Propagating Carnations And Pinks

Whether the Carnation grower cultivates his plants under names or not (if he is an enthusiast he generally keeps his varieties labelled), there are always a few sorts which he desires to have more of. They establish themselves as favourites because of their vigorous growth, or because they have fine flowers, or because they are very sweet. If the amateur is fortunate enough to get varieties which combine all these merits, let him take care to get a good many plants of each, for they are real floral treasures. There is no finer and more desirable plant than a really good Carnation, and in these days of much fungoid disease, strength of constitution is of special importance. The time to propagate Carnations is from mid-July to mid-August, and the method is to layer the tufty outer growths. (If you would pass as one of the elect among Carnation specialists, you must take care always to allude to these growths as "the Grass.") Plants which have languished through the winter as a result of the attacks of "mould" or "rust," or which have been checked in spring by wireworm, sometimes exhibit but a very poor and weakly growth of "Grass" by mid-July; in this case it is prudent to defer the layering and endeavour to strengthen the plants by giving them a few soakings of liquid manure, and top-dressings of rich, loamy soil. There may be several growths on each plant, and all may be layered separately. Place a small mound of soil under each as a preliminary, then remove a few of the leaves from the stem about one-third of the length of the stem (calculating from the parent plant), and make a slit along the stem about an inch long, preferably through a joint. Do not cut a slice right out, as in budding Roses, merely pass the knife half-way through the stem, and then turn the edge of the blade so as to cut longitudinally for an inch. This forms what gardeners would term a "tongue," and the word is not inapt. Keep the tongue raised by slipping in a small pebble, then press it into the mound and fasten it with a forked twig or wire pin. If the mounds of soil contain a goodly proportion of leaf soil and sand, there ought to be a nice little cluster of fibrous roots around the tongue within the month, but the grower need not become impatient if a longer time is required, as it will suffice if they are well rooted by October. As soon as it is found that there is a mat of fibres round the tongue, the shoot may be severed and the young plant (for such the layer will be then) potted up or planted in the border. The growth of Pinks is more upright than that of Carnations, and consequently does not lend itself to layering so readily. This being so, it is best to propagate by pulling some young shoots about three inches long out of their sockets and inserting them in sandy soil.

Propagating The Double Arabis

No flower gardener who has once proved the value of the double white Rock Cress is ever likely to feel satisfied that he has enough of it, and he may be glad of a hint for increasing his stock. If he will look over his plants now, he will probably find that they are covered with young shoots which have grown since the spring - with a cluster of leaves at the top, and several inches of stem below. All these shoots will make plants if they are taken off about four inches long, the lower half divested of leaves, and inserted firmly in a bed of moist, sandy soil in a place where they can be shaded during hot sunshine. They will make sturdy little plants by autumn, when they can be planted in borders, rockeries, bulb beds, and other desired places.