Chapter V: ) (4)

Seeds--giving new varieties in the variable species--should
be sown as soon as ripe in well-drained pans of sandy peat,
slightly covered with similar soil and a layer of moss, and
placed in a cool frame. Usually increased by bulbels, which
should be planted a few inches apart in prepared beds.
Sometimes small bulblets form in the axils of the leaves, and
these are used in the same manner as bulbels. Bulb-scales
are often employed for the multiplication of scarce kinds.
Those which produce large and loose bulbs, as _L. candidum_,
may be increased by simple division. These operations are
described on pp. 25 to 29.

=Lily of the Valley.= See Convallaria.

=Lime= (_Citrus Limetta_). _Rutaceæ._

Seeds, which usually reproduce the variety. Some varieties
are budded upon strong seedlings.

=Lime-tree.= See Tilia.

=Limnanthes.= _Geraniaceæ._

Freely increased by seeds in any ordinary garden soil in
spring or autumn.

=Limnocharis.= _Alismaceæ._

Increased by seeds, by divisions, and by runners.

=Linaria= (Toadflax). _Scrophularineæ._

Increased by seeds sown in light soil, in early spring. Or
by divisions made in spring or autumn. The greenhouse
species are ordinarily grown from seeds, which should be carefully
sown in finely pulverized soil. Cuttings may also
be used.

=Linden.= See Tilia.

=Lindleya.= _Rosaceæ._

Increased by ripened cuttings under glass in bottom heat;
or by grafting on the hawthorn.

=Linnæa.= _Caprifoliaceæ._

Naturally increased by layers or runners. Seeds are
rarely employed.

=Linum= (Flax). _Lineæ._

Propagated by seeds, the hardy species sown out-doors
and the tender ones under glass. Cuttings may be taken
from firm shoots and inserted in a sandy position under
glass. The ordinary flax is sown directly in the field.

=Lippia=, including Aloysia, Zapania. _Verbenaceæ._

Seeds. Usually by cuttings of young shoots, which will
root freely in sandy soil in a close, warm frame. If it is not
possible to secure the necessary heat, cuttings of the hard
wood can be used in autumn, under glass.

=Liquidambar= (Sweet Gum). _Hammelideæ._

Seeds, which should be stratified or sown as soon as ripe.
Many of the seeds may lie dormant until the second year.

=Liquorice.= See Glycyrrhiza.

=Liriodendron= (Tulip-tree, White-wood). _Magnoliaceæ._

Increased by stratified seeds. Named varieties are grafted
on seedlings. The seeds of the tulip-tree are apt to be hollow,
especially those grown along the eastern limits of the
distribution of the species.

=Lisianthus.= _Gentianeæ._

The annuals may be increased by seeds, those of a shrubby
habit by cuttings.

=Litchi.= See Nephelium.

=Lithospermum=, including Batschia (Gromwell). _Boragineæ._

May be propagated by seeds, by divisions, or by cuttings.

=Livistona=, Latania, Saribus (Fan Palm). _Palmæ._

Seeds, sown in a sandy soil and placed in a gentle bottom
heat.

=Lloydia.= _Liliaceæ._

Seeds rarely. Increased by bulbels, or by the creeping
shoots leaving a bulb at the extremity.

=Loasa=, including Illairea. _Loaseæ._

All are easily increased by seeds sown in a light, sandy
soil, usually under cover. Cuttings are rarely used.

=Lobelia.= _Campanulaceæ._

Ordinarily increased by seeds, which are more certain if
handled in pans or flats under glass. Cuttings from vigorous
shoots may be employed, and strong plants of some
species may be divided. The cardinal flower (_L. cardinalis_)
is grown from seeds carefully sown in fine soil, usually
under cover.

=Locust-tree.= See Robinia.

=Loddigesia.= _Leguminosæ._

Increased in spring by cuttings placed under glass, in
sandy soil.

=Lœselia=, Hoitzia. _Polemoniaceæ._

Seeds. Cuttings of half-ripened shoots in sand under glass.

=Logania=, Euosma. _Loganiaceæ._

Propagated by cuttings of firm side shoots inserted in
sandy soil, under glass.

=Loiseleurea.= _Ericaceæ._

Propagation by layers; very rarely by seeds, which are
slow and uncertain.

=Lomatia=, Tricondylus. _Proteaceæ._

Increased by cuttings of well-ripened shoots placed in a
gentle heat under glass.

=Lonchocarpus.= _Leguminosæ._

Seeds. Propagated by growing cuttings placed in sand
under glass, in mild heat.

=Lonicera=, including Caprifolium and Xylosteum (Honeysuckle).
_Caprifoliaceæ._

Seeds, for new varieties. Sow as soon as ripe, or stratify,
first removing them from the pulp. The upright species are
commonly grown from layers and from cuttings of dormant
wood. The creepers are mostly grown from dormant
cuttings.

=Lopezia=, Pisaura. _Onagrarieæ._

Seeds, under cover in spring. Also increased by cuttings.

=Lophanthus= (Giant Hyssop). _Labiatæ._

Propagation is effected by seeds and divisions.

=Lophospermum.= See Maurandya.

=Loquat.= See Photinia.

=Lotus.= _Leguminosæ._

The species may be raised annually from seeds. Increased
also by cuttings.

=Lotus of the Nile.= See Nymphæa.

=Lovage= (_Levisticum officinale_). _Umbelliferæ._

Seeds sown in the open ground, and division.

=Lucern.= See Medicago.

=Luculia.= _Rubiaceæ._

Sow seeds in sandy soil and place in a little heat. Cuttings
of young shoots may be inserted in spring, under glass,
in gentle bottom heat for the first two or three weeks. Insert
immediately after cutting and water freely.

=Luffa= (Dish-cloth Gourd). _Cucurbitaceæ._

Seeds, sown in the open, or in the north better started in
pots in early spring.

=Lunaria= (Honesty). _Cruciferæ._

Propagated by seeds or by divisions.

=Lupinus= (Lupin). _Leguminosæ._

Seeds of annuals may be sown in the open border during
early spring. The perennials may be increased the same
way, or by dividing the stronger growing plants during very
early spring.

=Lycaste.= _Orchideæ._

Division and pseudo-bulbs. (See also under Orchids).

=Lychnis=, including Agrostemma, Viscaria. _Caryophylleæ._

Increased readily in spring by seeds, divisions or cuttings.

=Lycium= (Matrimony Vine, Box Thorn). _Solanaceæ._

Increased by seeds, suckers, layers; and by cuttings
made in autumn or spring.

=Lygodium= (Hartford Fern, Climbing Fern). _Filices._

By spores and divisions of the root. See Ferns.

=Lyonia.= _Ericaceæ._

Increased by seeds, which should be sown very carefully
in sandy peat soil. Also by layers.

=Lysimachia= (Loosestrife). _Primulaceæ._

Propagation is easily effected by seeds; by divisions in
late autumn or early spring; and by cuttings.

=Lythrum= (Loosestrife). _Lythrarieæ._

Seeds and divisions are the usual methods. Cuttings are
employed for some species.

=Maclura= (Osage Orange). _Urticaceæ._

Sow seed in the spring. Soak in warm water a few days
before sowing.

=Madia.= _Compositæ._

Seeds.

