310 fEOPAGATION OF PLAlfTS, 



afforded for controlling the temperatare in our change- 

 able climate. In making cuttings of soft-wooded and 

 herbaceous plants, it is always best to cut through close 

 under a joint or bud, although there are kinds which 

 strike root so readily that it will make very little or no 

 difference where or how the stems are divided. The 

 leaves on the lower part of the cutting — that part to be 

 buried in the sand or soil — must be removed, else they 

 are likely to decay and increase the danger of what is 

 termed " damping off." It may also be advisable in some 

 cases to remove a part of each leaf on the cutting, espe- 

 cially if the leaves are large and soft ; but with most 

 plants propagated by cuttings of the young shoots, the 

 terminal leaves may be left intact. 



In the application of water to such cuttings, the propa- 

 gator must ever depend upon his own obseiTations and 

 judgment. The cuttings must not be allowed to flag for 

 want of moisture, neither should the atmosphere in the 

 frames be kept constantly saturated. Ventilation must 

 also be attended to, and more air admitted as the cuttings 

 advance in growth and in the production of roots, than 

 when first placed in the frames or under bell glasses. 

 Cuttings of the hardy and half-hardy herbaceous plants, 

 such as Carnations, Phloxes and Hollyhocks, do not re- 

 quire so high a temperature to insure the production of 

 roots as those of the Coleus, Acanthus, Achimenes, Bego- 

 nias and other kinds, natives of tropical climates. There 

 are usually more cuttings lost by attempting to force 

 their growth by a high temperature than in keeping it 

 too low. 



In propagating bulbous, tuberous, and other plants with 

 large, fleshy roots, it should be kept in mind that no 

 great amount of moisture ie required until the leaves have 

 been produced and growth has fairly begun. They all 

 have their seasons of growth and of rest, and this natural 

 habit — as we may term it— has been acquired through 



