146 MANAGEMENT OF CUTTINGS, &c. [AUG. 



I have talked about shading weak plants from 

 the sun, and excluding air from cuttings, &,c., 

 without, however, telling you the reason ; and 

 so far I have erred : for, when you learn the 

 reason, you will know when you ought to 

 do so. 



The sun and air dry up the sap or moisture 

 of plants, and if a plant be weak, (which it is 

 when transplanted, because the roots, being 

 disturbed, and many of the small fibres injured, 

 it cannot exercise the office of collecting new 

 sap or nourishment,) then the object is to save 

 as much of the nourishment in the plant from 

 being exhausted as possible, by keeping away 

 the sun and air until it is in a state to furnish a 

 full supply of sap. 



The same observation applies to a cutting 

 which has no roots: here it is material, except 

 in the case of very freely striking or rooting 



