PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 41 



ground. Everything being now in position 

 put a little dried grass or cocoa-nut refuse at 

 the bottom of the pot and fill up with soil ; 

 keep the pot watered. After the branch has 

 been for some time in the pot begin the process 

 of severing it from the parent plant by cut- 

 ting a small notch in it a few inches below the 

 bottom of the pot ; after three or four days 

 deepen this notch and repeat the process at 

 intervals until complete severance is effected. 

 The branch should now have rooted and be- 

 come an independent plant which may be 

 planted in a suitable place. 



8. Peg down on moist soil some leaves 

 of the weed known as "thick-leaf;" in the 

 course of a few days roots and buds will 

 appear at the margins and finally a number 

 of young plants will be produced. Repeat 

 this with other fleshy leaved plants such as 

 begonias and peperomias ; place these in 

 different positions, some pegged down on 

 the soil's surface others partly embedded in 

 the soil. It is found that roots are more 

 readily formed if the veins are cut across, 

 therefore in some of the leaves cut across the 

 principal veins with a penknife, taking care 

 to leave the cut places in contact with the 

 soil. 