=Magnolia.= _Magnoliaceæ._

Seeds are commonly used. The coverings should be
macerated from the very pulpy species. The cucumber-trees
and some others are sown directly in autumn. The
seeds of any species should not be allowed to become thoroughly
dry. Magnolias strike well from green cuttings, cut
to a heel and handled under glass. Layers are often used.
Named varieties are veneer- or side-grafted upon strong
stocks. The cucumber tree (_M. acuminata_) is used as a
stock for all species. The umbrella tree (_M. umbrella_) is
also a good stock.

=Mahernia.= _Sterculiaceæ._

Propagated during summer by cuttings of young shoots,
one or two inches long, inserted in sandy soil, under glass.

=Mahonia.= See Berberis.

=Maidenhair-tree.= See Ginkgo.

=Maize=(_Zea Mays_). _Gramineæ._

Seeds (properly fruits) planted upon the approach of warm
weather.

=Malcolmia.= _Cruciferæ._

Propagated by seeds.

=Mallow.= See Malva.

=Malope.= _Malvaceæ._

Seeds may be sown either under glass in early spring, or
in the open border a month or two later.

=Malpighia.= _Malpighiaceæ._

Cuttings of nearly ripened shoots may be made in summer,
with leaves or under glass.

=Malva= (Mallow). _Malvaceæ._

The annuals by seeds only. The perennials may be increased
by seeds, divisions or cuttings.

=Malvaviscus=, Achania. _Malvaceæ._

Increased by seeds, and by cuttings of side shoots, placed
under glass, in heat.

=Mammea= (Mammee Apple, St. Domingo Apricot). _Guttiferæ._

Seeds. Cuttings of half-ripened shoots should be taken
with the leaves on and placed in a frame.

=Mammillaria.= See Cactus.

=Mandevilla.= _Apocynaceæ._

Propagated by seeds, layers, or cuttings of half-ripened
wood.

=Mandiocca.= See Manihot.

=Mandragora= (Mandrake). _Solanaceæ._

Propagated by seeds or by divisions.

=Mandrake.= See Mandragora and Podophyllum.

=Manettia.= _Rubiaceæ._

Seeds are sometimes employed. Usually increased by cuttings
of young shoots. Root-cuttings are sometimes made.

=Mangifera.= See Mango.

=Mango= (_Mangifera Indica_). _Anacardiaceæ._

Stocks are obtained by seeds. The seeds usually have
more than one embryo, sometimes as many as ten. Each
embryo will produce a distinct plant. The embryos may be
separated before planting, but it is preferable to separate the
young plantlets soon after germination, before they grow together,
as they are apt to do. The seeds germinate better
if the hard shell is removed before planting. Seeds retain
their vitality but a few days, and if to be shipped for sowing
they should be enclosed in wax. Seedlings begin to bear
from the third to the sixth years. Varieties are inarched
upon other stocks.

=Mangostana=, Mangosteen. See Garcinia.

=Manicaria=, Pilophora. _Palmæ._

Increased by seeds, which should be sown in a strong,
moist heat.

=Manihot=, Janipha, Mandiocca. _Euphorbiaceæ._

Propagation is effected by cuttings of young and rather
firm shoots, placed in sandy peat under glass, in bottom
heat. For the propagation of _M. Aipe_, see Cassava.

=Mantisia.= _Scitamineæ._

Propagated usually by divisions, made just as growth commences.

=Maple.= See Acer.

=Maranta.= _Scitamineæ._

Propagated the same as Calathea, which see.

=Marguerite= or =Paris Daisy= (_Chrysanthemum frutescens_). _Compositæ._

Cuttings, as described for Chrysanthemum.

=Marica.= _Irideæ._

Propagated by seeds, and by division of the rhizomes,
placing each portion in sand, in a high bottom heat.

=Marigold.= See Tagetes.

=Mariposa Lily.= See Calochortus.

=Marsdenia.= _Asclepiadeæ._

In spring, cuttings may be made and inserted in sand,
under glass.

=Marsh-Mallow.= See Althæa.

=Marsh-Marigold.= See Caltha.

=Martynia= (Unicorn Plant). _Pedalineæ._

Seeds, sown where the plants are to grow, or started under
glass in the north.

=Masdevallia.= _Orchideæ._

Division. (See also under Orchids.)

=Matthiola= (Stock, Gilliflower). _Cruciferæ._

Seeds, sown either under cover or in the garden. Grows
readily from cuttings.

=Maurandya=, including Lophospermum. _Scrophularineæ._

Seeds, sown in heat. Cuttings of young growth under
glass.

=Mauritia=, including Orophoma. _Palmæ._

Sow seeds in heat.

=Maxillaria.= _Orchideæ._

Division of the plants, and also of the pseudo-bulbs. (See
also under Orchids.)

=May-Apple.= See Podophyllum.

=Meadow-Rue.= See Thalictrum.

=Meadow-Sweet.= See Spiræa.

=Meconopsis.= _Papaveraceæ._

Seeds, sown in early spring in a gentle heat. Also propagated
by division.

=Medeola= (Indian Cucumber). _Liliaceæ._

Seeds. May be increased by dividing the plants in spring.

=Medicago= (Lucerno, Medick). _Leguminosæ._

Propagated by seeds or divisions.

=Medinilla.= _Melastomaceæ._

Cuttings of young wood in strong, close heat.

=Medlar= (_Pyrus_ [or _Mespilus_] _Germanica_). _Rosaceæ._

Stocks are grown from stratified medlar seeds, and the
plant may be worked upon these, the thorn or quince.

=Megarrhiza.= _Cucurbitaceæ._

Propagation is effected by seeds, sown in gentle heat in
spring.

=Melittis= (Bastard Balm). _Labiatæ._

Seeds and division.

=Melaleuca.= _Myrtaceæ._

Seeds. In spring, cuttings getting firm at the base may
be made about three inches in length. Place in a compost
of peat and sandy loam.

=Melastoma.= _Melastomaceæ._

Make cuttings during spring, and place in sandy peat under
glass in heat.

=Melia= (Bead-tree). _Meliaceæ._

Seeds, sown as soon as ripe. Cuttings of growing wood
under glass.

=Melianthus= (Honey Flower). _Sapindaceæ._

Increased by seeds, by root-sprouts, or by cuttings, which
root freely under glass.

=Melichrus.= _Epacrideæ._

Cuttings of the shoots should be made, about two inches
long, and inserted in sandy soil.

=Melicocca= (Ginep, Spanish Lime). _Sapindaceæ._

Seeds. Place ripened cuttings in sand under glass, in
heat.

=Melocactus.= See Cactus.

=Melon= (_Cucumis Melo_). _Cucurbitaceæ._

Seeds, sown where the plants are to stand. In the north
they are occasionally started under glass in pots or pieces of
inverted sods, by amateurs.

=Menispermum= (Moon-seed). _Menispermaceæ._

Propagated by seeds, divisions or cuttings in spring.

=Menyanthes= (Buckbean). _Gentianeæ._

Increased by seeds; by divisions of the roots.

=Menziesia.= _Ericaceæ._

May be increased by dividing established tufts, by layers
or by cuttings.

=Mertensia=, Lungwort. _Boragineæ._

Propagation is effected by sowing seeds as soon as ripe, or
by divisions in autumn.

=Mesembryanthemum= (Fig Marigold, Ice Plant). _Ficoideæ._

May be easily propagated by seeds, sown under glass; by
pieces, pulled or cut off, and laid in the sun on moist sand.

=Mespilus.= See Medlar.

