Propagation 253 
Nature’s great method of propagation is by seed, and 
some plants must be raised in this way, such as annuals 
and biennials. To get plants to come true in every char- 
acteristic to the parent plant from seed requires much 
careful work in selecting the plants each year, and fixing 
those characteristics. A detailed explanation of this will 
be found in chapter XI. 
Propagation by seed is, of course, the best method, 
but as this method requires a long time for the plants to 
mature, it is found more convenient to propagate many 
of our plants by other and quicker methods, such as by 
cuttings, layers, division of rootstock, suckers, budding, 
and grafting. 
Having treated the subject of propagation by seeds at 
some length in chapter III, it is not proposed to deal with 
it further here. t 
CUTTINGS 
After seeds, propagation by cuttings is the most general 
method of increasing plants. There are many different 
ways of taking cuttings, to suit the many different kinds 
of plants in cultivation, a typical one being to take about 
3 in. of the point of the shoots, cutting off the lower leaves, 
and cutting through just below a joint with a sharp, clean 
knife, and inserting in sandy soil about 1 to 1^ in. deep. 
The cut end will soon heal over, and roots will be emitted 
from the healed parts. 
Chrysanthemums, Pelargoniums, Violas, Pansies, Pent- 
stemons, &c., may all be propagated by cuttings in this way 
in the autumn. Others may be taken in spring; the young 
shoots which have made from 2 to 3 in. of growth may 
