CLASSES OF CUTTINGS 



127 



back and a wooden knife or a large label sharpened on 

 one edge thrust obliquely in the sand (Fig. 43) to 

 the required depth beside the board at the back of the 

 bed and drawn toward the aisle, thus making a trench 

 with a vertical and solid sand wall on one side and an 

 oblique rather loose one on the other. The board is then 

 removed, the cuttings placed at proper intervals against 

 the vertical wall and loose sand from the other side 

 pressed against each with the fingers (Fig. 43). After 

 all are in position the bed is drenched with a fine rose 

 sprinkler to settle the sand. Newspapers are then spread 



FIG. 113 VARIOUS STYLES OF WATERING POTS 



A, adjustable to any position; b, reaches far; c, common style; d, long- 

 necked form without nose; e, common style but with long neck. 



over the cuttings (Fig. 18) to check transpiration and 

 evaporation for a week or two. Strong sunshine is very 

 injurious until the cuttings have made roots (Fig. 91), 

 because the stems cannot take up water and because the 

 leaves give off moisture more or less rapidly. Hence 

 the necessity for great care in watering and shading, the 

 former to keep both sand and cuttings moist ; the latter 

 to keep the air around the leaves humid. 



In a small way green wood cuttings may be started 

 in flower pots, saucers or soup plates two-thirds filled 

 with sand and then kept brimming full of water. Bottom 

 heat, when necessary, may be supplied at the back of the 

 kitchen stove. It is not essential to shade these plates 

 even when set in full sunlight. 



Another method of placing "soft wood" cuttings in the 

 sand bed is to press the edge of a window pane vertically 



