CUTTAGE 



107 



If to be sent by sea, the further caution is necessary 

 "Keep away from salt water." Plants so packed may be 

 sent half around the world. On arrival, especially if dry, 

 they should be soaked, root and top, for a day or two 

 before being planted. If woody plants are badly dried 

 they may be buried in moist earth for a week to a month 

 with fair prospects of reviving. 



157. Media used for rooting cuttings have great in- 

 fluence upon the regulation of both moisture and tem- 

 perature, especially the former. They should be porous so 

 excess water will readily drain 

 away ; second, be retentive of cap- 

 illary water so there will always be 

 moisture enough to supply the cut- 

 tings with all they need while 

 callusing and making roots ; third, 

 they must not bake or crust after 

 watering. For outdoor work a 

 well-drained light, sandy loam of 

 moderate richness usually gives 

 best results ; heavy soil and muck 

 poorest. For indoor use, sphag- 

 num moss, cocoanut fiber and 

 specially prepared soils are all used 

 to some extent, but the great ma- 

 terial is river or builders' sand. The grade used should be 

 sharp, clean and as free as possible from organic matter. 

 If the greater portion will pass through a sieve of eight 

 meshes to the inch, but not through one of say 25, the 

 range will be about right. Some propagators prefer 

 sand near the coarse limit of this range, some near the 

 fine limit. To prevent damping-ofT (78) and other 

 troubles the sand should either be sterilized (80) or 

 freshly dug from a deep pit so as to be as free as possible 

 from organic matter. 



Whatever material is used the container must be well 

 drained. When cutting benches have bottoms of small 



FIG. 95 DOUBLE POT OF 

 CUTTINGS 



