66 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE. 



it breaks. Besides, the plant grown from the older cut. 

 ting is not likely to be so healthy or vigorous as one made 

 when the shoot is in the proper state. 



In propagating woody plants, such as Roses, Azaleas, 

 or Camellias, this test of breaking or snapping of the 

 cutting does not in these indicate the proper condition. 

 Although they also will root if taken in the soft state, 

 yet we find it is not quite so well to do so as to wait until 

 the cuttings of these woody plants get harder. What 

 this proper hardness is, it is not very easy always to deter- 

 mine. In Hoses the best condition for taking the cutting 

 is reached when the young shoot (of which the cutting 

 is made) develops the flower bud to about the size of a 

 large pea. Although the shoot on which the flower bud 

 shows will make a proper enough cutting, yet, if it is not 

 desired to waste the flower, cuttings had better be made 

 of the " blind " shoots, i. e., such young shoots as do not 

 flower. In making the cuttings of Eoses, or, in fact, of 

 almost all plants (with a few exceptions hardly worth 

 noting), there is no need to cut at a joint, although nine 

 gardeners out of ten still do so, particularly those who 

 have learned the business in Europe, where, in this as in 

 many other things in horticulture, they still follow the 

 dictum of some savant of a century ago, never question- 

 ing why. But our business necessities here have caused 

 us to ride rough-shod over many of their set rules, and 

 in none more ruthlessly than in this matter of propa- 

 gating. But as this book is written mainly for amateurs 

 in gardening, I will proceed to give a simple method by 

 which any one can propagate plants from cuttings or 

 Blips, even when no greenhouse or hot-bed is at hand. 

 It is called 



THE "MUD" OR "SAUCER SYSTEM" OF PROPAGATING. 



Take any common saucer or plate, into which put 

 sand to the depth of an inch or so ; then prepare the cut- 



