10 BULLETIN 334, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



drainage. On this groundwork place about 1 inch of clean chopped sphagnum 

 moss and over the moss about 3 inches of pure clean sand. Moisten the sand 

 with clean rain water or other pure water (free from lime) from a sprinkling 

 pot. 



5. After making deep slits at suitable intervals in the sand with some clean 

 implement, set the cuttings in the slits at a spacing of about 2 to 3 inches each 

 way according to size, the base of the cutting being in the sand a little above 

 the sphagnum, and see that the sand is so closely and firmly packed about the 

 base of the cutting that the cut surface is in contact with the sand, but be 

 careful not to injure the delicate raw tissue at the base of the cutting by push- 

 ing forcibly into the sand. Smooth the surface of the bed by a final watering. 

 Cover the frame closely with the sash, so that the air within will be moist. 



6. Do not allow the temperature inside the frame to go above 65° F. Pro- 

 longed temperatures above 70° are likely to ruin the cuttings. Do not, on the 

 other hand, allow the cutting bed or the cuttings to freeze. 



7. Shade the frame with white muslin at a height of 2 to 7 feet above the 

 frame, so as to keep the sunlight off the glass and at the same time to permit 

 a sweep of air between the glass and the shade. The shade should be so 

 arranged as to be removable on cloudy days or at any time when the frame is 

 shaded by other objects. 



8. Keep the air inside the box saturated or nearly saturated with moisture. 

 This condition will be shown by the condensation of the moisture on the under 

 side of the glass at night or at other cool portions of the day. 



9. Watering should be as infrequent as practicable, only sufficient to keep the 

 sand moist but well aerated and the atmosphere in the box saturated. If the 

 sash fits tightly, the period between necessary waterings may extend over 

 several weeks. 



10. After the cuttings have callused at the base, the new twigs have pushed 

 from the upper buds (PI. VIII) and their growth has been terminated by the 

 browning of the tips, and the new leaves have reached their full size and 

 acquired the dark-green color of maturity, when the formation of roots is about 

 to begin, the surface of the bed is to be mulched with about half an inch of a 

 mixture of sifted peat, 2 parts, and clean sand, 1 part, carefully watered after 

 application, so that some of the acid water from the peat will be carried down 

 into the sand bed about the base of the cuttings. ( See PL IX, fig. 1. ) 



11. When all or most of the cuttings in the frame have begun to root, ventila- 

 tion of the frame should be begun. The best superficial evidence that a cutting 

 has rooted is the development of secondary twig growth, either from the apex 

 of one of the first set of new twigs or from another bud lower down on the old 

 wood of the cutting. (See PI. IX, fig. 2, and PI. X.) If secondary growth 

 does not take place, the development of a plump but dormant bud at the apex 

 of one of the leafy twigs is also good evidence that the cutting has begun to 

 root. Cuttings that are healthy but not yet rooted at the time ventilation 

 begins usually die from excessive transpiration. 



12. Ventilation should be only slight at first and should be increased very 

 gradually, the transition to full ventilation extending over a period of several 

 weeks. If any of the sensitive secondary growth begins to wilt, reduce the 

 ventilation immediately until the wilting ceases. Be especially careful not to 

 give too much ventilation on windy days. 



13. All cuttings that are dying should be removed from the bed at once. 

 Those injured by too high temperature usually turn brown at the base first, the 

 dead area progressing upward until the new growth collapses. Those otherwise 

 sound but suffering from excessive ventilation before they are rooted usually 

 indicate their bad condition by the marginal yellowing of their leaves before 

 they drop and the stems become withered. 



