212 



PRINCIPLES OF PLANT CULTURE 



containing sand that should be kept saturated with water. 

 The saucers may be set in any warm, well-Hghted place, 

 such as the window of a living room. The stems _being 

 in this case in contact with the water in the bottom 

 of the saucer, the cuttings require less shading than those 

 in the propagating bed. 



381. How to make green cuttings of woody plants. — 

 Cuttings of woody plants are preferably made of harder 

 growths than those best suited to herbaceous plants. 



4vf 



Fig. 106. — Leaf of begonia on surface of propagating bed, forming young 



plants. 



They should be selected from young shoots of medium 

 size and from half-mature wood, and should generally 

 contain from two to three nodes, though where the mate- 

 rial for cuttings is scarce, single buds may be used in many 

 plants. The base of the cutting is preferably cut shortly 

 below the node, but this is not essential in all plants. 



In this kind of propagation a mild bottom heat is 

 helpful ; though it is sometimes carried on during the 

 summer months without artificial heat. 



382. Propagation by leaf-cuttings. — A considerable 

 number of plants, including the bryophyllum, begonia 



