32 GARDENING INDOORS AND UNDER GLASS 
seventy degrees, an occasional light sprinkling will 
help to keep them fresh. 
Never let the sand dry out or all your work will 
be lost. Asa rule, it will require a thorough soak- 
ing every morning. 
With these precautions taken, the cuttings should 
begin to throw out roots in from eight to twenty 
days, according to conditions and varieties. Do not 
let them stay in the sand after the roots form; it 
is much better to pot them off at once, before the 
roots get more than half an inch long. If some 
of the cuttings have not rooted but show a granu- 
lated condition where they were cut, they will be 
safe to pot off, as they will, as a rule, root in the 
soil. 
The above method is the one usually employed. 
There is another, however, just as easy and more 
certain in results, especially where bottom heat 
cannot easily be had. It is called the “saucer” 
system of propagation. Make the cuttings as de- 
scribed above. Put the sand in a deep, water-tight 
dish, such as a glazed earthenware dish or a deep 
soup plate, and pack the cuttings in as thickly as 
necessary. Wet the sand to the consistency of mud 
and keep the dish in a warm light place. The 
temperature may be higher than when using the 
sand box, and there will not be a necessity for 
shading. The sand must be kept constantly satu- 
rated: that is the whole secret of success with this 