=Metrosideros.= _Myrtaceæ._

Propagated by seeds; also by cuttings of the hardened
wood in late autumn.

=Mezereum=, Mezereon. See Daphne.

=Michælmas Daisy.= See Aster.

=Michauxia.= _Campanulaceæ._

The seeds may be sown in the border in spring.

=Michelia.= _Magnoliaceæ._

Seeds. Make cuttings of growing wood in summer, and
place in sand under glass.

=Mignonette.= See Reseda.

=Milfoil.= See Achillea.

=Milkweed.= See Asclepias.

=Milla.= _Liliaceæ._

Increased by seeds, bulbels or divisions.

=Miltonia.= _Orchideæ._

Dividing the pseudo-bulbs. (See also under Orchids.)

=Mimosa= (Sensitive Plant). _Leguminosæ._

Seeds, sown in-doors. Cuttings of rather firm shoots, and
inserted in sandy soil, in heat.

=Mimulus= (Monkey Flower, Musk Plant). _Scrophularineæ._

Propagated by seeds, which should be thinly sown and
lightly covered. Also by divisions and cuttings.

=Mint.= See Peppermint and Spearmint.

=Mirabilis=, Jalapa (Marvel of Peru, Four-o'clock). _Nyctagineæ._

Seeds, sown in spring either under cover or out-doors.

=Mistletoe.= See Viscum.

=Mock Orange.= See Philadelphus.

=Momordica.= _Cucurbitaceæ._

Increased by seeds, which should be sown in heat early in
spring.

=Monarda= (Horse Mint). _Labiatæ._

Seeds. Propagated also by dividing the roots.

=Monk's Hood.= See Aconitum.

=Monsonia.= _Geraniaceæ._

Propagation is effected by seeds, sown in-doors in spring;
by division, or by cuttings placed in sandy soil under a hand-light,
in spring or autumn.

=Monstera=, Serangium, Tornelia. _Aroideæ._

Easily increased by seeds and by cuttings of the stem.

=Montbretia.= See Tritonia.

=Montezuma.= _Malvaceæ._

Make cuttings of rather firm shoots, and insert in sand
under glass.

=Moon-seed.= See Menispermum.

=Moon-flower.= See Ipomœa.

=Moricandia.= _Cruciferæ._

Propagated by seed, sown in the open ground during spring.

=Moringa=, Anoma. _Moringeæ._

Make cuttings of half-ripened shoots in spring, and insert
in sand under glass.

=Morning-glory.= See Ipomœa.

=Morus.= See Mulberry.

=Mountain Ash.= See Pyrus.

=Mountain Laurel.= See Kalmia.

=Mourning Bride.= See Scabiosa.

=Mucuna.= _Leguminosæ._

Propagation may be effected by seeds or by cuttings of
half-ripened wood, under glass.

=Muehlenbeckia=, Sarcogonum. _Polygonaceæ._

Seeds. Increased usually by cuttings, taken in early summer
in a frame.

=Mulberry= (_Mortis alba_, _M. nigra_ and _M. rubra_). _Urticaceæ._

New sorts are grown by seeds, which should be handled
in the same manner as small fruit seeds. Named varieties
are multiplied by cuttings of the root, or of mature wood,
and sometimes by layers. The tree may also be budded or
grafted by ordinary methods.

The common white mulberry was formerly used as a stock
for named varieties, but Russian mulberry seedlings are
now much used. The stocks may be top-worked out-doors,
or root-grafted in the house. They are commonly crown-worked,
however, in the house in winter, the stocks being
grown in pots or boxes for the purpose. They are then kept
under glass until the weather permits them out-doors. By
this method fine specimen trees are procured, but they are
readily handled by cheaper methods. The weeping and
other ornamental sorts are now worked upon the Russian
mulberry.

=Mulberry, Paper.= See Broussonetia.

=Mullein.= See Verbascum.

=Musa= (Banana, or Plantain-tree). _Scitamineæ._

Seeds may be sown in heat during spring. Suckers are
used for those species which produce them. Many of the
species do not produce seeds freely, and suckers must be
relied upon. See Banana.

=Muscari=, including Botryanthus (Grape Hyacinth). _Liliaceæ._

Increased by seeds, and by bulbels, which are obtained by
lifting the old bulbs early in the autumn, about every second
year.

=Mushroom= (_Agaricus campestris_).

Break up the commercial spawn into pieces about as large
as a hen's egg, and plant it in drills or holes, using from one-half
pound to a pound of spawn to each square yard of bed.

The spawn is the mycelium of the fungus held in a mass
or "brick" of earth and manure. Various methods are employed
for making the spawn, but the essentials of them all
are that the body of the brick shall be composed of a porous
and light material, which can be compressed into a compact
mass; fresh mycelium must be communicated to this mass,
and then a mild heat must be applied, until the whole mass
is permeated by the mycelium. The mass should be kept in
heat until the whole of it assumes a somewhat cloudy look,
but not until the threads of the mycelium can be seen. Ordinarily,
fresh horse manure, cow manure and good loam
are mixed together in about equal proportions, enough water
being added to render the material of the consistency of
mortar. It is then spread upon the floor or in large vats,
until sufficiently dry to be cut into bricks. When these are
tolerably well dried, mycelium from a mushroom bed or from
other bricks is inserted in the side of each brick. A bit of
spawn about the size of a small walnut is thus inserted, and
the hole is plugged up. The bricks are now placed in a mild
covered hot-bed, with a bottom heat of 55° to 65°, and left
there until the clouded appearance indicates that the mycelium
has extended throughout the mass. Soil from a good
mushroom bed is sometimes used to sow new beds, in place
of commercial spawn. Old clumps of mushrooms may be
allowed to become dry, and they may then be mixed into a
bed. The spores will then stock the soil and produce a new
crop. The full-grown mushroom may be laid upon white
paper until the spores are discharged, and these spores may
then be mixed into the earth. Propagation by spores is little
understood, however. (See page 24.)

=Mustard= (_Brassica_ or _Sinapis_ species).

Propagated by seeds.

=Mutisia.= _Compositæ._

Seeds. Layers and cuttings of growing wood, those of the
tender species in bottom heat.

=Mygindia=, Rhacoma. _Celastrineæ._

Seeds. Cuttings of firm shoots under glass.

=Myoporum.= _Myoporineæ._

Seeds, when obtainable. Usually by cuttings of young
wood in heat.

=Myosotis= (Forget-me-not). _Boragineæ._

Propagated by seeds sown in spring in-doors or in the garden.
The perennials may also be increased by divisions, in
spring, or by cuttings placed under a hand-glass in a shady
spot, in summer.

=Myrica= (Bayberry, Sweet Gale, Wax Myrtle, Candleberry). _Myricaceæ._

Hardy species mostly by seeds, from which the pulp has
been removed. Sow as soon as ripe, or stratify them. Layers
and divisions may also be employed. The greenhouse
species are increased mostly by green cuttings.

=Myristica= (Nutmeg). _Myristiceæ._

May be increased by seeds; or by cuttings of ripened
shoots placed in sand under glass, in bottom heat.

=Myrobolan.= See Prunus.

=Myrodia=, Lexarsa. _Sterculiaceæ._

Cuttings of firm shoots, which should be placed in sand
under glass, in heat.

=Myroxylon= (Tolu Balsam-tree). _Leguminosæ._

Propagation is effected during summer by cuttings of growing
shoots placed in sand in a frame.

