LECT. in RAISING PLANTS, CROPS, AND TREES 47 



in damp sandy soil, and exposed to the sun and air, 

 they do not take up moisture through the cut ends 

 so fast as it escapes from the leaves, therefore these 

 droop, wither, fall, and the cuttings die. 



But if quickly made and inserted in similar soil, and 

 a tumbler or bell-glass is pressed down over them 

 and shaded from the sun, the escape of moisture from 

 the leaves is prevented ; these then remain fresh and 

 roots form. 



The production of roots is formed by the sinking of 

 the sap, this collecting at the base and forming a lip 

 or cushion, known as a callus, from which roots 

 protrude. When this occurs and growth starts the 

 young plants must have sun and air. 



Cuttings of fruit trees and bushes are best inserted 

 in the autumn as soon as the leaves can be shaken off, 

 because the sap is descending then, and the earth is 

 still warm, therefore rooting commences quickly ; if 

 the work is deferred till the sap commences rising in 

 spring most of the cuttings may die. Young firm 

 wood made in the summer, in some cases with a heel 

 of the old wood, is the right kind to choose. 



The ends of all cuttings should be made quite smooth 

 close under a joint with a sharp knife, as a clean 

 wound heals quickly, a jagged wound slowly. 



How cuttings of bush fruits are made and inserted 

 is shown in Fig. 7, page 48. 



On the left side all the buds are cut clean out of 

 the cutting except four at the top for forming the 

 branches, then with proper pruning we eventually 

 have a clean-stemmed fruitful bush as shown. On 

 the opposite side the cutting is inserted with all the 

 buds on the stem from which sucker growths may 

 issue, as indicated by the lines. The result of this 

 is a confusion of growths as shown in the miniature 

 plant below, and which cannot be converted into a 



