74 



THE FLORAL WORLD AKD GARDEN' GUIDE, 



ing any particular skill to remove tliem. Select one of these plump 

 sboots, of an inch or an inch and a half long, press the thumb 

 against it, and it will snap away " with a heel" — that is, with a 

 thickened ba^e, the separation taking place at the point where it 

 issues out of the old wood. When you have removed it, it will 

 probablv have such an appearance as in Fig. ]. All that this re- 

 quires "for its preparation is to remove the bud wliich has just 



started near the base of the 

 cutting, so as to leave a 

 sufficient length of clear 

 stem to insert the cutting 

 in sand firmly. When so 

 inserted, and kept moist, 

 warm, and shaded, roots 

 will soon be formed at the 

 base, and as soon as the 

 roots have begun to run in 

 search of nourishment the 

 top of the shoot will begin 

 to gj'ow, which is the sign 

 for potting off. But sup- 

 pose we have a chrysanthe- 

 mum instead of a fuchsia. 

 This will have a mass of 

 tender shoots rising from 

 the root, and there is no 

 need to seek to take these 

 off with a heel. With a 

 knife, a pair of scissors, or 

 the thumb-nail, remove a 

 small shoot of not more 

 than three inches in length 

 — two inches will be sufficient. This will probably have some such 

 aspect as in Fig, 2, All the preparation this requires is the removal 

 of the lower leaf, to make a sufficient length of clear stem for insert- 

 ing it in silver sand. Or suppose we have a hard-wooded plant of 

 robust growth, and which is known to be easily rooted, then we 

 may venture to take a still larger cutting. Here is a side-shoot of 

 Veronica Lindleyana (Fig. 3) ; it consists of four joints, is young, 

 the wood not yet hardened, and needs no preparation at all, because 

 there is a proper length of stem for its insertion. But in the case 

 of plants having large fleshy leaves, it may sometimes be needful to 

 crop ofi' half of every leaf except those next the top bud; but, as a 

 rule, as many leaves should be allowed to remain as possible, because 

 the more leaves that can be kept alive while the cutting is making 

 roots, the quicker will it become a plant. No definite rule can be 

 given on this head to guide the inexperienced. It all depends upon 

 how many leaves can be kept alive. If the cuttings are to enjoy a 

 brisk heat, say 70', with plenty of atmospheric moisture, then nearly 

 all the leaves may be left entire, and especially if the cut ings are in 

 a close propagating frame, or under bell-glasses. But if they are 



Fig. 2. 



