THE SECRET OF CUTTINGS 



or decayed at the bottom, I pulled it out 

 and put another in its place. In preparing 

 the slips I first cut them down to about 

 four inches in length, then I trim off all 

 but the two terminal leaves, and if these 

 leaves are more than an inch or two in 

 length, I cut even half of them off. The 

 object of this is to give the slip as little 

 work as possible to do in the way of sup- 

 porting leaves, so that all its strength may 

 go to the formation of the new roots. 

 Care must also be taken to provide plenty 

 of moisture, for if the slip is allowed to 

 become dry, even for a short time, the 

 leaves will wither, and when that happens 

 it cannot in most cases be revived. If the 

 water stands on, and completely saturates, 

 the sand in which the cuttings are rooting, 

 then they can bear the heat of the full sun- 

 shine, but if the sand or earth is only damp, 

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