4 6 



THE NURSERY-BOOK. 



Fig. 41. Forsyth's Cut- 

 ting-pot. 



torn, a, and fine soil the top, c. Water stands in the inner pot 

 as high as the dotted line and feeds uniformly into the surround- 

 ing soil. The positions of the water and 

 soil are frequently reversed, but in that 

 case there is less space available for cut- 

 tings. Neumann's cutting-pot is shown in 

 Fig. 42. This contains an inverted pot in 

 the center, a, designed to supply drainage 

 and to admit heat into the center of the 

 mass of soil. 



Some kind of protection, commonly 

 combined with bottom heat, is always given 

 cuttings made from the soft and growing 

 parts. In in-door work, any of the devices named above may 

 be employed, but a box like that shown in Fig. 32 is one of 

 the most useful for common operations. Or the greenhouse 

 itself may afford sufficient protection, especially if the cuttings 

 are shaded when first set to check evaporation from the plant 

 and soil, and to prevent too great heat. This shading is usually 

 supplied by whitewashing the glass, or a newspaper may be laid 

 over the cutting bed for a few days. A greenhouse table or 

 bench prepared for the growing of cuttings is known as a " cut- 

 ting bench." If the cuttings become too dry or too hot, they 

 will wilt or "flag." In out-door work soft cuttings are usually 

 placed in an ordinary cold frame, and these frames must be 

 shaded. They may be placed under trees or on the shady side 

 of a building, or if they are numerous, 

 as in commercial establishments, a cloth 

 screen ^should be provided as shown in 

 Fig. 5, page 13. 



Soils and General Methods. Soil for 

 all cuttings should be well drained. It 



Fig. 42. Neumann's Cut. should not be so compact as to hold a 



ting-pot. great quantity of water, nor should it be 



so loose as to dry out very quickly. It 



should not "bake" or form a crust on its surface. As a rule, 

 especially for cuttings made of growing parts, the soil should 



