CULINARY HERBS 35 



The other perennial and biennial herbs may be 

 readily propagated by means of stem cuttings or 

 "slips," which are generally as easy to manage as 

 verbenas, geraniums and other ''house plants." The 

 cuttings may be made of either fully ripened wood 

 of the preceding or the current season, or they may 

 be of firm, not succulent green stems. After trim- 

 ming off all but a few of the upper leaves, which 

 should be clipped to reduce transpiration, the cut- 

 tings — never more than 4 or 5 inches long — should 

 De plunged nearly full depth 

 in well-shaded, rather light, 

 porous, well-drained loam, 

 where they should remain 

 undisturbed until they show 

 evidences of growth. Then 

 they may be transplanted. ^ 



While in the cutting bed V^^^^^^^/ 



they must never be allowed ^, „ , „ . „ ^ 



•' ^ ^ Flower Pot Propagating Bed 



to become dry. This is espe- 

 cially true of greenwood cuttings made during the 

 summer. These should always have the coolest, 

 shadiest corner In the garden. The cuttings taken 

 in the spring should be set in the garden as soon 

 as rooted ; but the summer cuttings, especially if 

 taken late, should generally be left in their beds un- 

 til the following spring. They may, however, b£ 

 removed for winter use to window boxes or the 

 greenhouse benches. 



Often the plants grown in window boxes may 

 supply the early cuttings, which may be rooted in 

 the house. Where a greenhouse is available, a few 