=Myrrhis= (Sweet Cicely or Myrrh). _Umbelliferæ._

May be increased by divisions or by seeds.

=Myrsiphyllum.= _Liliaceæ._

Freely increased by seeds, by divisions, or by cuttings.
_M. asparagoides_, the "Smilax" or Boston-vine of greenhouses,
is increased by seeds, which germinate readily.

=Myrtus=, including Ugni (Myrtle). _Myrtaceæ._

Seeds, when they can be obtained. Readily propagated
by cuttings of firm or partially ripened shoots, placed in
a close frame; those of the stove species require a warmer
temperature than the half-hardy ones.

=Nægelia.= _Gesneraceæ._

Seeds rarely. Propagation is effected by potting the runners
in spring or summer in a compost of peat, leaf soil and
a little loam. Cuttings of young shoots, as mature leaves,
will also root readily.

=Napoleona=, Belvisia. _Myrtaceæ._

Increased by cuttings of half-ripened shoots two to four
inches long, in mild bottom heat.

=Narcissus= (Daffodil, Jonquil, Chinese Sacred Lily). _Amaryllideæ._

New varieties are grown from seeds, which give flowering
bulbs in three or four years. Ordinarily increased by bulbels,
which usually flower the second year.

=Nasturtium.= See Water-Cress and Tropæolum.

=Nauclea.= _Rubiaceæ._

May be increased by cuttings of growing shoots, in heat.

=Nectarine.= See Peach.

=Negundo= (Box Elder). _Sapindaceæ._

Propagates with readiness by seeds, which should be sown
as soon as ripe. Also by cuttings of mature wood, handled
like grape cuttings.

=Neillia.= Handled the same as Spiræa, which see.

=Nelumbo=, Nelumbium (Water Chinquapin, Lotus, Water Bean).
_Nymphæaceæ._

Seeds, which may be sown in shallow pans of water in
the garden, or if sown in ponds they may be incorporated in
a ball of clay and dropped into the water. The seeds of
some species are very hard, and germination is facilitated if
they are very carefully filed or bored (see Fig. 7). Sections
of the rhizomes may be used instead. They should always
be covered with water, at least a foot or two deep, if out-doors.

=Nemastylis=, Nemostylis. _Irideæ._

Propagation is effected by seeds, or by bulbels.

=Nematanthus.= _Gesneraceæ._

Seeds rarely. Freely increased by cuttings, inserted in
sandy soil and kept rather dry.

=Nemopanthes= (Mountain Holly). _Ilicineæ._

Increased by seeds, which should be sown as soon as ripe
or else stratified; also by division of old plants.

=Nemophila.= _Hydrophyllaceæ._

Seeds may be sown in late summer or any time during
early spring.

=Nepenthes= (Pitcher Plant). _Nepenthaceæ._

Propagated by seeds and cuttings. The seeds must have
good drainage, uniform conditions and strong heat (80°
to 85°). Sow upon a soil made of peat and fine sphagnum,
and keep in a moist and close frame. Cuttings are usually
struck in moss in a frame having strong bottom heat. A
good plan is to fill a small pot with moss, invert it, and insert
the cutting through the hole in the bottom. The pot then
keeps the moss uniform. The pot is broken when the plant
is removed. When potting off, use very coarse material.

=Nepeta=, Glechoma (Catmint, Catnip). _Labiatæ._

Propagated by sowing seed in spring, or by divisions.

=Nephelium=, Dimocarpus, Euphoria (Litchi). _Sapindaceæ._

May be increased by seeds, or by cuttings made of half-ripened
wood.

=Nephrodium.= See Ferns.

=Nephrolepis.= See Ferns.

=Nerine.= _Amaryllideæ._

Seeds, for new varieties. Commonly increased by means
of bulbels.

=Nerium= (Oleander). _Apocynaceæ._

Layers. Cuttings should be made of matured leading
shoots, inserted in single pots and placed in a close, warm
frame; or they may be rooted in bottles of water and afterwards
potted in soil. See Fig. 52, _a_.

=Nertera=, Nerteria. _Rubiaceæ._

Increased by seeds, divisions, or cuttings. Any small
portion will grow freely, especially if placed in a warm frame.

=Nesæa=, including Heimia. _Lythrarieæ._

May be increased by means of seeds, divisions, or green
cuttings.

=Nettle-tree.= See Celtis.

=New Zealand Flax.= See Phormium.

=Nicandra=, Calydermos. _Solanaceæ._

Seeds, sown in the open border, or under glass in the
north.

=Nicotiana= (Tobacco). _Solanaceæ._

Propagated by seeds, started under glass or in a carefully
prepared seed-bed. The ornamental species sometimes by
cuttings.

=Nierembergia.= _Solanaceæ._

Grown from seeds, under glass. Cuttings of firm shoots
are also used.

=Nigella= (Fennel Flower, Love-in-a-Mist). _Ranunculaceæ._

Propagated by seeds sown in early spring in the open.

=Nightshade.= See Solanum.

=Nine-bark.= See Spiræa.

=Nolana.= _Convolvulaceæ._

Seeds sown in the open border during spring.

=Norantea=, Ascium, Schwartzia. _Ternstrœmiaceæ._

Ripened cuttings can be rooted in sand, in heat.

=Norfolk Island Pine.= See Araucaria.

=Norway Spruce.= See Picea.

=Notelæa=, Rhysospermum. _Oleaceæ._

Seeds. Cuttings of firm side shoots in spring, usually
without heat.

=Nuphar.= Propagated same as Nelumbo and Nymphæa, which see.

=Nutmeg.= See Myristica.

=Nuttallia.= _Rosaceæ._

May be propagated by seeds; by divisions; by means of
suckers, which spring from the roots.

=Nyctanthes.= _Oleaceæ._

Cuttings of half-ripened shoots should be set in spring, in
bottom heat.

=Nymphæa=, Castalia (Water Lily, Lotus). _Nymphæaceæ._

Seeds, which are rolled up in a ball of clay and dropped
into a pond, or sown in pots which are then submerged in
shallow water, either in-doors or out. Usually increased by
portions of the root-stocks, which are sunk in the pond and
held by stones, or the tender species placed inside, in pans of
water. Some species produce tubers on the root-stocks,
which are used for propagation.

=Nyssa= (Pepperidge, Sour Gum, Tupelo-tree). _Cornaceæ._

Increased by seeds and by layers. The seeds should be
sown as soon as ripe or else stratified. They usually lie
dormant the first year.

=Oak.= See Quercus.

=Obeliscaria.= See Rudbeckia.

=Ochna.= _Ochnaceæ._

During summer, cuttings may be made of growing shoots.

=Odontoglossum.= _Orchideæ._

Division. (See also under Orchids.)

=Œnocarpus.= _Palmæ._

Propagated by seeds or by suckers.

=Œnothera=, including Godetia (Evening Primrose). _Onagrameæ._

Seeds may be sown in spring or summer. Divisions may
be made. Cuttings of perennials should be placed in a cool
frame in the early part of the season before flowering begins.

=Okra=, Gumbo (_Hibiscus esculentus_). _Malvaceæ._

Seeds, sown where the plants are to stand, or started in
pots often in the north.

=Olax.= _Olacineæ._

Grown from cuttings of firm or mature shoots in heat.

=Olea.= _Oleaceæ._

The ornamental species are grown from cuttings of ripened
shoots, either under frames or in the border, and also by
seeds. For propagation of _O. Europæa_, see Olive.

