How TO PLANT HARD- WOOD CUTTINGS 67 



(3) Plant both kinds of cuttings with about one-fourth of their lengths 

 above the soil surface. 



Hard Wood Cuttings. The beginner should not put too much 

 emphasis on the word "hard," for cuttings are more or less hard, accord- 

 ing to nature of the plant from which they are taken and at the time they 

 are taken. When the growth of a woody plant passes from the succulent 

 stage to the development of tough fiber it begins to be hard and such fiber 

 progressively develops until the new growth matures and assumes a dis- 

 tinctly woody character. Some plants root readily from cuttings all 



Hard wood cuttings and way of planting. 



through this progressive period. Others show readier rooting during its 

 earlier than its later stages. For example, many shrubs can be best started 

 from cuttings of the half-ripened wood started in wet sand during the 

 summer months. The cuttings should be taken just as the young growth 

 is changing from a succulent to a woody state. Weigelas, spireas, philadel- 

 phus and many other shrubs propagate very readily in this manner. Other 

 growths start more readily a little later in the maturing, and others are 

 very easy when fully dormant. Some, like the rose, root readily all through 

 these changing stages providing conditions in air and soil are kept right 

 to prevent drying out. From this it may be rightly inferred that cuttings are 

 generally to be taken from the current season's growth or what is called 

 "new wood," but this is not always essential, for some plants root readily 

 from older growth. Hard wood cuttings are usually made by cutting just 

 below a bud at the lower end because the harder tissue is thicker at that 

 point, and less pith is disclosed. But this is not always desirable ; in fact, a 

 callus often forms more quickly if the cut is made between the nodes or 

 "joints," because the tissues are a little softer and the cells more active. 

 This contrast is related to what has been said previously about heat and 

 moisture as involved in the growth of cuttings of different densities or 



