g CARE OF PLANTS. 



white roots. These roots in most cases have never 

 reached the soil, but are sent out into the semi- 

 dark, moist air, made so by the plant as a whole. 

 A good, strong crown will give from ten to twenty 

 cuttings, such as we have described, between the 

 first part of February and the middle of March. 

 As soon as the cuttings are removed they should 

 be thrown into a box with a lid or cover, so as to 



34. Lath box, or fiat, for rooted cuttings. 



keep them from wilting. When a sufficient quan- 

 tity has been cut they are trimmed up and placed 

 in soil as follows: 



Prepare the soil several weeks in advance, us- 

 ing four parts good rotten sod and one part finely 

 rotted manure. Mix thoroughly and screen through 

 an ordinary sand screen or anything having a simi- 

 lar-sized mesh. Keep the soil where it cannot 

 get too wet and never handle it when there is too 

 much moisture present. The soil being prepared, 

 make a lot of boxes, using for the ends strips 

 of undressed white pine one inch thick, three 



