The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1873-08-20
How to Root Plants Successful
ly from Cuttings.

We take the following from Pete.
Henderson Practical Horticulture
The saucer system of propagation "
is so called because sauccrs or plates
are used to hold the sand in which the
cuttings arc placed. This sand is pat
IN to the depth Of an inch or SO, and
the cuttings Inserted IN it close enough
to touch each other; the sand is then
watered until it becomes in the condi-
ton of mud, and placed on the shelf Of
the greenhouse, or in the winduw-sil
of the the sitting room or rarlor, fully
exposed to the sun, and er shaded.
But one condition is essential to snccess
until the cuttings become footed; the
sand must DC Kept constantly sat,rated;
and kept IN the condition Of mud if
once allowed to dry UP, exposed to the
sun as they are, the cuttings will quick =
ly wilt, and the whole operation viii be
defeated.
The rules previously laid down for
| the proper condition Of the cuttings are
| the same as ir this case, and those fox
the temperature nearly So; although by
the saucer system, higher temperature
can be maintained without injury, as
the cuttings arc in reality placed in Wa
ter and will not drop at the same tenn
perature as if the sand was kept in the
regular condition Of moisture maintained
in the propagating bench. Still the
detached slip, rooted, will not endure a
continuation of excessive heat, so that We
advise, as We do in the regular method
of p:opagating, that the attempt should
not be made to root cuttings In this
way, in this latitude, in the month Of
June, July or August, unless with
plants of a tropical n..tue. With the
cuttings are rooted, they should be pot
ted in small pots and treated carefully
by shading and watering for few Gays
as previously dncctcd. Cuttings rootedl
in too mucl shade, and At high tenn
peratue are drawn up spindling and take
) months to recover from the injury done.
by this injudicious treatment The
time required by cuttings to root from
five to twenty days, according to the
, variety, condition of the cuttings. and
temperature. Verbenas, Fuchsias. or
! Holiotrcpes, mt IN proper condition and
kept without ever being allowed 10 wilt
will root in an average bottom heat oil
sixty-fve degrees in eight days, while
: Roses, Pelargcniums or Petum:as, will
Il take at least double that time under the
same conditions.
: Another point of importance, and
one too often neglected, is to pot of
their cuttings at once when rooted, no
. matter how small the roots may be
S half an inch is much better length for
them to be when pcttcd than two inch
es, and the operation is much more
' quickly performed when the roots are
g short than when long But the main
: evils OF delaying the potting off of cut
'e tings, are, that when left too long the
. cuttings grow up weak for want OF
d room; the roots which become hard and
u woody, do not strike freely into the soil
< greater care is required in shading ant!
y watering otter potting, and the plant
usually loses its lower leaves, weakening
u Its vitality and exposing it to greater
H. chance of disease. With but few ex.
3 ceptions, cuttings should never be pot
Is ted into pots exceeding two and a hall
&c inches in diameter"