=Oleander.= See Nerium.

=Olearia=, Eurybia. _Compositæ._

Seeds. Readily increased by cuttings of growing shoots
placed in a frame.

=Oleaster.= See Elæagnus.

=Olive= (_Olea Europæa_). _Oleaceæ._

The olive is grown in large quantities from seed, especially
in Europe. The pulp is removed by maceration or by
treating with potash. The pits should be cracked or else softened
by soaking in strong lye, otherwise they will lie dormant
for one or two years. Cuttings of any kind will grow.
Limbs, either young or old, an inch or two inches in
diameter, and from one to two feet long, are often stuck into
the ground where the trees are to grow, or they are sometimes
used in the nursery. Green cuttings, with the leaves
on, are often used, being handled in frames or in boxes of
sand. Chips from old trunks, if kept warm and moist, will
grow. The olive is often propagated by truncheons of
trunks. A trunk two or three inches in diameter is cut into
foot or two foot lengths, and each length is split through the
middle. Each half is planted horizontally, bark up, four or five
inches deep, in warm moist soil. The sprouts which arise may
be allowed to grow, or they may be made into green cuttings.
Knaurs (see page 56) are sometimes used. The olive can be
budded or grafted in a variety of ways. Twig-budding and
plate or flute-budding give admirable results. Twig-budding
is the insertion of a small growing twig which is cut from the
branch in just the manner in which shield-buds are cut.

=Omphalodes=, Picotia. _Boragineæ._

Freely increased by means of seeds planted in spring,
or by divisions.

=Oncidium.= _Orchideæ._

Division. In some species detachable buds are produced
in the inflorescence, and these give young plants. (See also
under Orchids.)

=Oncosperma=, Keppleria. _Palmæ._

Propagated by seeds or by suckers.

=Onion= (_Allium Cepa_). _Liliaceæ._

Onions are mostly grown from seeds, which must be sown
as early as possible in spring; or in the south they may be
sown in the fall. They are also grown from "tops," which
are bulblets borne in the flower cluster. These are planted
in the spring, or in the fall in mild climates, and they soon
grow into large bulbs. "Sets" are also used. These are
very small onions, and when planted they simply complete
their growth into large bulbs. Sets are procured by sowing
seeds very thickly in poor soil. The bulbs soon crowd each
other, and growth is checked, causing them to ripen prematurely.
Good sets should not be more than a half inch in
diameter. Very small onions which are selected from the
general crop--called "rare-ripes"--are sometimes used as
sets, but they are usually too large to give good results.
Some onions--the "multiplier" or "potato onions"--increase
themselves by division of the bulb. The small bulb, which
is planted in the spring, splits up into several distinct portions,
each one of which will multiply itself in the same
manner when planted the following year.

=Onobrychis= (Saintfoin). _Leguminosæ._

Seeds, sown in spring where the plants are to remain.

=Onosma= (Golden Drop). _Boragineæ._

Seeds, sown in the open in spring. Perennial species by
cuttings in summer.

=Opuntia= (Prickly Pear, Indian Fig). _Cacteæ._

Seeds grow readily, sown as soon as ripe in ordinary sandy
soil, either in the house or out-doors. The joints grow readily
if laid on sand. It is customary to allow these cuttings to
dry several days before planting them. See also Cactus.

=Orach= (_Atriplex hortensis_). _Chenopodiaceæ._

Seeds, sown where the plants are to stand.

=Orange= (_Citrus Aurantium_). _Rutaceæ._

Orange stocks are grown from seeds, which should be
cleaned and stratified in sand or other material, until sowing
time. The seeds should not be allowed to become hard
and dry. Some prefer to let the seeds sprout in the sand
and then sow them in the nursery, but they must be carefully
handled. The seeds are usually sown in seed beds, after the
manner of apple seeds, and the seedlings are transplanted
the next fall or spring into nursery rows. Care must always
be exercised in handling orange plants, as they are
often impatient of transplanting. Oranges grow readily from
cuttings, although cuttage is not often practiced. Green cuttings,
handled under a frame, give good results. Mature
wood, either one or two years old, can be treated after the
manner of long grape cuttings. They must have an abundance
of moisture. Layers are sometimes made.

The named varieties are shield-budded upon other stocks.
Grafting can be practiced, but it is often unsatisfactory.
The nursery stocks are commonly budded in the spring, after
having grown in the rows one year, which is two years from
the sowing of the seed. If thorn-bearing varieties are to be
propagated, a thorn with a bud in its axil is often cut with
the bud, to serve as a handle in place of the leaf stalk, which
is used in summer budding. Many stocks are used for the
orange. The leading ones are sweet or common orange, sour
orange (_Citrus Aurantium_, var. _Bigaradia_), pomelo (var. _pomelana_
or _decumana_), Otaheite orange, trifoliate orange (_Citrus
trifoliata_), and various lemons, as the "French" or Florida
Rough and the Chinese. For general purposes, the sweet
and sour orange stocks are probably the best. The sour
stock is obtained from wild seeds, this variety having extensively
run wild in Florida from early times. The trifoliate
and Otaheite stocks are used for dwarfing or for small growing
sorts, as many of the Japanese varieties. The trifoliate
orange is also one of the hardiest of the orange stocks, and
its use will probably increase upon the northern limit of the
orange belt. Old orange trees can be top-budded with ease.
It is advisable to cut them back a year before the operation
is performed, in order to secure young shoots. In ordinary
greenhouse practice, the seedlings of the pomelo make
good stocks. They can be established in three-inch pots the
first season, and veneer-grafted the next winter.

=Orchids.= _Orchideæ._

The method of propagating these plants must in each species
be adapted to the habit and mode of growth. The
easiest and safest plan for the vast majority is by division,
but seeds, cuttings, layers, offsets, and very rarely roots, are
also utilized. It is important that artificial means of increase
should only be adopted where the individual plants are in
robust health. With many orchids the struggle of life under
the unnatural conditions we supply, is necessarily severe, and
any operation which transforms one weak plant into two or
more weaker ones, is to be deprecated. In cases where the
only method available necessitates disturbance at the roots,
consideration must be paid to the constitution of the species,
for some orchids, even when perfectly healthy, strongly resent
interference.

Seeds. In no class of cultivated plants is propagation by
seeds more difficult and tedious than it is with orchids. In
all cases, fertilization must be performed by hand. In England,
the length of time required for the capsules to ripen
varies from three months to a year. Good seeds form a very
small proportion of the whole, and it occasionally happens
that the contents of a capsule will not produce a single plant.
This, however, as well as the difficulty experienced in England
in rearing plants to the flowering stage, is primarily
due to the deficiency of sunlight, and in such a bright climate
as that of the United States, would not be likely to
occur. Various methods of sowing are in vogue, such as
sprinkling over pieces of wood and cork or tree-fern stem,
and on the top of moss and peat, in which established plants
of the same or a nearly related species are growing. The
last is probably the best, but it is always advisable to try
several methods. Of course, the material on which the seeds
are scattered must always be kept moist and shaded. The
period between germination and the development of the first
root is the most critical in the life of a seedling orchid.
After they are of sufficient size to handle they are potted off
into tiny pots, and as they gain strength, are given treatment
approximating that of adult plants.

