THE FLOKAL WOELD AND GARDEN GriDE. 



75 



likely to be exposed to draughts, if they are placed in pots or pans 

 in an ordinary greenhouse, and thus much subjected to evaporation, 

 the leaves must be reduced in mimber, and all the larger ones must 

 be cut half away. 



Another matter of importance in making cuttings is to determine 

 whether they are to be rooted from a joint or not. Most cultivators 

 prefer to cut the shoot close under a joint, so as to obtain roots 

 from that joint. But there is no occasion to cut to a joint; any 

 and every one of the plants ordinarily propagated at this time of 

 year will root as quickly from the " interuode" — that is, the portion 

 of stem intermediate betw^een two joints — as from the joints them- 

 selves. This is of great 

 importance when cuttings 

 are scarce, as a shoot will 

 often furnish half-a-dozen 

 cuttings, if taking them 

 at a joint is of no conse- 

 quence ; and only one or 

 two, perhaps, if taking 

 them at a joint is impera- 

 tive. 



The size of the cut- 

 tings is a matter of great 

 importance. As a rule, 

 the smaller they are the 

 better. Still, if very soft, 

 many may damp off unless 

 very skilfully handled, so the amateur must 

 secure them moderately firm. Three or four 

 joints will generally suffice of most things, or 

 say nice plump shoots of from one to two 

 inches long. If young side-shoots are scarce, 

 longer shoots may be cut up in lengths of 

 three joints ; and if it is a question of raising 

 the largest possible number of plants from 

 the fewest cuttings, then one joint and its 

 accompanying leaf v.ill suffice. Suppose we 

 have a shoot of a verbena placed in our hands 

 to make the most of it ; we should first cut it 

 into as many lengths as there were joints, 

 leaving each leaf untouched, and to every 

 joint as much stem as could be got by cutting 

 just over instead of just under the joints. 

 Then with a sharp knife we should split each 

 of these joints in half, so as to have one bud 

 and leaf to each split portion, and from every one of these we 

 should expect a good plant. We say nothing now of propagating 

 from leaves, etc., because we are writing for beginners, and all the 

 .higher departments of propagating are from time to time dealt with 

 in these pages as occaj^ion renders necessary. 



Potting the Cuttings. — The most convenient way of dis- 



