410 Diseases of Greenhouse Crops 



tings from the same plant, grown under the same 

 conditions, dissimilar plants are produced. The 

 one may be vigorous, blooming freely, while the 

 other may be dwarfed and sickly, and produce no 

 flowers, or merely a few of an undesirable type. In 

 the selection of cuttings, appearance alone should 

 not constitute the main guide. A cutting may ap- 

 pear vigorous, yet be immature or too old. Violet 

 cuttings made from old wood will generally pro- 

 duce inferior plants, which will run out within a 

 year or be carried off by disease. Violet cuttings 

 made from soft, immature wood, will result in weak, 

 spindly growth and in plants susceptible to damping 

 off. On the other hand, a cutting may be made 

 of the proper material, yet if it is too short it will 

 also be useless. A violet cutting that is too short 

 will not have sufficient anchorage. Each time a 

 flower is pulled it will roll around or its roots will 

 break (fig. 82, a to c). 



Not only is care necessary in the selection of 

 cuttings, but it is also necessary to provide proper 

 conditions for growth. A setback at this time may 

 result in disappointing returns later. Heat, air, 

 light and water should be carefully attended to in 

 dealing with soft-wooded cuttings. 



