PROPAGATION OF THE FIG. i esha 
show no marked improvement, renew the water and make it as hot as 
before. But if an improvement is seen, renew with somewhat cooler 
water. The cuttings should remain immersed for twelve hours or 
overnight, after which drain off the water, rinse the cuttings, and 
transfer them to a box. Fill the box and pack as tightly as possible 
with moist sand. The box should then be placed in a hole in the 
ground and covered at least 2 feet deep with fresh soil. In twenty- 
four hours the cuttings may be taken out. If there was any life left in 
the cuttings they will now have sufficiently recovered to be planted, 
If they yet remain dry there is but little hope, though if very valuable 
they may again be transferred to water as before and given another 
trial. The writer has in this way revived cuttings which were pro- 
nounced dead and which when cut did not show any sign of sap. 
Such revived cuttings must be planted and cared for in an entirely 
different way from other cuttings. They should never be planted in 
the open ground, at least not at once, but must first be started under 
glass in a low frame placed directly on the ground. The frame should 
be slanting toward the north and covered with thickly whitewashed 
glass. The soil should be very sandy, and a layer of pure sand should 
be placed over the soil in such a way that when planted the bottom 
end of the cuttings will rest in the sand, but immediately over the 
soil. Only living wood must be planted. As soon as the cuttings are 
planted with only their tips protruding over the sand, the frame may 
be well watered once and then covered. After that no more watering 
is required, as a single additional watering may prove fatal to all the 
euttings, until they have started and grown several inches. The 
glass should not be lifted, and no extra air is required until green 
leaves begin to show. The main point is to keep the frame cool and 
as dry as possible without allowing the cuttings to suffer. Asa rule, 
even in very warm and dry weather, the frame will retain its first 
moisture for a month or more. The least excess of moisture will 
cause the cuttings to rot. Of course the young plants can not be 
removed until the next season. It is of very great importance that 
no dead wood should be left and planted, and such cuttings only 
should be used which show a flow of sap, and even if the sap be faint 
and watery the cuttings should be planted. The sap will in a few 
days become milky if the cuttings grow. If dead wood is planted it 
will draw upon the sap supply and finally rot, even if the eye has 
started and made a shoot. Such cuttings should, if possible, be cut 
to a joint. In watering such cuttings care should be taken in using 
only very pure water from wells or springs, as ditch water is likely to. 
produce rot or other fungus growth in the bed. 
SEEDLINGS. 
Figs may be grown readily from perfect seeds; but, as only capri- 
ficated figs, or figs which have grown close to caprifigs or to figs with 
23740—No, 9—01——11 