Division. Cypripediums may be taken as an example
where this is readily done. It is simply necessary to carefully
shake off the soil from the roots, and by the aid of a
sharp knife, sever the plant into as many pieces as are required.
It is always advisable to leave one or more leading
growths to each portion. This method may be practiced for
the increase of phaius, masdevallia, sobralia, ada, the evergreen
section of calanthe, and all of similar habit.

In nearly all those kinds where the pseudo-bulbs are united
by a procumbent rhizome, such as occurs in cattleyas, the
process is slower. It seems to be natural for these plants to
continue year after year, producing a single growth from the
old pseudo-bulb. To obtain additional "leads," the rhizomes
should be cut through in early spring, two or three pseudo-bulbs
being reserved to each piece. A bud will then push
from the base of each pseudo-bulb nearest the division, and
a new lead is formed. The pieces should not be separated
until this is well established, and three years may sometimes
be required. Lælia, catasetum, cœlogyne, lycaste, cymbidium,
zygopetalum, odontoglossum, oncidium, miltonia, etc.,
are treated in this manner.

Cuttings.--This method is available for those kinds with
long, jointed stems, like dendrobium and epidendrum. Just
before the plants commence to grow, say in February, the
old pseudo-bulbs are cut up into lengths, and laid on a moist,
warm surface, such as on a pan of moss in a propagating
frame. Young offshoots will shortly appear at the nodes,
and when large enough are potted off with the old piece attached.
This plan may be used also for barkeria and microstylis.

It is well to remember that in any method of propagation
where the pseudo-bulb is divided, the vigor of the young
plant is proportionate to the amount of reserve material supplied
it. However suitable the external conditions may be
for growth, it is for some time entirely dependent for sustenance
on the old piece from which it springs. _Dendrobium
Phalænopsis_ is a case in point. If a pseudo-bulb is cut into
say three pieces, it will take at least two years for the
young plants to reach flowering strength, but frequently by
using the entire pseudo-bulb, we can get in a single year a
growth quite as large as the old one.

The treatment of young orchids should be founded on
what suits the parents. As a rule, however, they require
more careful nursing, and some of the conditions must be
modified. Drought, intense light and cold draughts must be
avoided. For many orchids, especially those from equatorial
regions, where the atmospheric conditions alternate between
saturation and intense heat and dryness, it is necessary, in
order to induce flowering, that nature, to some extent at least,
should be imitated. With young plants, by whatever method
they may be obtained, the supply of water must only be reduced
in accordance with the weather and season, and beyond
that, no attempt at resting made. In cases, however,
where plants have been divided or made into cuttings, a very
limited supply of water is needed at first; but to prevent exhaustion,
the atmosphere should always be kept laden with
moisture.

=Oreopanax.= _Araliaceæ._

Seeds, and cuttings of the young shoots, or division of well
established plants.

=Ornithogalum= (Star of Bethlehem). _Liliaceæ._

Seeds. Commonly by bulbels, and by division of the
clumps.

=Ornus.= See Fraxinus.

=Orobus= (Bitter Vetch). _Leguminosæ._

Readily propagated by seeds, or by dividing the tufts.

=Orontium.= _Aroideæ._

Commonly increased by division, but seeds may be used.

=Orpine.= See Sedum.

=Osage Orange.= See Maclura.

=Osier.= See Salix and Cornus.

=Osmanthus= (Japan Holly). _Oleaceæ._

Propagated by cuttings under glass, or by grafting on osmanthus
stock, or on privet.

=Osmunda= (Flowering Fern). _Filices._

Mostly by division; sometimes by spores. See Ferns.

=Ostrya= (Hop Hornbeam, Ironwood). _Cupuliferæ._

Best grown from seeds. Also increased by layering; or it
can be grafted. The European species is often grafted upon
the hornbeam (carpinus).

=Othonna=, Aristotela, including Doria (Ragwort). _Compositæ._

Very easily propagated by seeds and cuttings. The leaves
also take root.

=Ouvirandra= (Lattice-leaf). _Naiadaceæ._

The plants are divided, or seeds are used when they can
be obtained.

=Oxalis.= _Geraniaceæ._

Seeds, divisions and cuttings. The tuberiferous species
are increased by the small tubers which form upon the roots.

=Oxycoccus.= See Cranberry.

=Oxydendron= (Sorrel-tree). _Ericaceæ._

Increased by seeds, which must be handled carefully in
light soil. Also by layers, which, however, often root with
difficulty.

=Oxylobium=, including Callistachys, Podolobium. _Leguminosæ._

Increased by seeds and layers. Cuttings of rather firm
side young shoots, made during spring.

=Oyster Plant.= See Salsify.

=Oxytropis.= _Leguminosæ._

Seeds should be sown where the plants are to stand; also
by dividing the plant in spring.

=Pachira=, Carolinea. _Malvaceæ._

Seeds. Large cuttings cut at a joint, with the leaves on,
in heat.

=Pæony= (Peony, Piney). _Ranunculaceæ._

Seeds, giving new varieties, are sown as soon as ripe. The
seedlings seldom rise above the surface the first year, all their
energies being spent in the formation of roots. The common
herbaceous varieties are oftenest propagated by division of
the clumps. Each portion should possess at least one bud
upon the crown. All woody species may be increased by
layers and cuttings. Cuttings are taken late in summer, cut
to a heel, and are handled in a frame or cool greenhouse.
During winter they should be kept from freezing. The
shrubby species and _P. Moutan_ are often grafted, and all
species can be handled in this way. The operation is performed
in late summer or early autumn, and the grafts are
stored in sand or moss where they will not freeze. The next
spring they are planted out. The cion is made from a strong
short shoot, destitute of flower-buds, and is set upon a piece
of root, as described and figured on a previous page (p. 88,
Fig. 85). Some prefer to cut a wedge-shaped portion from
the side of the stock, in which to set the cion, rather than to
split the stock; but either practice is good. Strong roots of
various varieties or species may be used. The Chinese pæony
(_P. Moutan_), _P. officinalis_ and _P. albiflora_ are probably oftenest
used.

=Painted-cup.= See Castilleja.

=Palafoxia.= _Compositæ._

Seeds, commonly sown under glass, or in mild climates
sown in the open.

=Palicourea.= _Rubiaceæ._

Cuttings, made in spring under glass.

=Paliurus=, Aubletia (Christ's Thorn). _Rhamneæ._

May be increased by seeds, by layers or by cuttings of the
roots.

=Palma-Christi.= See Ricinus.

=Palms.= _Palmæ._

Palms are mostly grown from imported seeds. These
should always be sown in a brisk bottom heat, in a mixture
of coarse loam and sand. A hot-bed, established upon the
greenhouse bench, is an excellent place in which to start
palm seeds. Some species are increased by suckers, which
arise from the crown or roots. For more explicit directions,
see the various genera.

=Pampas Grass.= See Gynerium.

=Panax= (Ginseng). _Araliaceæ._

Cuttings of stems and roots. Stems of old plants may be
cut into pieces an inch or two long and inserted in sand in
heat. Or young plants can be obtained by cutting down the
tops of strong plants and then separating the suckers which
arise.

=Pancratium= and =Hymenocallis=. _Amaryllideæ._

Seeds, sown in pans in heat, are sometimes employed.
Commonly increased by offsets, which usually form freely.

=Pandanus= (Screw Pine). _Pandaneæ._

Seeds and suckers, as in palms. Also by cuttings of the
young growth in heat. The "seeds" are really fruits, and
if in good condition several plants, one to ten, are obtainable
from each; they should be separated when well furnished
with roots.

