26 



ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION 



35. Verbena cutting ready 

 for transplanting 



surface of the ground. If the cuttings are to be grown 

 in a window, put three or four inches of the earth in 

 a shallow box or a pan. A soap 

 box cut in two lengthwise, so that 

 it makes a box four or five inches 

 deep like a gardener's flat is 

 excellent. Cuttings of common 

 plants, as geranium, coleus, fuch- 

 sia, carnation, are kept at a living- 

 room temperature. As long as the 

 cuttings look bright and green, 

 they are in good condition. It may be a month before 

 roots form. When roots have formed, the plants begin 

 to make new leaves at the tip. Then they may be trans- 

 planted into other boxes or into pots. The verbena in 

 Fig. 35 is just ready for transplanting. 



67. It is not always easy to find growing shoots from 

 which to make the cuttings. The best practice, in that 



case, is to cut back an 

 old plant, then keep it 

 warm and well watered, and 

 thereby force it to throw out 

 new shoots. The old geran- 

 ium plant from the win- 

 dow-garden, or the one 

 taken up from the lawn 

 bed, may be treated this 

 way. See Fig. 36. The 

 best plants of geranium 

 and coleus and most win- 

 dow plants are those which 

 are not more than one year 

 old. The geranium and 



36. Old geranium plant cut back to mate fuchsia Cuttings which are 

 it throw out shoots from which cut- i -r -n T. 



tings can be made. made in January, Feoru- 



