ee a new plant complete in all its parts
grow up from a small piece of stem, root, or even leaf. With a little
care even children may propagate plants in this way.

SELECTION OF CUTTINGS

Begin with some of the common herbaceous bedding-plants, such as
geranium, coleus, or fuschia. These are such common bedding-plants that
they are easily obtained in the autumn. Only well-matured stems of the
season's growth, such as will break with a slight snap when bent, should
be used.

Let the pupils provide themselves with sharp knives for the lesson, with
small boxes or pots, and with some moist, clean sand--not potting soil.
A few holes should be bored in the bottom of the box, then a layer of
fine gravel put in to provide for good drainage, and over it layers of
moist sand. Take a slip or growing end of a stem about three inches in
length, always cutting it at or just below a node, or joint, and
leaving only a couple of small leaves on the top of the slip. Insert it
to about half its depth in the box of moist sand. These cuttings may be
placed a few inches apart in the box, which should then be placed in a
warm, light room for a few weeks until the roots develop. The cuttings
should be partly shaded by papers from the strong sunlight, and the sand
kept slightly moist but not wet. Bottom heat and a moist, warm
atmosphere hasten their development.

Another very convenient and very successful method of starting cuttings
is to take a six-inch flower-pot, put two inches of fine gravel in the
bottom, set a four-inch unglazed flower-pot in the centre, and fill up
the space around it with sand and garden-loam, mixed. Put a cork in the
hole in the bottom of the small flower-pot, and then fill it with water.
Put the cuttings around in the space between the two pots and set in a
fairly warm room in moderate light.

POTTING OF ROOTED CUTTINGS

When the cuttings are well rooted, which requires from three to six
weeks according to the variety and growth conditions furnished, they
should be carefully lifted with a trowel and each set in a small pot or
can. First put in the bottom a few small stones to secure drainage, and
then a little good potting soil. Set the plant in place and fill in
around with more soil and pack this firmly around the roots. Keep room
in the top of the pot for water. When the new plant has made some
growth, it may be shifted to a larger pot. Geraniums and coleus (foliage
plants) should not be kept more than two