51 
ing of cuttings, not only of Roses but of other plants, 
especially so with English and other florists not receiving 
their training in the United States, is that the cuttings 
must always be cut off below a joint; that is, that a joint 
should be retained on the extreme end of the cutting ; 
this would necessitate two joints on the cutting, one on 
top and one on the bottom, which is a great waste of 
cutting wood, a sefious disadvantage where new kinds 
are being propagated and cutting wood scarce, as with 
the two joint system it takes as much wood to make one 
‘cutting as would make two with the single-eye system. 
The joint on the end of the cutting has nothing to do 
with its rooting; of course it will root with the joint on 
the end, but it will root just as well if not better without 
the joint being there atall. Thisisa hard fact for foreign 
florists to learn when they first begin their operations in 
this country, but practice and experience will soon dem- 
onstrate the truth of all that has been said in favor of the 
‘one eyed system. With amateurs who have plenty of 
available cutting wood on their Roses, and do not wish 
to raise them in quantities, the above remarks will have 
no special interest, as where the wood is plenty two and 
three-eyed cuttings are equally suitable for their purpose. 
Atter the selection of proper cuttings, they are inserted 
in the beds in the propagation houses, in clear pure sand. 
No mud or vegetable matter of any kind, or soil of any 
description, is allowed among the sand; clean, gritty or 
sharp sand is best. The pipes that heat the propagation 
houses pass directly under the benches, and are boxed in 
with boards or other material so as to retain the greater 
portion of the heat directly under the cutting bed and 
cause the temperature of the sand in which the cuttings 
are inserted, or the bottom heat as it is generally called, 
to be several degrees warmer than the atmosphere of the 
