10 BULLETIN 334, U. S. DEPAETMEXT OE AGEICULTUEE. 
drainage. On this groundwork place about 1 incli of clean chopped sphagnum 
moss and over the moss about 3 inches of pure clean sand. Moisten the sand 
with clean rain water or other pure water (free from lime) from a sprinkling 
pot. 
5. After making deep slits at suitable intervals in the sand with some clean 
implement, set the cuttings in the slits at a spacing of about 2 to 3 inches each 
way according to size, the base of the cutting being in the sand a little above 
the sphagnum, and see that the sand is so closely and firmly packed about the 
base of the cutting that the cut surface is in contact with the sand, but be 
careful not to injure the delicate raw tissue at the base of the cutting by push- 
ing forcibly into the sand. Smooth the surface of the bed by a final watering. 
Cover the frame closely with the sash, so that the air within will be moist. 
6. Do not allow the temperature inside the frame to go above 65° F. Pro- 
longed temperatures above 70° are likely to ruin the cuttings. Do not, on the 
other hand, allow the cutting bed or the cuttings to freeze. 
7. Shade the frame with white muslin at a height of 2 to 7 feet above the 
frame, so as to keep the sunlight off the glass and at the same time to permit 
a sweep of air between the glass and the shade. The shade should be so 
arranged as to be removable on cloudy days or at any time when the frame is 
shaded by other objects. 
8. Keep the air inside the bos saturated or nearly saturated with moisture. 
This condition will be shown by the condensation of the m.oisture on the under 
side of the glass at night or at other cool portions of the day. 
9. Watering should be as infrequent as practicable, only sufficient to keep the 
sand moist but well aerated and the atmosphere in the box saturated. If the 
sash fits tightly, the period between necessary waterings may extend over 
several weeks. 
10. After the cuttings have callused at the base, the new twigs have pushed 
from the upper buds (PI. Till) and their growth has been terminated by the 
browning of the tips, and the new leaves have reached their full size and 
acquired the dark-green color of maturity, when the formation of roots is about 
to begin, the surface of the bed is to be mulched with about half an inch of a 
mixture of sifted peat, 2 parts, and clean sand, 1 part, carefully watered after 
application, so that some of the acid water from the peat will be carried down 
into the sand bed about the base of the cuttings. (See PI. IX, fig. 1.) 
11. When all or most of the cuttings in the frame have begim to root, ventila- 
tion of the frame should be begun. The best superficial evidence that a cutting 
has rooted is the development of secondary twig growth, either from the apex 
of one of the first set of new twigs or from another bud lower down on the old 
wood of the cutting. (See PI. IX, fig. 2, and PI. X.) If secondary growth 
does not take place, the development of a plump but dormant bud at the apex 
of one of the leafy twigs is also good evidence that the cutting has begun to 
root. Cuttings that are healthy but not yet rooted at the time ventilation 
begins usually die from excessive transpiration. 
12. Ventilation should be only slight at first and should be increased very 
gradually, the transition to full ventilation extending over a period of several 
weeks. If any of the sensitive secondary growth begins to wilt, reduce the 
ventilation immediately until the wilting ceases. Be especially careful not to 
give too much ventilation on windy days. 
13. AH cuttings that are dying should be removed from the bed at once. 
Those injured by too high temperature usually turn brown at the base first, the 
dead area progressing upward until the new growth collapses. Those otherwise 
sound but suffering from excessive ventilation before they are rooted usually 
indicate their bad condition by the marginal 'yellowing of their leaves before 
they drop and the stems become withered. 
