ON PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 



225 



Fig. 173. 



ripen, and planted in sand or sandy loam, or sand and peat, root readily 

 in the greenhouse or covered frame. Cuttings of these and all other soft- 

 wooded plants may be divided 

 into one or more lengths; it 

 being only essential that there 

 should be two joints, one for 

 burying in the soil to emit roots, 

 and the other kept above the 

 soil to produce a shoot. The 

 cuttings of soft-wooded plants 

 which root best are laterals 

 which are of average strength. 



Cuttings of hard-wooded green- 

 house plants, such as camellias, 

 myrtles, evergreen acacias, and 

 most Cape and Australian shrubs 

 with comparatively broad leaves, 

 are more difficult to root than 

 soft-wooded greenhouse plants. 



c a fuMa d ^ 



planted. 



The cuttings are made from the points of the shoots after the 

 spring growth has been completed, and before the young wood 

 is thoroughly ripened. If put in in February or March, such 

 cuttings will be fit to transplant in July or August. Sometimes they 

 are put in in autumn, or the beginning of winter, in which case 

 they will not root till the following spring, Fig. 174. 



and must be kept cool till that season. In 

 either case, all the leaves must be kept 

 on, except one, or at most two, on the 

 lower end of the cutting, which need not 

 be planted more than an inch in depth, 

 and should in general be covered with a 

 bell-glass. 



Cuttings of the Underground Stems and 

 Roots. A great many plants, both ligneous 

 and herbaceous, may be propagated by 

 cuttings of the underground stems, as in 

 the liquorice ; and of the roots, as in 

 the common thorn, and most of the 

 Rosacese. The roots may be cut into 

 lengths of from three to six or nine inches, and planted in free soil, 

 with the tops just above the surface. Care must be taken that the 

 upper end of the cutting, or that which was next the stem before it 

 was separated from the plant, be kept uppermost, for if that is not 

 done, the cutting will not grow so well. This is the case even with 

 cuttings of the horse-radish and sea- kale ; but if cuttings of the roots 

 of these and similar plants are laid down horizontally, and but slightly 

 covered with soil, they will protrude buds from what was the upper 

 end before removal, and send out roots from the lower end. All roses 

 may be propagated by cuttings, and all fruit-trees which are seedlings, 



Q 



A cutting of the young wood 

 of a camellia, prepared and 

 planted. 



