THE POLYPETAL.E 



61 



therefore a premium is set on the home-grown roots. 

 Notwithstanding this, within recent 3'ears the cultiva- 

 tion of Aconite does not seem to have paid, though it is 

 probable that as the price has practically doubled, its 

 cultivation would, during the War at any rate, not be an 

 unprofitable enterprise. 



Cultivation, — The soil 

 should be well dug, prefer- 

 ably shaded, and into it 

 rotted leaves and stable 

 manure should be pressed. 

 Aconite can be raised from 

 seed, but it takes two or 

 three years to flower; it is 

 therefore usually propa- 

 gated from the snialler 

 daughter-roots which form 

 at the sides of the old 

 roots. Replanting is usu- 

 a-lly done in December or 

 January, the young roots 

 being placed about a foot 

 apart. Seeing that there 

 are nearly sixty species of 

 Monkshood, growers are 

 careful to select the ridit 



Fi;;. 30.— Columbine (Afpiiletfia 



■miUjaria) 



tind, as the different species 



^how great variation in their production of aconitine. 



Columbine {Aquilegia vulgaris) (fig. 30).— The seeds 



are particulaily liarmful. Linnaeus records that the 

 seeds of Columbine proved fatal to some children who 

 had eaten them. 



Larkspur (Delphinium) (fi 



(T 



31). 



The seeds arc 



especially dangerous, and should be kept out of the 

 "^ay of children. 



