HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 345 



soil, dig round them, to loosen the earth 3 each spring, and 

 they will bloom. 



Yet a little care is well repaid by increased luxuriance of 

 foliage and beauty of flower. In spring each clump should 

 be examined, to see it is not too high out of the earth ; 

 there is a tendency with most of these plants to grow out 

 of the ground. When this is found to be the case, take up 

 the plant and re-set it. 



Transplanting should always be done in the spring ; not 

 but what these plants will live if removed in the autumn, 

 but they will succeed so much better by spring planting, 

 that that season is always to be chosen if possible. 



During the summer, if very large and fine bloom is de- 

 sired, prune out all the weak stems. 



In the autumn cover the crowns of the plants with coarse 

 manure or litter ; if the plant is an evergreen, protect it 

 with pine boughs from the winter's sun. 



In spring, dig a few spades full of manure around each 

 plant. 



These plants are propagated by division of the root, 

 which should be performed in early spring, just as the 

 plants start into growth, or in the latter part of summer, 

 when they have done flowering ; this latter treatment is 



