21 AUGUST 1953, Page 15

Good Cuttings

Some people find it hard to make cuttings, while others can strike a slip of almost any bush or plant with such case that they earn the reputation of having green fingers. It is, of course, essential to prepare a suitable slip of most plants that are to be propagated by cuttings, but the reason most people fail is, in my opinion, because they do not make the compost firm round their cutting. A secondary cause is the degree to which they moisten the contents of the pot or box. Too little water allows the compost to crumble away from the stem. Too much can help to produce spores and cause the cutting