PREPARING SOIL AND PROPAGATING 37 



not available excellent substitutes will be 

 found in fine crushed stone or brick, and 

 washed coal ashes. 



MAKING THE CUTTINGS 



As before stated, cuttings should be taken 

 from healthy plants only. The young shoots 

 that are to be- used should be reasonably 

 strong and of good colour. They should 

 be cut about three inches long, and, as they 

 are detached from the plants, tied in bundles, 

 with a label for each, and placed in water 

 immediately. A good cutting should be 

 from two to three inches long, being the top 

 of a growing shoot. This should be cut 

 clean with a sharp knife and one or two of 

 the lower leaves removed, the ends of the 

 upper leaves being cut off. By taking the 

 cutting between the fingers of one hand 

 and bringing these leaves together at the 

 tip of the cutting, they may all be clipped 

 at once, and with a little practice the work 

 of making the cuttings properly can be done 

 very rapidly. For the best results the stem 

 of the cutting should be reasonably soft 

 at the base. If too hard it will not root 

 so readily, although where it is desired to 



