122 



PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE. 



those of but little importance, cuttings of all kinds root 

 freely from slips taken from the young wood, that is, the 

 young growth, before it gets hardened, and when in the 

 condition indicated by the " snapping test," as it is called. 

 I believe I was the first to call attention to this valuable 

 test of the condition of the cutting (snapping), in " Prac- 

 tical Floriculture," first published in 1868. A very gen- 

 eral idea is current that cuttings must be cut at or below 

 an eye or joint. The practice of this method is not only 

 rarely necessary, but it leads undoubtedly to many cases 

 of failure; not that the cutting at or below a joint either 



hinders or assists the 

 formation of roots, 

 but from the fact 

 that, when a slip is 

 cut at a joint, the 

 shoot often has ' be- 

 come too hard at that 

 point, while at half 

 an inch higher up, or 

 above the joint, the 

 proper condition will 

 be found. I know 

 that it will root, even 

 when in the too hard 

 condition, but the 

 roots emitted will be 

 hard and slender, 

 and, as a conse- 



Fig. 30. DAHLIA CUTTING. 



quence, will not be 

 likely to make a plant 

 of the same vigor as one made from the cutting in the 

 proper state; besides, as the hard cutting takes a longer 

 time to root, its chances of failing from unfavorable at- 

 mospheric conditions are thus increased. 

 Although we have said that cuttings can be as easily 



