KEEPING SOFT CUTTINGS ALIVE FOR LONG PERIODS. 1 



By George W. Oliver, Plant Breeder and Propagator, Office of Foreign Seed and 



Plant Introduction. 



It has often been found desirable to bring soft or herbaceous plant 

 cuttings from long distances, but the difficulty heretofore attending 

 their transportation has been that the cuttings do not remain in 

 good condition longer than a day or two. This difficulty has been 

 removed by an exceedingly simple contrivance. 



Dormant hard-wooded cuttings and scions can be sent long dis- 

 tances by mail, as was demonstrated a few years ago in a collection 

 of scions and bud sticks forwarded to Mr. William S. Lyon, at that 

 time in the service of the Government of the Philippine Islands. 

 Not only did the material reach its destination in good condition, 

 but some of it was repacked according to instructions and returned 

 to Washington, where it was successfully grafted in the greenhouses 

 of the Department of Agriculture. 



Soft or herbaceous cuttings, on the other hand, such as those of 

 alfalfa, clover, and many other plants, can not be sent long dis- 

 tances by mail or express, but they will survive a journey of six 

 weeks in perfect condition if kept where they can be given light 

 occasionally and attention is paid to supplying the water lost 

 through evaporation. This treatment in the case of alfalfa and 

 many other plants induces healthy root action during a journey of 

 several weeks' duration. 



The apparatus for successfully bringing cuttings of herbaceous 

 plants from distant places is of the simplest nature. The necessary 

 articles are a small quantity of living sphagnum moss, two sheets of 

 strong glass, 5 by 7 inches or larger, and some string. The cuttings 

 should be prepared in much the same way as though intended to be 

 placed in a propagating bed. 



Arrange the first layer of cuttings without too much crowding and 

 with the upper surfaces of the leaves on the first piece of glass and 

 on top of the cuttings, and place about 2 or 3 inches of living sphag- 

 num moss evenly distributed over the cuttings. Place another layer 

 of cuttings on top of this moss, with the under surfaces of the leaves 

 next to the moss, so that all the available space will be covered, and 



i Issued Feb. l, 1913. 

 [Cir. Ill | 29 



