220 PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS 



An ideal soil for cuttings should be of such a texture as 

 to become neither puddled nor baked. Since drainage is 

 of so much importance, coarse, clean sand that is free 

 from clay and organic matter is to be preferred for green- 

 wood cuttings. Fine sand packs too firmly about the 

 cutting, while organic matter in the soil holds too much 

 moisture and promotes the growth of injurious plant dis- 

 eases. Coarse sand also induces the formation of longer 

 and better roots. For some of the hardwood cuttings 

 planted out of doors, a good garden soil of a light mellow 

 character is preferred. All cuttings except the willow, 

 dogwood, poplar, and other plants thriving naturally in 

 wet soils prefer good drainage. 



Classes of Cuttings. Cuttings are divided into four 

 classes with reference to the parts of the plant from which 

 they are taken. These are tuber cuttings, root cuttings, 

 leaf cuttings, and stem cuttings. 



Tuber Cuttings. Plants forming tubers are generally 

 multiplied by tuber cuttings. The essentials of a tuber 



Fig. 120. Tuber cuttings of Irish potatoes ready for planting. 



cutting are a bud or eye and a sufficient piece of the tuber 

 attached to produce growth. The roots of a tuber cutting 

 come from the base of the sprout produced, and by re- 

 moving these sprouts as soon as they form roots and leaves 

 new plants are obtained. In this manner, a large number 



