CUTTAGE 



159 



roots are formed, new shoots or leaves will be sent up. The exercise 

 may he varied by fastening a leaf with tooth-picks firmly against the 

 wet sand. Roots will probably form at each place where the leaf 

 is held down. 



A storage of plant-food, such as starch, is present in fleshy 

 leaves. This supplies nourishment to the new growth. 



3. Cuttings in Water. — ^A number of kinds of green wood cut- 

 tings may be started by placing slips in water, without the use of 



Fig. 90. — Starting geraniums for cuttings for window boxes. (Rittenhouse School 



Gardens.) 



sand or soil. Try this with oleander, young willow shoots, "wan- 

 dering jew" ( tradescantia ) . Umbrella plant may be started in water 

 by trimming half the leaf surface from one of the stems and inverting 

 it in a bottle of water. 



In each ease, the water should be changed to avoid any 

 rotting or fermentation which may tend to develop. After 

 roots are well established by this method, they may be trans- 

 ferred to rich soil in well drained pots or boxes. 



