Propagation, as applied to the vegetable world, may be defined as the art of multiplying the many and various plants cultivated in our gardens, either for their use or beauty. It is a subject well worth the attention of all, more especially the rising generation of young gardeners, for whom these few remarks are specially intended. I am aware there are many who attempt to set down young gardeners as a set of useless, dolts, who do not care either for private study or self-improvement. Doubtless there are black sheep in every flock; but I am proud to know that there are hundreds of hard-working, clear - thinking young gardeners, who anxiously look for their copy of this or other gardening periodical; and not only do they read, but "mark, learn, and inwardly digest," what is therein written for their guidance and benefit.

Propagation is effected by many different processes; and it is the duty and interest of the cultivator to discover and employ that plan or course of procedure best suited to the requirements of the subject he wishes to increase. A Fuchsia, for example, is easily multiplied ad infinitum by cuttings of the young wood. But suppose a Clematis is the subject we wish to propagate, or a Dammara, we shall then find that grafting a portion of wood similar to a cutting on pieces of the roots is the most expeditious and effective plan.

Although most " soft-wooded " and many " hard-wooded plants " are readily propagated from cuttings of the young wood, still we need not look far for exceptions to the general rule. The Grape Vine, for example, is best propagated from modified cuttings called "eyes," the thoroughly-ripened wood of the previous season's growth being cut up for the purpose; and the same remark applies to Poinsettia pulcher-rima. I may remark, that in some cases much time and trouble may be saved by inserting large cuttings. In the case of Justicea carnea, Clerodendron fallax, and C. fragrans, I have repeatedly struck pieces 1 foot or more long, and having three or four pairs of fine leaves. These are nice plants when rooted, which they will be in about a fortnight if the cutting-pots are plunged in a slight bottom-heat, and kept well sprinkled and moderately close. Again, the tops of Dracaenas, such as D. gracilis, D. congesta, D. terminalis, and D. Cooperii, are easily struck if taken off with a clean cut, and plunged in bottom-heat as recommended above. These tops may be taken off tall leggy specimens, and rooted in three weeks, forming nice little specimens for table-work, or for the drawing-room vases.

If, however, they are for the latter purpose, they must be carefully hardened off after being taken from the propagating case.

Many plants - as Gloxinias, large-leaved Begonias, and Bertolonias - may be readily increased by pegging the leaves down on pans of light earth surfaced with sand. The midribs and principal veins should be partly severed with a sharp knife previous to their being pegged down, and then several individuals will result from each separate leaf so treated.

Many plants are increased from what are technically called "offsets." These are produced naturally by many bulbous plants; but sometimes the cultivator employs art to accelerate the process. Thi3 is specially the case with the Hyacinth. The Dutch growers sever the bulbs in a maimer somewhat analogous to that in which the Potato-planter increases his "sets." This induces them to produce numerous "offsets" or bulbels from the part so severed, and these last are grown on as rapidly as possible to increase the stock. Calanthes readily produce new pseudo-bulbs from the scar caused by breaking the bulb where it is contracted in the centre, and also from the apices of entire pseudo-bulbs; while our pretty little friend, Pleione humilis, frequently bears a whole progeny of "offsets" on its old pseudo-bulbs previous to their ultimate decay. Every Orchid-grower knows with what profusion "offsets " are borne on the pseudo-bulbs of Dendrobium nobile and other species. When the preceding season's growth has not been well ripened, these "offsets" are produced in place of flowers.

Some plants - as Solanums, Sonchus, Ferdinandia, and Trichinium - are easily propagated in any quantity by cuttings of their roots. Experiments in this direction would doubtless extend the number of plants, which may be increased by the adventitious buds on their roots when the latter are placed in circumstances favourable to their production.

Grafting is not much resorted to by English gardeners in the multiplication of flowering or ornamental plants, although it is as applicable to the latter as it is to fruit-trees. Continental horticulturists avail themselves of this simple means of propagation very largely; and our own nurserymen are beginning to apply the art more generally in the case of Roses, Clematis, Daphne, Prunus, and many other flowering plants and ornamental shrubs. One of the quickest methods by which a stock of that admirable window or decorative plant, Ficus elastica, can be obtained, is to graft its shoots on the roots of the common Fig, Ficus carica.

Any one who has a close propagating case or two at hand may gain a great amount of practical information by experimenting with cuttings and scions on different stocks. Information gained in this way is far preferable to that obtained from books, the latter being the aids to knowledge, and the former the real knowledge itself. In the last issue of the ' Gardener,' mention was made of the late Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq., than whom few have derived more knowledge by way of experiment and studying out cause and effect. In the ' Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London' will be found many valuable papers written by himself, together with records of his instructive experiments, from which many of our best practical gardeners and botanists - including the late Dr Lindley - have been content to glean much valuable information. F. W. B.