504 
word to adopt, is for many hardvvooded trees and shrubs the most 
simple and certain of all methods of propagation, and in some 
cases the only one. 
There are very few trees that are not amenable to this manner 
of propagation if done under favourable weather conditions. As 
an example I may mention that in May last I saw in the forest 
plantation in Selangor a number of Casuarinas ° Kayu Ru ’’ that 
had been successfully Marcott.ed. I he object aimed at is of course 
course the production of roots at a given point of the branch or 
stem before severing it from the parent plant. This done^ by, in 
most cases, removing a ring of bark or in cutting partly through 
the branch and then wrapping around this particular part some 
moisture retaining material which should never be allowed to get 
absolutely dry. And therein lies the difficulty to the case of plants 
that take some months to produce roots by this method. 
To attach a sufficiently -large quantity of material to hold moisture 
for a considerable time is often an awkward business and when 
done the weight, unless the branch is a particularly stout one or 
supported with props, bends the top over so that by the time it is 
rooted it is an unshapely specimen. In dry weather frequent wa- 
tering is necessary, and if the more or less rounded mass of 
material once becomes thoroughly dry it takes a great deal of 
watering before it again becomes saturated through. To lessen 
these difficulties we have hit on a plan of using bamboo stakes and 
for plants that are of a suitable height and size it is found to be an 
improvement in several respects on the old method of tying balls of 
coconut fibre, moss clay, or any other material. The accompanying 
illustration will show' more clearly than any written description 
the manner in which the bamboo is cut and used. This method 
has several advantages not the least being its capacity, if set in an 
upright position, of catching all the rain that falls within the radius 
of the opening of the bamboo and greater facility and economy 
in watering in dry weather. Evaporation is much less rapid and 
the shoot having been kept in an upright position during the time 
it has been forming roots is a much more shapely plant when 
severed from the parent. The larger the bamboo used the better 
as the greater the quantity of material, whether moss, coconut 
fibre, leaf-mould, or clay, the less frequent will watering be neces- 
sary, and the quantity is often of more importance than the quality, 
the important point being to prevent its becoming alternately wet 
and drv. By cutting out the slit (A) about one and-a-half or two 
inches above the node (joint) as shown in the illustration moisture 
is retained in the lower portion and yet not in a position to cause 
the soil at the rooting point to become sodden. When bamboos 
are easily obtainable the work can be very quickly and cheaply 
done. The saw is drawn across at (B) and with a parang or hat- 
chet the door or opening is slit out in an instant. If the branch is 
stout a little notch either in the door or the stake, or both, is 
necessary, but in the case of thin shoots it does not much matter. 
The slit when replaced is kept in position by tying it with a piece 
of rotan or fine wire. The wettest season of the year should be 