=Pansy.= See Viola.

=Papaver= (Poppy). _Papaveraceæ._

Seeds--usually sown out-doors--and divisions. _P. orientalis_
and allied species are easily propagated by root-cuttings
in sandy soil under glass in autumn.

=Papaw-tree.= See Carica; also Asimina.

=Papyrus.= _Cyperaceæ._

Propagation is effected by seeds and by divisions, chiefly
the latter.

=Pardanthus.= _Irideæ._

Seeds, divisions, and cuttings of young growth.

=Paris.= _Liliaceæ._

Increased by seeds or by divisions.

=Paris Daisy.= See Marguerite.

=Parkinsonia.= _Leguminosæ._

Seeds mostly. Cuttings.

=Parnassia= (Grass of Parnassus). _Saxifrageæ._

May be propagated by seeds or by divisions.

=Parrotia.= _Hamamelideæ._

Increased by seeds or by layers.

=Parrya.= _Cruciferæ._

Seeds and divisions.

=Parsley= (_Apium Petroselinum_). _Umbelliferæ._

Seeds, which are usually sown out-doors. The roots may
be taken up in fall to be forced under glass.

=Parsnip= (_Pastinaca sativa_). _Umbelliferæ._

Fresh seeds, sown where the plants are to stand.

=Parthenium.= _Compositæ._

Seeds, sown under glass, or in the open.

=Pasque-flower.= See Anemone.

=Passiflora= (Passion Flower). _Passifloreæ._

Seeds, sown under glass. Cuttings of the young growth
root easily in sand in a frame. Varieties are sometimes
veneer-grafted, _e. g._, _P. coccinea_.

=Paulownia.= _Scrophularineæ._

Seeds, sown in carefully prepared soil, either in a seed-bed
or in a cold-frame. Cuttings of ripe wood or of roots,
made in fall or spring.

=Pavonia.= _Malvaceæ._

Seeds, and green cuttings in a frame.

=Pea= (_Pisum sativum_). _Leguminosæ._

Seeds, sown where the plants are to stand. The plants
are hardy and seeds may be sown very early.

=Peach= (_Prunus Persica_) _Rosaceæ._

The peach is perhaps the easiest to propagate of all northern
fruit trees. Stocks are universally grown from seeds,
although root-cuttings will grow. The seeds should be
buried out-doors in the fall, and shallow enough so that they
will be fully exposed to frost. Some prefer to simply spread
them upon the surface of the ground and cover them lightly
with straw to prevent them from drying out. The pits
should be kept moist, and by spring most of them will be
cracked. Those which do not open should be cracked by
hand, for if planted they will not germinate until a year
later than the others. The "meats" or kernels are sorted
out and planted early in drills. Or some prefer to sprout the
seeds in the house, in order to select the best for planting.
Some growers upon a small scale pinch off the tip of the
rootlet to make the root branch. Pits should be secured, of
course, from strong and healthy trees, but the opinion that
"natural seed," or that from unbudded trees, is necessarily
best, is unfounded.

The seeds should be planted in rich soil, and the stocks
will be large enough to bud the same year. Any which are
not large enough to bud may be cut back to the ground the
next spring, and one shoot be allowed to grow for budding,
but such small stocks are usually destroyed, as it does not
pay to bestow the extra labor and use of land upon them.
When the buds have grown one season, the trees are ready
for sale--at one year from the bud and two years from the
seed. Peach trees are always shield-budded, and the operation
is fully described on pages 68 to 75. Grafting can be
done, but as budding is so easily performed, there is no occasion
for it. The peach shoots are so pithy that, in making
cions, it is well to leave a portion of the old wood upon the
lower end--extending part way up the cut--to give the cion
strength.

Peaches are nearly always worked upon peaches in this
country. Plums are occasionally employed for damp and
strong soils. Myrobolan is sometimes used, but it cannot be
recommended. All plums dwarf the peach more or less.
The hard-shell almond is a good stock for very light and dry
soils. The Peen-to and similar peaches are worked upon
common peach stocks.

The nectarine is propagated in exactly the same manner as
the peach. The ornamental peaches are budded upon common
peach-stocks in the same manner as the fruit-bearing
sorts.

For _Prunus Simoni_, see Plum.

=Pea-nut= (_Arachis hypogæa_). _Leguminosæ._

As a field crop, the seeds should be planted where the
plants are to stand. For propagation in greenhouses, see
Arachis.

=Pear=, =Alligator= or =Avocado.= See Persea.

=Pear= (_Pyrus communis_, _P. sinensis_). _Rosaceæ._

Pear seedlings are grown in the same manner as those of
the apple, which see. Pear stocks are mostly imported from
France, however, as the leaf-blight is so destructive to them
here as to render their culture unprofitable. This leaf-blight
is a fungus (_Entomosporium maculatum_), and recent experiment
has shown that it can be readily overcome by four or
five thorough sprayings with Bordeaux mixture, so that there
is reason to hope that the growing of pear stocks may yet
become profitable in this country. Heretofore, the only
means of mitigating the ravages of this blight was the uncertain
one of inducing a strong growth early in the season.
Even when pear stocks are raised in this country, they are
grown from imported French seed. Aside from its cheapness,
however, this foreign seed probably possesses no superiority
over domestic seed. But pear seed is so difficult to
obtain in America that it is practically out of the market.

Pear seedlings should be taken up and removed from the
seed-bed the first fall. The foreign stocks are imported when
a year old from the seed. The seedlings are trimmed or
"dressed" (see page 69), and are set into nursery rows the
following spring. The next season--that is, the season in
which the stocks are transplanted--shield-budding is performed,
as upon the apple. The budding season usually begins
late in July or early in August in the north. If the
stocks are small, of "second size," they may stand over winter
and be budded the second year. Pear trees are sold at
two and three years from the bud. Pears do not succeed
well when root-grafted, except when a long cion is used, for
the purpose of securing own-rooted trees (see page 78). Dormant
buds of the pear may be used upon large stocks in early
spring, the same as upon the apple, and buds may be kept
upon ice for use in early summer (see page 74).

Pears are dwarfed by working them upon the quince. The
Angers quince is the best stock. The ordinary orange quince
and its kin make weak and short-lived trees. Quince stocks
are obtained from ordinary cuttings or from mound-layering,
the latter method giving much the better stocks (see Quince).
The layers should stand until late in autumn of the second
season when they will be found to be well-rooted, and may
then be taken off, trimmed up and fitted to plant as stocks
the following spring, and budded in August. It is imperative
to set the bud as low as possible in order to secure long-lived
trees. Some varieties do not unite well with the quince, and
if it is desired to dwarf them, they should be double-worked
(see page 91).

The pear can also be grown upon the apple, thorn and
mountain ash. Upon the apple it is short-lived, although
pear cions, set in the top of an old apple tree, often bear
large fruits for a few years. When pear stocks cannot be
had, pears are sometimes worked upon apple roots. If the
cions are long they will emit roots, and when the apple nurse
fails the pear becomes own-rooted. Good dwarf trees are
often secured upon the thorn, and there is reason to believe
that some of the thorns will be found to be preferable to
quince stocks for severe climates and for special purposes.
The subject is little understood. The mountain ash is sometimes
used for the purpose of growing pears upon a sandy
soil, but its use appears to be of little consequence.

