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.pomelanaordecumana), 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 makegood 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 leadinggrowths 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 Phalænopsisis 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 reducedin 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.SeeFraxinus.
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.SeeSedum.
Osage Orange.SeeMaclura.
Osier.SeeSalixandCornus.
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. SeeFerns.
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.SeeCranberry.
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.SeeSalsify.
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 andP. Moutanare 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. officinalisandP. albifloraare probably oftenest used.
Painted-cup.SeeCastilleja.
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.SeeRicinus.
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.SeeGynerium.
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.
PancratiumandHymenocallis.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.SeeViola.
Papaver(Poppy).Papaveraceæ.
Seeds—usually sown out-doors—and divisions.P. orientalisand allied species are easily propagated by root-cuttings in sandy soil under glass in autumn.
Papaw-tree.SeeCarica; alsoAsimina.
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.SeeMarguerite.
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.SeeAnemone.
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.
ForPrunus 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,AlligatororAvocado.SeePersea.
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” (seepage 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 (seepage 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 (seepage 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 maythen 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 (seepage 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, and55). The fancy or show geraniums are often grown from root-cuttings, but sometimes will not come true. Geraniums can also be grafted. (Seepage 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 alsoCactus.
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.SeePiper.
Pepperidge.SeeNyssa.
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,RedorCayenne(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. aculeatais much used as a stock for epiphyllums.P. Bleois sometimes used for the same purpose, as it is fully as good as the other species. Cuttings ofP. aculeatacan 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.SeeVinca.
Pernettya.SeeCanarina.
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 KakiandD. 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.SeeCinchona.
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 underOrchids.)
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 asP. Luddemanniana, and more rarelyP. amabilis,P. StuartianaandP. 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. StuartianaandP. deliciosahave been known to produce plants on the roots. Other instances of root-proliferation are recorded inSaccolabium micranthumand 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.SeeIpomœa.
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. SeeBean.
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.nanaandaureaofP. 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.
Phlomis.Labiatæ.
All of the species may be increased by seeds; the herbaceous kinds by divisions, and the shrubby sorts also by cuttings.
Phlox.Polemoniaceæ.
The annuals are grown from seeds sown in the open. The perennials are grown from seeds, divisions, cuttings of stems and roots. Cuttings made during summer, and handled in a frame, do well. The roots are cut into short pieces, and are then handled in pans or flats under cover.
Phœnix, Elate (Date Palm).Palmæ.
Increased by imported seeds, sown in a sandy soil, in a mild hot-bed. Also by suckers. See alsoDate.
Phormium(Flax Lily, or New Zealand Flax).Liliaceæ.
Seeds. Also by division of the crowns before growth commences in spring.
Photinia, including Eriobotrya.Rosaceæ.
Stratified seeds or half-ripened cuttings under glass. The loquat,P. Japonica, is grown from layers or cuttings of ripe wood, and it is worked upon seedling stocks or upon thorn or quince, after the manner of pears.
Phylica.Rhamneæ.
Seeds. Cuttings of growing shoots may be inserted in sandy soil, in a warm house.
Phyllanthus, including Xylophylla.Euphorbiæceæ.
Increased by means of cuttings of hard shoots in heat.
Phyllis.Rubiaceæ.
Seeds, or cuttings under glass.
Phyllocactus, including Phyllocereus and Disocactus (Leaf Cactus).Cacteæ.
Seeds germinate readily in sandy soil. Usually increased by cuttings of the stems, five or six inches long, placed in sandy soil, which is kept only slightly moist. See alsoCactus.
Phyllocladus, Thalamia (Celery-leaved Pine-Tree).Coniferæ.
Cuttings of the ripened shoots under glass, in spring. When the cuttings begin callusing, give mild bottom heat.
Physalis(Ground or Winter Cherry, Strawberry Tomato, Husk Tomato).Solanaceæ.
Seeds, sown out-doors or under cover. Perennials by division and growing cuttings.
Physianthus, Schubertia.Asclepiadeæ.
Seeds, usually started in heat. Cuttings of firm shoots usually side shoots, under glass.
Physochlaina.Solanaceæ.
Seeds. Cuttings of soft wood.
Phyteuma, Rapunculus (Horned Rampion).Campanulaceæ.
Easily increased by seeds or by divisions, in spring.
Phytolacca(Spoke, Skoke, Poke).Phytolaccaceæ.
May be propagated by means of seeds, or by divisions.
Picea.Coniferæ.
