HARD-WOODED CUTTINGS 15 



a pair of hinges in our back. But it must be gone through with, for 

 there is no other way of doing the work satisfactorily. The workman 

 provides himself with a straight-edge, e.g. a lath 2 inches in width 

 and cut just to measure the width of the light. This he lays squarely 

 along the back, and against its front edge inserts his cuttings at from 



1 inch to 2 inches apart according to their size. He firms each 

 cutting with his dibble, and when the row is complete he turns his 

 straight-edge on its edge, removes it without loosening any of the 

 cuttings, and lays it down again with its back edge flush with the 

 row of cuttings. This he repeats in every row, so that they are all 



2 inches apart. The neat workman grades his cuttings and gets the 

 higher ones in the centre, grading down so that the shortest are at 

 either end. You may say there is not much in that : perhaps not, 

 but it shows the neat and keen workmanship of a man who likes 

 his job. 



When the space is filled, a good watering is given to settle the sand 

 well about the cuttings, the light is put on and immediately shaded. 

 Every morning during the warm weather a very slight sprinkling is 

 given just to keep the atmosphere moist and the foliage fresh. 

 Usually a callus has formed before the autumn has gone, and roots 

 begin to come quite early in the spring. Protection must be given 

 during very sharp weather, and on favourable days throughout the 

 winter the light should be lifted and the cuttings inspected in case 

 of damping off. The only remedy against damp is to admit air by 

 a slight tilting of the light on a bright yet mild day. 



If they have done well they should make such roots during the 

 spring months that by the time the lights are wanted for the next 

 lot of cuttings they should have been transplanted into nursery beds. 



