108 



THE NURSERY-MANUAL 



In making softwood cuttings, the first 

 thing to learn is the proper texture or 

 age of shoot. A very soft and flabby cut- 

 ting does not grow readily, or if it does 

 it is particularly liable to damp-off, and 

 it usually makes a weak plant. Too old 

 wood is slow to root, makes a poor stunted 

 plant and is handled with difficulty in 

 many species. The ordinary test for 

 beginners is the way in which the shoot 

 breaks. If, on being bent, the shoot 

 snaps off squarely so as to hang together 

 with only a bit of bark, as in the upper 

 break in Fig. 115, it is in the proper con- 

 FIO. 115. Tough and jition for cuttings ; but if it bends or 



brittle wood. 



crushes, as in the lower part 01 the 

 figure, it is either too old 

 or too young for good re- 

 sults. The tips of the shoots 

 of soft-wooded plants are 

 usually employed, and all 

 or some of the leaves are 

 allowed to remain. 



The cuttings are inserted 

 in sharp sand to a sufficient 

 depth to hold them in place, 



FIG. 116. Soft cuttings (x |). 



and the atmosphere and soil must be 

 kept moist to prevent wilting or 

 "flagging." The cuttings should also 

 be shaded for the first week or two. 

 It is a common practice to cover 

 newly set cuttings with newspapers 

 in the heat of the day. A propagat- 

 Fio.117. Coleus cutting (* $). ing-frame is often employed. Soft 



