PROPAGATION OF PLANTS BY CUTTINGS. 77 



gation of most plants in this section of the country is at- 

 tended with great difficulty, and with but little success in 

 the months of June, July and August, and for this reason 

 some of the best European propagators fail, when attempt- 



ing the operation here in 

 July, with the thermom- 

 eter in the shade at 

 90, while in London 

 success may attend these 

 efforts at the same date ; 

 but then the thermome- 

 ter there only marks 

 70. This twenty de- 

 grees just makes the 

 difference. I have dwelt 

 thus long on the subject 

 of temperature, to fix in 

 the mind of the reader 

 what I believe to be of 

 great importance, and to 

 prepare him to under- 

 stand, if failure occurs, 

 where to place the cause, 

 for without much doubt 

 every case of failure is 

 traceable either to the 

 unsuitable condition of 

 the cutting, irregular- 

 Fig. 25,-spLiT CUTTING. ty of moisture, or tem- 

 perature. 



Tiie most proper condition of temperature, to root cut- 

 tings of the great majority of green-house and bedding 

 plants, is 65 degrees of bottom heat, indicated by a ther- 

 mometer plunged in the sand of the bench, and an atmos- 

 pheric temperature of 15 degrees less. A range of 10 de- 

 grees may be allowed, that is, 5 lower, or 5 higher, but 



