26 



ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION 



surface of the ground. If the cuttings are to be grown 

 in a window, put three or four inches of the earth in 

 a shallow box or a pan. A soap 

 box cut in two lengthwise, so that 

 it makes a box four or five inches 

 deep — like a gardener's flat — is 

 excellent. Cuttings of common 

 plants, as geranium, coleus, fuch- 

 sia, carnation, are kept at a living- 

 room temperature. As long as the 

 cuttings look bright and green, 

 they are in good condition. It maj^ be a month before 

 roots form. When roots have formed, the plants begin 

 to make new leaves at the tip. Then they may be trans- 

 planted into other boxes or into pots. The verbena in 

 Fig. 35 is just ready for transplanting. 



67. It is not always easy to find growing shoots from 



Verb.:nu cutting readj' 

 for transplanting 



which to make the cutting? 



30. Old geranium plant cut back to make 

 it throw out shoots from which cut- 

 ting! can be made. 



The best practice, in that 

 case, is to cut back an 

 old plant, then keep it 

 irarm and ivell ivatered, and 

 thereby force it to throiv out 

 neio shoots. The old geran- 

 ium plant from the win- 

 dow-garden, or the one 

 taken up from the lawn 

 bed, may be treated this 

 way. See Fig. 36. The 

 best plants of geranium 

 and coleus and most win- 

 dow plants are those which 

 are not more than one year 

 old. The geranium and 

 fuchsia cuttings which are 

 made in January, Febru- 