Propagated by seeds, sometimes by layers, or grafts.P. excelsa(Norway spruce) makes a good stock; the veneer graft, under glass, in winter, succeeds better than any method of out-door work practicable in our climate; if the graft is inserted near the base in young plants, it is quite possible to obtain them on their own roots after a few transplantings. Side-shoots can be used as cions, and if started in time will furnish good leaders; sometimes a leader is developed more rapidly by bending the plant over at nearly a right-angle, when a stout bud may start from the stem. SeeAbies.
Pickerel Weed.SeePontederia.
Picotee.SeeDianthusandCarnation.
Pilea(Artillery Plant, Stingless Nettle).Urticaceæ.
May be increased by seeds, divisions or cuttings.
Pilocereus.SeeCactus.
Pimelea, Banksia.Thymelæaceæ.
Seeds. Cuttings of growing shoots in moderate heat.
Pimpernel.SeeAnagallis.
Pinanga.Palmæ.
Propagated by seeds.
Pinckneya, Pinknea.Rubiaceæ.
Seeds. Cuttings of the ripened shoots under glass.
Pine-apple(Ananas sativa).Bromeliaceæ.
Pine-apples very rarely produce seeds, but when they are produced they are sown for the purpose of obtaining new varieties. The pine-apple is usually increased by suckers and “crowns.” If the root is left in the ground after the pine is removed, suckers will start from it. The root is then taken up and cut into as many pieces as there are suckers, each piece being then permanently planted. The crown of the fruit and the various offsets or “crownlets,” which appear on the sides and base of the fruit, may be removed and used as cuttings. These offsets are commonly used in greenhouse propagation. It is the usual practice to allow them to dry several days before they are planted, and in pine-apple regions they are often exposed to the sun for several weeks. This operation is unnecessary, however, although it is not objectionable. A good way to start the offsets is to pull off the lowest leaves and insert the offsets in damp moss in shade—giving bottom heat for greenhouse work—and as soon as roots begin to form, which will occur in from two to six weeks, plant them out permanently. In the tropics fruit can be obtained in 20 months after the offsets are transplanted; but fruit-bearing is often delayed three or four years under poor treatment.
Piney.SeePæony.
Pinguicula(Butterwort).Lentibularieæ.
The hardy and greenhouse species are increased by seeds. divisions, or by leaf cuttings.
Pink(Dianthus, various species).Caryophylleæ.
Seeds and divisions. Best results are obtained by raising new plants from seed every two or three years. Seeds are usually sown where the plants are to remain; or they may be sown in a cold-frame and transplanted.
Pinus(Pine).Coniferæ.
Seeds, which should be kept dry over winter, are commonly employed. These are often started in pots, but for most species they are sown in well-prepared beds out-doors. The seedlings must usually be shaded the first season. Varieties, as also species which do not produce seed freely, may be grafted upon stocks of white or Austrian pine or other species. This grafting may be done upon the tips of growingshoots early in the season (page 90), but it is oftener performed upon potted plants by the veneer method.
Piper, Cubeba (Pepper, Cubeb).Piperaceæ.
Seeds. All are increased by means of cuttings of the growing shoots, inserted in sandy soil under glass.
Piscidia(Fish Poison-tree, Jamaica Dogwood).Leguminosæ.
Seeds. Cuttings of growing shoots under glass.
Pistacia.Anacardiaceæ.
Seeds, cuttings and layers. The pistacio-nut or “green almond” (P. vera) is usually grown from seeds, which are planted where the trees are to stand. It is sometimes grafted uponP. terebinthus, to give it greater vigor.
Pitcairnia.SeeBillbergia.
Pitcher-plant.SeeNepenthesandSarracenia.
Pittosporum.Pittosporeæ.
Seeds, and by cuttings of the growing or ripe wood, under glass.
Planera(Planer-tree).Urticaceæ.
Propagated by seeds, which should be handled like elm seeds.
Plane-tree.SeePlatanus.
Plantago(Plantain).Plantagineæ.
Seeds. The perennial species also by division.
Plantain(fruit). SeeBanana.
Platanus(Plane-tree, Button-wood; Sycamore, improperly).Platanaceæ.
Usually propagated by seeds, but layers and ripe wood cuttings may be employed.
Platycerium(Stag’s-Horn Fern).Filices.
Chiefly by division. SeeFerns.
Platycodon, Wahlenbergia.Campanulaceæ.
Propagated by seeds and, when old plants are obtainable, by division.
