readers.
We are led TO consider this subject in conse-
quence Of . remark made by lady friend.
She had bedded out several of her pet house
plants, turning them out of the pots instead of
sinking them in the ground as she should have
done-and was bewailing that she could not re-
Cuttings them Ms
never rooted clip in my life." Thereupon
memory brought back the days Of my boyhood
and my first propagating box, for loved how-
ers from my earliest childhood. When about
10 years old, with great delight saw the gar
dener prepare his cuttings for q cold frame I
thought needed q cold frame, too. Going to
our little country store, purchased candle
box. brought it home, set II in o shady corner of
the kali yard and filed il with sand. The afore-
said gardener, to whom l am indebted for
much of the knowledge / possess, very often
would give me cutting which would put in
propagating bed and have them root nicely.
Now, suppose you have q similar continuance
and nice lot Of Geraniums you wish TO in
crease. Do not put the cutting into the sand as
soon as you remove it, but let it be q day or
two until the wound heals somewhat. The
lady who wrote me that her cuttings turned
black is answered that her error lay in taking
too green wood, that is, it had too much sap in
it. Peter Henderson recommends that the cut
tings lie in the sun to wilt an hour or two, and
l know his teachings can be relied upon. A
gentleman friend, great lover of flowers,
showed me his method recently He does not
take the cuttings away at once but, having Sc
lected them, he cuts them almost off, leaving
them hang bys very slight hold In a week
the severed portion has become callous. 1t is
then removed and roots very rapidly when
placed in the sand
1t scarcely pays to propagate Verbenas to
keep over winter, since they can be bought 80
reasonably in the spring as well as easily grown
from seed during the winter. Still, there are
some such remarkably choice specimens that
we do want stock of them for another sea-
son. l have been very successful this
summer in roofing some of the young
growth from two very gay colors. You
remove the young wood, take away the two
leaves next above joint, then, with a very
diately below the joint Verbenas are very
subject to rust and mildew; the remedy is flour
of sulphur sprinkled on them. Coleus root
very easily, especially the older varieties-the
newer ones seem to be delicate and have more
| trouble with them
| The propagation Of the Carnation by layers
| is very simple operation. When the plant is
| in full bloom lay around it some good, we'll
rotted manure, which mix with the soil well !;
remove the lower leaves of the shoots selected,
pass tne penkniie siantinB uPWaru nalt through
the joint; fasten the shoot when 80 cut about
two inches under the surface with a small
hooked peg, bending carefully 80 as not to
break it at the incision Finish by pressing the
earth around it with the fingers; keep the soil
moderately moist, and in month or six weeks
the layers may be severed from the parent
plant and established for themselves.
Mignonette may be sown at any time, and will
generally bloom in about two months. Sweet
Alyssum and Candytuft will flourish under
same treatment There are no better popular
flowers for winter bouquets than the last-named
three. MR. RENNIE
HISsDALg, Dupage county, ILL.,