OF PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 203 



love to grow. The cuttings are inserted into the 

 sand, but so hear the earth that the roots, presently 

 after their emission, find themselves in it, and conse- 

 quently in contact with a source of food. This sand 

 answers the same purpose as placing the root end of 

 the cutting in contact with the pot, and is an ingeni- 

 ous device for doing that with small cuttings, which 

 cannot be conveniently done otherwise except with 

 large ones. 



5. The cuttings are eventually placed in a hot- 

 bed. This is for the purpose of giving them a stimu- 

 lus at exactly that time when they are most ready to 

 receive it. Had they been forced at first in bottom 

 heat, the stimulus would have been applied to cut- 

 tings whose excitability had not been renovated 

 (113), and the consequence would have been a deve- 

 lopement of the powers of growth so languid, that 

 they probably would not have survived the coming 

 winter: but, the stimulus being withheld till the cut- 

 tings are quite ready for growth, it tells with the 

 utmost possible effect. 



In addition to these comments upon an excellent 

 mode of striking cuttings of many kinds, it is neces- 

 sary to add some observations upon the object of 

 additional precautions often taken by gardeners. 



Cuttings are covered by bell glasses, whose edge is 

 pressed into the earth. This is for the purpose of 

 preserving a uniform degree of humidity in the 

 atmosphere breathed by the cuttings. It is gene- 

 rally necessary to leave one or more leaves upon 

 a cutting, in order to generate organisable matter, 