Plectocomia.Palmæ.
Seeds. May be increased by suckers.
Pleroma, Lasiandra, including Melastoma.Melastomaceæ.
Seeds. Propagated mostly by cuttings of growing shoots in a close frame at any season.
Plum(Prunus, many species).Rosaceæ.
There are so many species of plums in cultivation, and the varieties of the same species are often so different in constitution and habit, that it is difficult to give advice concerning their propagation. All the species grow readily from fresh, well-ripened seeds. The pits should be removed from the pulp and then stratified until spring. If they are allowed to freeze, the germination will be more uniform, as the pits will be more easily opened by the swelling embryo. Plum pits are rarely cracked by hand. The strong-growing species and varieties, especially southwards, will give stocks strong enough to bud the first season; but the weaker ones must stand until the next season after the seeds are planted. In all the northern states, however, plum pits are usually sown in seed-beds, in the same manner as apple and pear seeds. The seedlings are taken up in the fall, and the following spring set out in nursery rows, where they are budded in August.
Plums are extensively grown from suckers, which spring in great numbers from the roots of many species. In France this method of propagation is largely used. So long as graftage does not intervene, the sprouts will reproduce the variety; and even in grafted or budded trees this sometimes occurs, but it is probably because the tree has become own-rooted from the rooting of the cion. It is a common notion that trees grown from suckers sprout or sucker worse than those grown from seeds. Layers are also extensively employed for the propagation of the plum. Strong stools (page 35) are grown, and the long and strong shoots are covered in spring throughout their length—the tips only being exposed—and every bud will produce a plant. Strong shoots of vigorous sorts will give plants strong enough the first fall to be removed into nursery rows. Mound-layering is also employed with good results. Root-cuttings, handled like those of blackberry, grow readily, but some growers suppose that they produce trees which sucker badly. Many plums grow readily from cuttings of the mature recent wood, treated the same as long grape cuttings. This is especially true of the Marianna and its kin (P. umbellata), which are grown almost entirely from cuttings. Some sorts of the common garden plum (P. domestica) also grow from cuttings.
Plums are worked in various ways, but ordinary shield-buddingis usually employed in late summer or early fall, as for peaches and cherries. Root-grafting by the common whip method is sometimes employed, especially when own-rooted trees are desired (page 78). In the north and east, the common plum (P. domestica) is commonly worked upon stocks of the same species. These stocks, if seedlings, are apt to be very variable in size and habit, and sometimes half or more of any batch, even from selected seeds, are practically worthless. Stocks from inferior or constant varieties are therefore essential. Such stocks are largely imported; but there are some varieties which can be relied upon in this country. One of the best of these domestic stocks is the Horse plum, a small and purple-fruited variety ofPrunus domestica, which gives very uniform seedlings. This is largely used in New York. The French stocks which are in most common use are St. Julien and Black Damas. The Myrobolan (P. cerasifera) is much used in California for standards, but in the east it makes dwarf trees. The peach is often used as a plum stock, and it is valuable in the south, especially for light soils. In the north plum stocks are better. Almond stocks, especially for the French prune and for light soils, are considerably used in California. The apricot is sometimes employed, but results appear to be poor or indifferent, on the whole. Prunes thrive upon the above stocks also.
Various stocks dwarf the plum. The chief dwarf stock at present is the Myrobolan. This is usually imported. It is easily grown, either from seeds or cuttings. The Mirabelle, a foreign stock, is sometimes used. The many species of native plums, of thePrunus AmericanaandP. angustifolia(Chickasaw) types, are good stocks for dwarf or intermediate trees. In most cases, the bud or graft grows luxuriantly for two or three years, and thereafter grows rather slowly. It is best to bud or graft low upon these stocks. The Marianna is at present the most popular native stock.
The native or American plums are budded upon native seedlings, or rarely uponPrunus domesticaseedlings; or they are grown from cuttings, as in the case of Marianna.
The Japanese plums are worked upon peach, common plum or upon natives, preferably Marianna.
Prunus Simoniworks upon peach, common plum, Myrobolan and Marianna.
The ornamental plums are worked upon the same stocks as the fruit-bearing sorts. SeePrunus.
Plum, Coco.SeeChrysobalanus.
Plumbago(Leadwort).Plumbagineæ.
Seeds, divisions and cuttings. Cuttings are made from firm nearly mature wood, and should be given mild bottom heat.
Plumeria, Himatanthus.Apocynaceæ.
