204 Principles of Plant Culture. 



three- fourths inch deep, in order that the developing 

 bud may readily reach the surface. Cuttings of more 

 than one bud may be placed upright or at an angle, at 

 such a depth that the bud at the distal end (116) is about 

 on a level with the surface. In cuttings of shrubby 

 plants desired to produce a single stem, the central buds 

 should be rubbed off before planting, leaving but one or 

 two buds at the distal end (Fig. 97). 



376. Propagation from Cuttings of the Root. Plants 

 that naturally sucker from the root (347) and some 

 others may be propagated from short pieces of the root 

 (root cuttings'). For this purpose roots of about the 

 thickness of a lead- pencil are commonly cut into pieces 



one to three inches long (Fig. 

 100), as soon as growth ceases 

 in autumn, and packed in 

 FIG. 100. Root cutting of black- boxes with alternate layers of 



berry. (After Bailey). mo j st ^^ Qr mosg> The fcoxes 



are preferably stored in a cool cellar where they may be 

 examined from time to time during winter; the sand 

 or moss should be moistened when it appears dry. Boot 

 cuttings of diiferent varieties of the same plant often 

 require different degrees of temperature to induce the 

 formation of callus and buds, hence the boxes should be 

 frequently examined, particularly toward spring, in order 

 that those in which the cuttings are backward in starting 

 may be placed in a higher temperature. Thus treated, 

 root- cuttings of many hardy plants, as the plum, rasp- 

 berry, blackberry, juneberry etc., often form both buds 

 and rootlets by spring, so that they may be planted 

 directly in the open ground. Those of more tender species, 



