118 PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS 



or beds are used, which are so arranged that a gentle bottom 

 heat may be applied at any time. Either hot water or 

 steam may be used. The benches are filled with a fine clean 

 sand in which the cuttings are placed. If the single eye 

 cuttings are made of dormant wood they are first callused 

 as described above and then placed in the propagating 

 bench. The temperature is started at about fifty degrees 

 and gradually raised, through a period of several weeks 

 until a normal-growing condition is reached. If the cut- 

 tings are softwood or semi-dormant the callusing process 

 is omitted and the cuttings placed immediately in the prop- 

 agating bench. With this method the sand should be free 

 from organic matter to prevent decay. 



Simple Cuttings. This is the common form of cuttings 

 used in outdoor propagation. Grapes, figs, mulberries 

 and sometimes olives are grown by this method. One year 

 old dormant wood is usually taken ; although with the olive 

 and citrus fruits the semi-dormant is sometimes used. 

 As each fruit is treated somewhat differently in this method 

 of propagation each one will be considered separately. 



Grapes. The simple cutting is the only practical method 

 for propagating the grape. The cuttings are made either 

 in the fall after most of the leaves have dropped, or some- 

 time through the winter in connection with the pruning. 

 They should be made of well-matured wood of one season's 

 growth and should be from sixteen to twenty inches long. 

 The lower end should be cut close to the bud or node 

 and the upper end within a half inch of the node. If 

 cut late in the fall they may be transferred direct to the 

 nursery row. A good deep sandy loam is prepared as for 



