Propagation. 45 



ing. The wholesale grower who raises his plants by the hun- 

 dred thousand cannot adopt the system of the millionaire's 

 gardener who raises annually a hundred plants for conserva- 

 tory decoration, or of the amateur who grows a few dozen for 

 his fall display or city exhibition. The latter can select their 

 cuttings at just the right stage of development and root them 

 according to their fancy, but the wholesale grower simply gets 

 his cuttings when he can, and roots them when most conve- 

 nient. The weak and the strong, the soft and the hard, all 

 alike go into his propagating bed, where they root and are 

 soon ready for distribution. 



Propagations by division is adopted chiefly by amateur s 

 who keep their old plants to flower the following season, and 

 is not to be recommended except as a simple means of increas- 

 ing the stock for ordinary out-door or garden cultivation. It 

 is best performed in March or April, according to the season 

 and the locality in which they are grown. A good time to 

 divide is when the young shoots begin to push out and attain 

 the height of about two inches. The plants should be lifted 

 with a spade, trowel, or old knife, and the process of dissec- 

 tion is easily performed. The old stump should be discarded, 

 and only the young suckers preserved. When possible they 

 should be taken off with the roots attached, as in this case 

 they may be replanted at once where they are intended to 

 bloom, and should the weather be cloudy or moist they will 

 go on and grow without further trouble ; if warm and bright 

 they will need shading for a few days until they show signs of 

 starting into new growth. In dividing the old plants many 

 strong suckers may be broken off without any roots, and these 

 may be treated as directed for ordinary cuttings. The small 

 pieces of rooted suckers are nearly equal to newly propagated 

 plants. This system of division is especially to be recom- 

 mended for the climate of the South, as there they are hardy 

 and attain a large size, and unless divided annually will 



