PROPAGATION OF PLANTS 170 



a deep dibber, about 6 ins. apart. They must be made 

 very firm, and it is best to tread the soil on both sides of 

 the row with your feet. Another way is to make a deep 

 cut in the ground with a spade, then put in the cuttings 

 close together and tread well. 



Cuttings of shrubs should be left untouched for a year, 

 and then they can be lifted and planted out permanently. 



DIVISION OF THE ROOTS. 



In Chapter VII I referred to the difficulty of propagating 

 Lupins by division of the roots. Perennials with roots that 

 are difficult to divide can generally be propagated by seed, 

 so it is better in such cases not to attempt division, but 

 to rely on the seed. But the majority of perennials are 

 more or less easily propagated by division and the follow- 

 ing is the best way to proceed. 



Dig up the plants carefully and shake off a little of the 

 soil adhering to the roots. Take an old sharp carving 

 knife, and beginning at the top of the clump, cut it through 

 into two or more pieces. Try to cut so that the outer 

 pieces of the clump are of suitable size for replanting ; 

 the inner portions are always weakest so should be rejected. 

 If an individual clump is 2 ft. across, cut it into pieces 

 9 ins. or so across, rejecting the centre portion. Do not 

 plant bits of clumps smaller than 3 ins. across, for they 

 look trivial in the border. Experienced gardeners can cut 

 clumps up with a sharp spade, but it is more difficult, 

 and a bad shot may ruin the clump. 



Division of the roots is done in the autumn, or in the 

 spring, not later than the end of March. Autumn division 

 is in many cases the best, especially in a warm sheltered 

 district, as it allows the plants to become well estab- 

 lished again before the growing season commences. Most 

 perennials require to be lifted and divided every three 

 or four years. 



Special Cases of Division : Before closing this chapter 

 it may be well to refer to one or two special cases. 



