220 ON PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 



The kind of soil in which cuttings are planted depends on the greater 

 or less facility with which they emit roots. Cuttings of hardy trees and 

 shrubs that root easily are planted in common garden soil ; those that 

 ar somewhat difficult, in sand or sandy loam on a base of garden soil; 

 and those which are most difficult in sand or charcoal covered with a 

 hand or bell-glass. Cuttings of house plants are almost always planted 

 iii pots or boxes well drained, and the drainage covered, first, with a 



layer of good soil, or leaf 



166. mould, or peat, according Fig. 167. 



to the soil which the 

 plants to be propagated 

 naturally prefer ; next , 



with a stratum of sand, 

 in which the cuttings are * _ 



A cutting of a Cape Heath, planted. The sand ex- 

 prepared and planted ; the eludes the air and retains 

 dotted line in this and the as much moisture as is 

 following figures of cut- necessary f or tne existence A tting f a Epa ~ 

 tings represents the surface f .-, J ^ . . cris prepared and 



of the soil in the pot. of the cutting, and no p i anted . 



more, so that its lower 



end is not likely to rot ; and the stratum of soil below the sand supplies 

 nourishment to the roots as soon as .they penetrate through the sand. 

 The cuttings of Cape Heaths, and almost all plants whatever which are 

 difficult to root, are planted in pure white sand, which is quite free 

 from soil, metallic oxides, or salts. 



The depth to which cuttings are planted varies according to the 

 length and thickness of the cutting, but in general it should not be 

 Fig. 168. more than from half an inch to four inches. Willows maybe 

 inserted a foot deep ; gooseberries and currants six inches ; 

 common trees and shrubs nine or ten inches. 



In planting cuttings it is of importance to make them 

 quite firm at their lower ends, by pressing the sand or 

 soil about them with the dibber used in planting them ; or 

 in the case of large cuttings, such as those of common 

 laurel, which are planted in trenches, by pressure with 

 the foot. In the case of Cape Heaths and similar 

 cuttings planted in sand, the dibber or pricker, which 

 fe^ need not be larger than a knitting needle, is taken in the 

 right hand, while the cutting is held in the left, and, the 

 hole being made, the cutting is inserted nearly as deep 

 as the leaves have been clipped off', and the pricker is 

 again applied to close the sand round it, as closely and 

 compactly as possible, without bruising the cutting. 

 Large cuttings are planted in precisely the same manner, 

 young wood of but with a lar g er dibber. Large cuttings of kinds which 

 Acacia alata, are somewhat difficult to strike, when not planted in pure 

 prepared and sand, are made to touch and press against the bottom or 

 planted. sides of the pot, which is thought to facilitate their rooting. 



The distance at which cuttings are planted varies according to the 



