88 



wise, so that it makes a box four or five inches deep — like a 

 gardener's flat — is excellent. 



If the box does not receive direct sunliglit, it may be covered with 

 a pane of glass to prevent evaporation ; and then the children may 

 see the plants more readily. But take care that the air is not kept 

 too close, else the dam ping-off fungi may attack the cuttings and 

 they will rot at the surface of the ground. See that the pane is 

 raised a little at one end to afford ventilation ; and if water collects 

 in drops on the under side of the glass, remove the pane for a time. 



Cuttings of common plants, 

 as geranium, coleus, fuchsia, 

 carnations, should be kept 

 in a living-room tempera- 

 ture. 



The pictures are better 

 than words. The line across 

 them shows where the soil 

 comes. There are softwood 

 cuttings of geranium (Fig. 

 46), carnation (Fig. 47), and 

 rose (Fig. 48) ; and there 

 is a gardener's cutting-bed 

 (Fig. 49) with cuttings of carnations and roses. 



Be patient. As long as the cuttings look bright and green, they 

 are safe. It may be a month before roots form. When roots have 

 formed, the plants will begin to make new leaves at the tip. Then 

 they may be transplanted into other boxes or into pots. The ver- 

 bena in Fig. 50 is just ready for transplanting. Each child will 

 want a plant. 



It is not always easy to find growing shoots from which to make 

 the cuttings. The best practice is to cut back some old plant 

 severely, then keep it warm and well watered, and thereby force it 

 to throw out new shoots. The old geranium plant from the window 

 garden, or the one taken up from the lawn bed, may be served this 

 way. See Fig. 51. This may seem hard treatment, but that is all 

 the old plant is good for ; it has passed its usefulness for bloom. 



480 



50. — Verbena cutting ready for tranftplantiiig. 

 TiDothirds natural size. 