Pears of the Le Conte and Keiffer type are often grown
from cuttings in the south. Cuttings are made of the recent
mature growth, about a foot in length, and are planted in
the open ground after the manner of long grape cuttings.
Le Conte, Garber, Smith, and other very strong growers of
the Chinese type, are probably best when grown from cuttings.
They soon overgrow French stocks, as also apple
stocks, which have been used to some extent; but if long
cions are used, own-rooted trees are soon obtained, and the
stock will have served a useful purpose in pushing the cion
the first two or three years.

=Pecan= (_Hicoria Pecan_). _Juglandeæ._

Propagated by seeds. These may be planted as soon as
ripe, or stratified until spring. The ground should be well
prepared and the nuts planted about 3 inches deep. By
grafting on pecan or common hickory stock that is not over
2 years old. Cions about 6 inches long should be cut during
the winter and put in a cool place to hold them back until the
stocks have fairly started in the spring. The stalks should
then be cut off at the crown and the cion inserted. The
tongue-graft gives the best result. Bandage securely and
bank with earth nearly to the top of the cion, to keep it
moist.

=Pelargonium= (Geranium, Stork's Bill). _Geraniaceæ._

Seeds, sown in light soil with mild heat, are sometimes
employed. Commonly increased by cuttings of firm shoots,
which grow readily (Figs. 52, _e_, and 55). The fancy or
show geraniums are often grown from root-cuttings, but
sometimes will not come true. Geraniums can also be
grafted. (See page 39, herbaceous grafting.)

=Pelecyphora= (Hatchet Cactus). _Cacteæ._

Propagated most freely by seeds in moderate heat, and by
cuttings made of any small shoots that arise from the base
See also Cactus.

=Peliosanthes.= _Hæmodoraceæ._

Suckers.

=Peltandra.= _Aroideæ._

Propagated by seeds when fresh, or by division.

=Pennyroyal= (_Mentha Pulegium_). _Labiatæ._

Seeds and divisions.

=Pentapetes.= _Sterculiaceæ._

Propagated by seeds; by cuttings of half-ripened shoots.

=Pentas.= _Rubiaceæ._

Propagated, with difficulty, by seeds or cuttings of half-ripened
wood.

=Pentstemon= (Beard-tongue). _Scrophularineæ._

Seeds, sown in pans and placed under a frame; or they
are sometimes sown in the border where the plants are to
stand. Also by division, and rarely by cuttings in summer.

=Peperomia=, including Micropiper. _Piperaceæ._

Seeds. Cuttings of single joints of firm stems root easily
in a peaty soil. Water sparingly.

=Pepper, Black.= See Piper.

=Pepperidge.= See Nyssa.

=Pepper-grass=, Curled Cress (_Lepidium sativum_). _Cruciferæ._

Grown from seeds, either under glass for early crops or in
the open air.

=Peppermint= (_Mentha piperita_). _Labiatæ._

Divisions of the creeping and rooting stems are planted to
multiply the plant, and plantations are renewed every three
or four years.

=Pepper=, =Red= or =Cayenne= (Capsicum). _Solanaceæ._

Seeds, sown out-doors, or in the north oftener started
in the house.

=Pereskia= (Barbadoes Gooseberry). _Cacteæ._

Seeds. Cuttings, as described under Cactus. _P. aculeata_
is much used as a stock for epiphyllums. _P. Bleo_ is sometimes
used for the same purpose, as it is fully as good as the
other species. Cuttings of _P. aculeata_ can be made a foot or
more in length, and of sufficient size for immediate use, or,
indeed, the graft may be inserted when the cutting is made.

=Perilla=, Dentidia. _Labiatæ._

Sow the seeds in early spring in pans or boxes, and place
in a gentle heat. Or southwards, seeds may be sown in the
open.

=Periploca.= _Asclepiadeæ._

Seeds. Increased mostly by layers or cuttings under glass,
during summer or autumn. Root-cuttings succeed.

=Periwinkle.= See Vinca.

=Pernettya.= See Canarina.

=Persea= (Alligator or Avocado Pear). _Laurineæ._

Seeds. Layers of ripened shoots may be made in autumn,
or cuttings of firm shoots in spring, under glass.

=Persimmon= (_Diospyros Kaki_ and _D. Virginiana_). _Ebenaceæ._

Stocks are readily grown from seed, and they usually
attain sufficient size for budding the first year. The native
persimmon (_Dispyros Virginiana_) is largely used as a stock
for the Japanese persimmon or kaki. Imported stocks are
occasionally employed, but the native is more vigorous, as a
rule, and probably better. Persimmons are shield-budded
the same as peaches, and they may be root-grafted and top-grafted
by ordinary methods.

=Persoonia=, Linkia. _Proteaceæ._

Propagated by cuttings of the ripened shoots, under glass.

=Peruvian Bark.= See Cinchona.

=Petalostemon= (Prairie Clover). _Leguminosæ._

Seeds and divisions.

=Petunia.= _Solanaceæ._

Seeds, either in-doors or in the garden. Choice and double
varieties are often increased by cuttings, which grow readily.

=Phacelia=, Eutoca, Whitlavia. _Hydrophyllaceæ._

The annuals are increased by seeds, and the perennials
by seeds and divisions.

=Phædranassa=, including Leperiza (Queen Lily). _Amaryllideæ._

Propagated by seeds and bulbels.

=Phaius.= _Orchideæ._

Division of the bulbs. (See also under Orchids.)

=Phalænopsis.= _Orchideæ._

These are very slow and difficult to propagate. In the
majority of the species it can only be done where a lateral
off-shoot is made from the main stem. Some species, such as
_P. Luddemanniana_, and more rarely _P. amabilis_, _P. Stuartiana_
and _P. Schilleriana_, develop plantlets on the old flower
scapes. By pegging these down on a basket of moss they
may be established and afterwards separated. _P. Stuartiana_
and _P. deliciosa_ have been known to produce plants on the
roots. Other instances of root-proliferation are recorded in
_Saccolabium micranthum_ and a species of cyrtopodium. (See
under Orchids.)

=Phalaris.= _Gramineæ._

Propagated by seeds, but the sports by divisions.

=Phaleria=, Drimyspermum. _Thymelæaceæ._

Increased by seeds sown in heat in spring; or by cuttings
of the young shoots, which should be inserted in bottom
heat.

=Pharbitis.= See Ipomœa.

=Phaseolus= (Bean, Kidney, Pole, String; French Bean, etc.).
_Leguminosæ._

The ornamental greenhouse kinds are grown from seeds
planted in light soil in a warm propagating house. See Bean.

=Phebalium.= _Rutaceæ._

May be increased by cuttings of the young wood, under a
glass.

=Phellodendron= (Cork Tree). _Rutaceæ._

Increased by seeds, layers and by root-cuttings.

=Philadelphus= (Mock Orange, Syringa). _Saxifrageæ._

Seeds, layers, suckers and cuttings. Layers are most
used. Cuttings of mature wood are sometimes employed.
Some well-marked varieties, like vars. _nana_ and _aurea_ of _P.
coronarius_, are grown from cuttings of soft wood in summer
in frames.

=Phillyrea= (Jasmine Box, Mock Privet). _Oleaceæ._

Seeds. May be propagated by cuttings, layers, or by
grafting on the privet.

=Philodendron.= _Aroideæ._

Increased by seeds; and by dividing the stems, allowing
two or three joints to each piece, inserting them in pots in a
brisk heat.