If a cutting starts drying out (dying) on the end, should it be left alone, and still have a possibility of rooting?  Or should the dead part be cut off.  I'm still trying with my 3 kadotas scions I got from UCDavis, and I've seen other cuttings from pictures here where both ends were blunt.

Thanks

depends on how dry, does it have green under the bark. if so then maybe yes. My cuttings done that but none of the roots came from the bottom anyways, they all came from other nodes above it. I some times keep it on (unless rotten) to adjust the height in the cup to determine how deep i won't the roots to grow. Sometimes i think its good to let the end dry to prevent mold from growing on it.

Don't cut the top dry part and keep it to slow down further drying. I usually use wax (a drop or two from lighted candle) on the top cut tip of the cutting to avoid moisture loss.

I've tried the bag/paper towel method 2 times over the past 4 months.  2nd time, they developed a little mold on the ends and dried out about an inch to two inches.  I've now gone to the method I used successfully with my col de dame scion - I put it in a 7-11 clear cup with a domed lid - always seems to be foggy/humid, but it has a decent sized hole where the end of the scion sticks out...

Well, it happened with the 2nd try on the baggie method.  The paper towel was still damp, but there was a bit of mold and the drying out on the tips of the twigs.  I'm still hoping it will take, but they may be too far gone at this point.