PROPAGATION 189 



soil at several points, and when these form roots, they are cut 

 up into separate plants. Grapes, honeysuckles, wistaria, and 

 many others may be propagated thus. Branches that rise 

 from the base of shrubs often form roots and may be removed 

 to form new plants. This process is often hastened by the 

 grower, who first cuts back the plant to make it throw up 

 numerous shoots and then heaps the soil up around them so 

 that they will root. This is known as mound layering. What 

 is essentially a form of layering may be often seen in green- 

 houses where various tropical species, such as the rubber plant, 

 are multiplied by tying a ball of wet moss about a branch near 

 the tip, first injuring the bark to make it root at that point. 

 The moss is kept wet and in due time is filled with roots, after 

 which the branch is cut off. This is called air layering or pot 

 layering. 



The sand box. Although established plants thrive only in 

 rich soil, cuttings root better in clean, sharp sand. The willow, 

 wandering Jew, and nasturtium root readily in water. The 

 nurseryman roots his cuttings in beds of moist sand in the 

 greenhouse, but for home work a box of sand set in a shady 

 place and covered with glass or thin cloth is very useful. 

 Care should be taken to see that the sand is free from inju- 

 rious fungi and insects, and after being used for one lot of 

 cuttings should be sterilized by baking or pouring boiling 

 water through it before it is used for another. The cuttings 

 should be given a warm and even temperature and should 

 not be allowed to suffer for water or fresh air. 



Budding. Budding does not increase the number of plants, 

 but it may be employed to increase the number of a certain 

 kind. It is really a form of transplanting whereby the bud of 

 a desirable species is made to grow upon one less desirable 

 and thus change the nature of the plant. It is used for mak- 

 ing worthless species productive, for multiplying forms that 

 will not come true from seeds, and for hastening the fruiting 



