46 ALPINE OR ROCK PLANTS. 



then as much good soil above as will raise the crown 

 of the plant at a (see Plate, Fig. 5), a little above 

 the surface when potted ; then proceed to divide your 

 plants, which is accomplished as follows: Take up 

 the pot, turning it upside down upon your hand, 

 allowing the top of the plant . to pass down between 

 your fingers, then give the pot edge, or rim, a 

 gentle touch upon the bench, when the ball will 

 loosen in the pot, and the latter may be easily lifted 

 off and laid aside, the plant and ball laid down 

 upon the bench, and divided into as many pieces, 

 with roots, as can be done with safety to the main 

 plant; and each piece may be potted, or if there 

 be blanks on the Rockery, these can be supplied 

 from the above divisions; or if you have already 

 duplicates of the plant potted, these may be planted 

 out having larger balls, and the divisions may be 

 potted in their stead, and tallied correctly, using neat 

 painted wooden tallies, written or painted ; afterwards 

 give them a good watering, replacing them into their 

 respective quarters. But there are several of this 

 tribe that do not require to be entirely divided. 

 Among these, for example, the genus Saxifraga, 

 and others, which layer of themselves as it were, 

 that is, strike roots into the soil at joints around 

 the parent plant. These can be simply cut off and 

 potted, the parent plant dressed and laid aside. 



Regarding the propagation of Alpines by seed, it 

 is simply as follows : Should the seed be very 

 small, they may be sown when collected, as if kept 



