14 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



Cuttings 



A very large number of plants both woody and her- 

 baceous may be propagated by the method known as 

 cuttage. These cuttings may be made from various 

 parts of the plant, in some cases from the tubers, in others 

 from the roots, in the majority of cases from stems, and 

 occasionally from leaves. A plant derived from the 

 process of cutting exactly reproduces the characteristics of 

 the parent plant. It is thus of the greatest value in multi- 

 plying varieties which do not come true from seed. An 

 essential condition of all cuttings is that one or more 

 buds or shoots shall remain upon the portion detached. 

 Only experience will enable one to judge the proper 

 texture and age of a shoot which is likely to succeed as 

 a cutting. If the wood be too old it does not root readily, 

 and even when it does root makes a poor plant. Soft, 

 flabby cuttings, on the other hand, are specially liable to 

 damp off. A good general test of the suitability of a stem 

 for cuttage is to bend it across. If it snaps off cleanly 

 it is suitable for cuttage, if it bends or crushes it is un- 

 suitable. It is a good usual practice to separate the 

 cutting just below a bud, or to break it off at a heel, 

 that is, the point at which it issues from the main stem. 

 In the case of hard-wooded trees and shrubs, such as 

 roses and lilacs, cuttings are best taken from the nearly 

 mature green wood. These are usually taken in summer, 

 and are planted about one and a half inches deep in sandy 

 soil containing leaf-mould and placed in a shaded frame. 

 The soil must be kept moist. In the case of soft plants 

 the soil should be quite three-fourths sharp sand, and the 

 plants should be covered by shaded bell-glasses or other 

 appliances so that they may be kept surrounded by a moist 

 atmosphere until the roots have begun to form. Moderate 

 bottom heat is a great help in the rooting of all kinds of cut- 

 tings. Many plants with fleshy leaves, such as the showy 



