The Story-Book of the Fields 



With this fragment a kind of natural ex- 

 crescence, success is more certain than in any 

 other way. 



Finally, we will say something of shoots 

 used for cuttings, a kind of sowing in which 

 shoots are used instead of seeds. This, the 

 most delicate of all methods, is only practised 

 in exceptional cases. Suppose that we have 

 only a small number of branches, or perhaps 

 only one taken from some very rare variety 

 of vine. We shall wish to obtain the greatest 

 possible number of cuttings from this one 

 branch. With this object the branch is 

 divided into fragments about two inches long, 

 each of which has a shoot in the middle. 

 These fragments are cut lengthwise into two 

 equal parts. The one that bears the shoot 

 is retained and the other is thrown away. 

 The fragments thus prepared are laid 

 horizontally, with the shoot on top, in 

 excellent soil, the shoot only being left 

 uncovered. For such sowing to have any 

 chance of success it will be understood that 

 special conditions are necessary, which could 

 not be realised if the operation were per- 

 formed in open ground. The delicate cuttings 

 are placed in an earthenware pot or pan and 

 covered with a bell glass, which secures a 



184 



