Page:The Amateur's Greenhouse and Conservatory.djvu/71

Rh be fully one inch deep, and those of smaller size in proportion. It is of the utmost importance, however, for the amateur to bear in mind that small seeds of all kinds should be covered with the merest dusting of soil, for many are lost through being sown too deep. It is good practice to lay a square of glass over a seed pan when the seed is sown, to prevent evaporation, because, if the soil is sufficiently moist when the sowing takes place, it will continue so until the seeds germinate if covered with glass, and thus the necessity of watering will be obviated. If you cannot cover the pans with glass, sprinkle a little clean moss over, or lay a sheet of paper over, and be sure to remove the moss or paper as soon as the sprouting of the seed is visible. When the little plants have grown sufficiently large to bear separation they must be potted two or three together, or separately in small pots, or they may be pricked out into boxes, with a view to a separate potting at the next stage.

By far the largest proportion of greenhouse plants are raised from cuttings, and in the case of soft-wooded plants, the process is so simple, sure, and speedy, that there need be but little said about it. As a rule it is a difficult matter to strike cuttings of hard-wooded plants, but the compensation for the difficulty is found in the fact that no one is in want of large quantities of such plants, and as well-made young heaths and such like can be purchased at a very low price, the propagating business need not stand in the way of the formation and good keeping of a pretty collection. The amateur must begin practice with plants of soft texture, such as fuschias, pelargoniums, and veronicas. Any of the young shoots of these may be made into cuttings at any time of the year. Preference should be given to shoots that are somewhat firm, but still in a growing state. In the case of fuschias they may be broken off at the joint by a slight pressure of the thumb, the shoot having its own “heel,” and its removal causing a slight scar on the parent stem. If you cannot do this dexterously cut the shoots with a sharp knife, and in every case let the cuttings be from two to four inches long, and remove from them a few of the lowest leaves, so as to secure a sufficient length of clear stem to insert them firmly in the soil. The more leaves a cutting can carry and keep the better, but there must be no leaves buried in the soil, and any leaves that “flag,” or droop from exhaustion, will do more harm than good. Cuttings are