82 THE GARDEN BEAUTIFUL 



for this reason the flower stems should be removed 

 as soon as the flowers on them are faded. 



Some growers do not allow the plants from which 

 they intend to take cuttings to bloom at all, so as to 

 send all the strength into the plant. Cuttings must 

 be taken only from healthiest stock and should have 

 an average length of four inches with at least one 

 inch of clean stem. When taken off close to the 

 branch or stem out of the joint of a leaf no further 

 trimming of the heel is necessary. When the shoot 

 is long and requires a cut with the knife the cut 

 should be made at a joint so that the two leaves can 

 be peeled off and leave a clean heel. If cut too far 

 back of a joint the wood is hard and difficult to root; 

 if cutting is too young and tender the epidermis or 

 skin is damaged, and the part below the joint is 

 robbed of its outer covering and is very liable to 

 rot off. 



The best material in which to root them is clean 

 river sand or very fine gravel, three or four inches 

 deep, with good drainage. The cuttings may be 

 planted one inch apart in the rows and two to three 

 inches between rows. Insert them about one inch 

 deep, and if there are any leaves that would be bur- 

 ied in the sand, cut them off. In putting in the cut- 

 tings use a pointed stick called a dibble, or dibber. It 

 can be made one-quarter of an inch thick and pointed 

 like a lead pencil. Make the hole with the dibble 

 and put in the cutting, and then make the sand firm 

 at the base of the cutting. It is a good plan to let 

 the cuttings stand in water twelve hours after pick- 

 ing and before planting. Never let a cutting wilt. 



After the cuttings are in they should be shaded. 

 The best thing to use is newspapers. Lay them on 

 top of the box of cuttings, keeping them away from 

 foliage by sticking in the sand a few little splinters 



