160 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



REPRODUCTION BY CUTTINGS 



Many plants have the ability to reproduce asexually 

 through the use of special buds. These may develop 

 on the root, stem or leaf. By far the larger number of 

 greenhouse plants are reproduced through the agency of 

 special buds formed on various parts of the stem. 



125. Kinds of stem cuttings. Different species of 

 plants vary in the ease and rapidity of reproduction by 

 stem cuttings. As a rule, those plants which make a com- 

 paratively rapid growth and which, therefore, have soft, 

 succulent tissue, reproduce easily by cuttings. On the 

 other hand, those species which are of slower growth and 

 which have a harder, more compact cell structure, repro- 

 duce in this way with less ease. The method of making 

 cuttings varies with the hardness or compactness of the 

 tissue, and they are therefore classified as hardwood cut- 

 tings and softwood cuttings. 



Hardwood cuttings. Hardwood cuttings are seldom 

 made of greenhouse plants. The method is more generally 

 employed in propagating shrubs and other hardy, woody 

 plants. 



Softwood cuttings. Softwood cuttings are quite gen- 

 erally used in the propagation of such plants as chrysan- 

 themums, carnations, most bedding plants, and others 

 of a like nature. The method of making these varies 

 in many species, but the same rules may be given for all 

 greenhouse plants. 



126. Plants which may be propagated by softwood 

 cuttings. As a rule, all plants grown under glass which 

 naturally produce many buds on the stem surface may be 

 easily propagated from cuttings. If the plants show a 

 tendency to produce roots at the nodes of the stem, the 



