PROPAGATION 29 



the cuttings are liable to " hang " and eventually die off. 

 In depth, the compost should measure about 4 to 6 

 inches, and over its surface should be spread evenly and 

 liberally some sharp silver sand or road grit. 



The next question which brings itself before the mind 

 of the grower is the taking and preparation of the 

 cuttings. Cuttings may be divided into two classes : 

 those with little rootlets, and those cuttings that are 

 merely the young shoots which break away from the 

 side and base of the plant. Both are good types of 

 cuttings, but of course the advantage will be with the 

 cutting having the rootlets attached. It was to this end 

 that we advised the use of the mulching material which 

 helps to promote the growth of rootlets on the young 

 basal growths. In such cases half the battle is over, as 

 these will rapidly develop into plants. There is much 

 greater likelihood of their living, and they will quickly 

 pass through that period of apparent standing-still, which 

 cuttings possessing no rootlets pass through during the 

 formation of their first roots. However, it is not always 

 possible to obtain all we want in this way, and in the 

 case of cuttings with no rootlets attached, providing they 

 are inserted in a proper manner, and well looked after, 

 there is no reason why they should not, every one of 

 them, turn out a fine plant in the course of about two 

 months or less. 



There is also a third type of cutting which the grower 

 should vigorously eschew. This is known as a stem 

 cutting, and simply consists of one of the more or less 

 hollow stems of a plant. Of course, this is old, and 

 being hollow withal, makes a very bad cutting. Un- 

 fortunately, sometimes there are no cuttings to be had 

 from a plant other than these stem cuttings, and in such 

 cases, of course, there is nothing else to do, but to use 

 them ; but at the best, they are merely makeshifts, and 

 it behoves the grower to steer clear of cuttings of 



