PROPAGATION FROM CUTTINGS 



LESSON LXVII 



229 



PLANT PROPAGATION FROM CUTTINGS 



Purposes of plant propagation. The purpose of all 

 plant propagation is to obtain more individual plants 

 or newer strains of plants; to perpetuate a particular 

 variety; or to renew the generation and keep the stock 

 from dying out. Most farm crops and garden vege- 



FIG. 65. 



STEM CUTTING, OR SLIP, OF 

 COLE us 



tables reproduce the varieties wanted from seeds; but 

 most fruit trees and shrubs do not, and in such cases 

 the plants have to be reproduced by buds, grafts, layers, 

 or cuttings. AVe have already learned how plants propa- 

 gate by seeds, and how fruit trees may be made over 

 to the desired varieties by grafting. There remains an- 

 other common method of plant propagation to study, 

 known as cuttings. Cuttings may be made from soft or 



