^8 PLANT PROPAGATION 



speed. Everything is arranged conveniently for a right 

 handed man as follows : The soil is piled on the potting 

 bench. At the left are the empty two-inch pots, in front 

 are the cuttings, at the right an empty flat for the potted 

 cuttings. Both hands work at once thus : 1. The right 

 seizes a handful of soil, the left an empty pot. 2. The pot 

 placed in front of the operator is filled with part of the 

 soil in the right hand while the now released left hand 

 seizes a cutting. 3. The index finger of the right hand is 

 thrust in the soil in the center of the pot, the left places 

 the cutting in it. 4. The right discharges some soil 

 around the cutting and both hands seize the pot be- 



FIG. 48 WRONG AND RIGHT WAYS TO FILL POTS 

 A, too full; b, not full enough and plant too deeply set; c, right. 



tween the first and second fingers, the index fingers being 

 on side of the pot remote from the operator's body. This 

 holds the pot firmly while (5) the thumbs, first parallel, 

 with, and then at right angles to the body, one on each 

 side of the cutting, press the soil firmly and uniformly. 

 Then, 6, the right hand places the filled pot with a smart 

 rap in the flat and the left hand seizes another empty 

 pot. If the motions are practiced slowly and carefully 

 at first, speed will soon develop as the hands learn to 

 make no false moves. Just as good work can be done 

 speedily as slowly! 

 87. Care needed in potting. Simple though potting is, 



