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 potato (Fig. 60). Pupils should make cuttings now and then. If they can do nothing more, they can make cuttings of potato, as the farmer does; and they can plant them in a box in the window.

The Softwood Cutting.—The softwood cutting is made from tissue that is still growing, or at least from that which is not dormant. It comprises one or two joints, with a leaf attached (Figs. 158, 159). It must not be allowed to wilt. Therefore, it must be protected from direct sunlight and dry air until it is well established; and if it has many leaves, some of them should be removed, or at least cut in two, in order to reduce the evaporating surface. The soil should be uniformly moist. The pictures show the depth to which the cuttings are planted.

For most plants, the proper age or maturity of wood for the making of cuttings may be determined by giving the twig a quick bend: if it snaps and hangs by the bark, it is in proper condition; if it bends without breaking, it is too young and soft or too old; if it splinters, it is too old and woody. The tips of strong upright shoots usually make the best cuttings. Preferably, each cutting should have a joint or node near its base; and if the internodes are very short it may comprise two or three joints.