PROPAGATION OF PLANTS BY CUTTINGS. 



75 



below a joint, as in figure 24, it is worthless, as the tubers 

 and crown formed without an eye possess no latent or 

 dormant buds ; hence the importance of always making 

 Dahlia cuttings by cutting immediately below an eye, if 

 the roots are wanted for future use. 



In cases where it is desired to make the most of new 

 plants, we sometimes 

 split the cuttings, as 

 shown in figure 25. 

 This method, however, 

 is not generally desir- 

 able, and we question 

 if, except in cases of 

 Calceolarias, and a few 

 other plants of like 

 character, it is ever 

 worthy of practice. 



If a plant is perpet- 

 uated by cuttings with 

 difficulty, we usually 

 find it is freely increas- 

 ed in some other way ; 

 thus the Cyclamen, 

 Myrsiphylium, some 

 varieties of Cleroden- 

 dron, etc., are slow to 

 increase by division or cut! ings, but are abundantly multi- 

 plied by seeds. Again, the Bouvardias, Anemone Japoni- 

 ca, Pyrus Japonica, Calycanthus, etc., are slowly increased 

 by cuttings or shoots, while by cuttings of the roots they 

 are propagated with the greatest ease and rapidity. 



The roots of such plants are thickly studded with latent, 

 or, as they are termed, adventitious buds. These are cut 

 into pieces of half an inch or so in length, as in figure 26, 

 strewn thickly on the propagating bench, and covered 

 over with an eighth of an inch of sand ? mixctf with some 



Ficr. 23. ROSK WITH SEVERAL EYES. 