Seeds. Make cuttings of ripe shoots, and place under glass.
Podalyria.Leguminosæ
Readily increased by seeds. Divisions do not succeed well. In spring, cuttings may be made of strong side shoots, and planted in sand under glass.
PodocarpusConiferæ.
Usually grown from cuttings of firm wood under cover.
Podophyllum(May-Apple, Mandrake; erroneously Duck’s Foot)Berberideæ.
Seeds and division.
Poinciana.Leguminosæ.
Propagation by seeds.
Poinsettia, Euphorbia.Euphorbiaceæ
Cuttings of growing shoots, of two or three buds each, handled upon a cutting bench or in a frame. Many propagators prefer to let the cuttings lie exposed two or three days before setting them. Cuttings of ripened wood can be used to good advantage where the heat is rather low. SeeEuphorbia.
Polanisia.Capparideæ.
Seeds, in-doors or in the open.
Polemonium.Polemoniaceæ.
Propagated by seeds and by division.
Polianthes(Tuberose).Amaryllideæ.
Increased by bulbels. Remove these from the parent bulb in the fall, and keep in a warm, dry place until the following spring. The soil should be light, rich and moist throughout the summer. Before frost comes in the fall, take the bulbs up, and when dry, cut off the leaves. The bulbs should be kept as during the preceding winter, and the culture during the following year is the same as during the first. The bulbs usually flower the second or third summer.
Polyanthus.SeePrimula.
Polycarpæa.Caryophylleæ.
The annuals are increased by seeds; perennials by cuttings.
Polygala(Milkwort).Polygaleæ.
Seeds; sometimes by division, and by cuttings of young shoots under cover, particularly for tropical species.
Polygonatum(Solomon’s Seal).Liliaceæ.
Propagated by seed and by divisions.
Polygonum(Knot-Grass or Weed).Polygonaceæ.
Seeds. The perennials are also increased by divisions of the root-stocks, and by cuttings.
Polypodium(Polypody).Filices.
Divisions usually. SeeFerns.
Pomegranate(Punica granatum).Lythrœrieæ.
Largely by seeds, and all varieties are increased by cuttings, suckers, layers, and scarce sorts by grafting on a common sort.
Pomelo, Shaddock (Citrus Aurantium, var.pomelana).Rutaceæ.
Usually grown from seeds, but it may be budded upon pomelo or orange stocks, as in the Orange, which see.
Pontederia(Pickerel Weed).Pontederiaceæ.
Seeds rarely. Mostly by divisions.
Poppy.SeePapaver.
Populus(Poplar, Aspen, Cotton-wood).Salicineæ.
Seeds, sown as soon as ripe and raked in light soil. Suckers are also used. Most often increased by cuttings of ripe wood, taken in fall and spring. The weeping forms are stock-grafted upon upright sorts, as P. grandidentata.
Portugal Laurel.SeePrunus.
Portulaca(Purslane, Rose Moss).Portulaceæ.
The annuals are raised from seed. Varieties are sometimes propagated by cuttings.
Potato(Solanum tuberosum).Solanaceæ.
Tubers, either whole or variously divided. Also rarely stem cuttings. (Seepage 52.)
Potentilla, including Horkelia, Sibbaldia (Cinquefoil, Five-Finger).Rosaceæ.
Seeds, layers, divisions, green cuttings.
Poterium, including Sanguisorba (Burnet).Rosaceæ.
The herbaceous kinds are increased by seeds. The shrubs are raised from soft cuttings, under glass.
Premna, Baldingera.Verbenaceæ.
Seeds and soft cuttings.
Prickly Ash.SeeZanthoxylum.
Prickly Pear.SeeOpuntia.
Pride of India.SeeMelia.
Priestleya, including Achyronia.Leguminosæ.
Seeds. Cuttings of very young wood, under cover.
Prim.SeeLigustrum.
Primula, Polyanthus (Primrose, Cowslip).Primulaceæ.
Seeds, sown carefully in very fine soil, under glass. Some rare sorts are increased by division.
Prinos.SeeIlex.
Pritchardia.Palmæ.
Increased by seeds.
Privet.SeeLigustrum.
Prostanthera(Australian Mint).Labiatæ.
Seeds, divisions, and cuttings of growing shoots, usually by the last method.
Protea, Erodendron.Proteaceæ.
Seeds. Cuttings of growing wood, under cover.
Prune.SeePlum.
Prunus, Amygdalus.Rosaceæ.
