50 PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



power of attracting or drawing to themselves, therefore, a greater amount 

 of nourishment than the part of the stem between the joints. When 

 a cutting is severed just beneath this seat or storehouse of nourish- 

 ment, the injured cells of the cut surface endeavour to heal their 

 wounds and keep alive by drawing away some of this nourishment. 

 When this takes place a cushion or ring is formed round the cut sur- 

 face, and protects the inner cells from further injury. Prom this ring 

 or cushion, which gardeners call the ' callus,' roots are soon developed — 

 they are drawn out as it were by the moisture of the soil, and at once 

 begin to absorb food in a soluble state at their tender tips. Once this 

 stage has been reached a change is seen above the soil in the cutting. 

 The young bud at the tip is no longer inactive, but begins to grow and 

 put forth leaves, and these also begin to work in conjunction with the 

 roots, and thus add to the size and weight of what is now an indepen- 

 dent plant. Henceforth it must be treated like its parent and get the 

 benefit of light, air, moisture and heat in the same way, according to 

 its requirements. 



A large number of plants may be obtained from cuttings, but there 

 are also a vast number which cannot be increased in this way, such as 

 ' annuals ' for example. The same may be said of most biennials, that 

 is, plants which take two years to fully mature before dying down. 

 To these may be added such plants as Grasses, Bamboos, Palms, and 

 many other plants like them having leaves with parallel or curved 

 veins, and no rind or bark, as in the Willow, Apple, Pear, Plum &c. 



Cuttings may be divided into two main groups — soft-wooded or 

 herbaceous, and woody. In the Zonal Pelargonium, for instance, not 

 only will the ends of the branches ' strike ' or produce roots but almost 

 every joint, always provided the stems are not too sappy. And here it 

 may be as well to mention as a general rule that all cuttings should be 

 taken from fairly well-ripened and firm parts of the plants. Cuttings 

 of stems too young and watery are apt to rot very soon, and those 

 from very old and dried wood do not root, chiefly because there are no 

 young cells full of life left. Cuttings of most herbaceous plants and of 

 many trees and shrubs all require pretty much the same treatment. 

 They should be inserted in sandy soil, a hole having first been 

 made with a blunt-pointed dibber about twice as thick as an ordinary 

 lead-pencil. The soil should be pressed firmly but gently round the 

 base so as not to crush the tissues, but at the same time firmly enough 

 to prevent the cutting^ coming out readily when gently pulled with the 

 finger and thumb. 



Pots, pans, shallow boxes, or any other receptacle may be used for 

 putting the cuttings in, but whatever receptacle is used it should 