The dwarf almonds (Amygdalus) are increased by seeds, divisions, cuttings, and by budding upon seedling plum or peach stocks; also by root-cuttings. Peach stocks give larger trees at first than plum stocks, but the trees are not so long-lived. Perhaps ten years may be considered the average life of most ornamental almonds upon the peach, while upon the plum they may persist twenty-five years or more. The ornamental cherries, peaches, etc., are propagated in essentially the same manner as the fruit-bearing varieties. SeeAlmond, Apricot, Cherry, Peach, Plum.P. Lauro-CerasusandP. Lusitanica, the cherry laurel and Portugal laurel, may be propagated by short cuttings of ripened wood, in a cool greenhouse in autumn.P. Pissardiiis said to be easily propagated by cuttings of the soft wood. This method succeedswell with many of the double-flowering plums and cherries, if the wood is grown under glass.
Pseudotsuga.Coniferæ.
Propagated the same as Abies, which see.
Psidium.SeeGuava.
Psoralea.Leguminosæ.
Seeds, divisions and cuttings of growing shoots, placed under glass. The tubiferous species, as the pomme blanche or Indian potato (P. esculenta) are increased by tubers or divisions of them.
Ptelea(Hop-tree).Rutaceæ.
Increased by seeds, sown in autumn or stratified, or by layers. The varieties may be grafted on the common forms.
Pteris(Brake, Bracken).Filices.
Easily grown from spores. SeeFerns.
Pterocarya.Juglandeæ.
Increased by seeds, suckers and layers.
Ptychosperma, Seaforthia (Australian Feather-palm).Palmæ.
Seeds.
Pulmonaria.SeeMertensia.
Pumpkin(Cucurbita, three species).Cucurbitaceæ.
Seeds, when the weather is settled.
Punica.SeePomegranate.
Puschkinia, Adamsia.Liliaceæ.
Increased by dividing the bulbs, which should be done every two or three years.
Pyrethrum.SeeChrysanthemum.
Pyrola(Shin-leaf, Wintergreen).Ericaceæ.
Propagated by division; very rarely from seeds.
Pyrus.Rosaceæ.
The ornamental species and varieties of apples and crabs are budded or grafted upon common apple stocks. The mountain ashes are grown from stratified seeds, which usually lie dormant until the second year, or the varieties are budded or grafted upon stocks of the common species (P. Aucuparia). Layers and green cuttings are occasionally employed for various species and varieties of pyrus. See alsoApple,Pear,Quince. It is a good plan to obtain stocks asnearly related to the plant which is to be propagated as possible;e. g., Parkman’s pyrus does better onP. floribundathan on the common apple stock.
Quamoclit.SeeIpomœa.
Quassia.Simarubeæ.
Cuttings of ripe shoots under glass.
Quercus(Oak).Cupuliferæ.
Stocks are grown readily from seeds, which may be sown in the fall without stratification. The evergreen species are sometimes grown from cuttings. Varieties are grafted on stocks grown from wild acorns. The stocks are potted in the fall and the grafting is performed in January and February, or sometimes in August.
Quince(Pyrus Cydonia,P. Japonica,P. Cathayensis).Rosaceæ.
All quinces can be grown from seeds, the same as apples and pears; but seeds are not common in the market, and are therefore little used in this country. The fruit-bearing quinces are propagated most cheaply by means of cuttings of mature wood. The cuttings are taken in the fall, and are stored in sand, moss or sawdust until spring, when they are planted out-doors. Long cuttings—10 to 12 inches—are usually most successful, as they reach into uniformly moist earth. Cuttings are usually made of the recent wood, and preferably with a heel, but wood two or three years old will usually grow. With some varieties and upon some soils, there is considerable uncertainty, and layerage is therefore often employed. Mound-layering (seepage 35) is practiced where extra strong plants are required. Long root-cuttings, treated like those of the blackberry and raspberry, will also grow. Many nurserymen bud or root-graft the better varieties upon stocks of Angers or other strong sorts. These stocks are imported or grown from seeds or cuttings. The Chinese quince succeeds upon the common quince. In order to secure extra strong plants and a uniform stand, some growers graft quince cuttings upon pieces of apple or pear roots. In such cases the plants should be taken up in the fall, when the quince will be found to have sent out roots of its own; the apple root should be removed, and the quince replanted the following spring in the nursery row, otherwise suckers frequently spring from the stock and interfere with the growth of the quince. The union is sufficient to nurse the cion for two or three years.