68 OF PROPAGATION. SECT, Y, 



the root, or stem ; and several sorts of flowers and 

 *herbs are increased this way. When from the roots 

 (if the wh'ole is not taken up) move the earth care- 

 fully aside, and slip off by a pressure of the thumb 

 and finger, and be cautious of hurting the fibres of 

 the slips, planting with fine and good mould about 

 ' them. Take off slips from the stem carefully by a 

 push of the thumb, and not too many from the same 

 plant, as it is apt to injure the place by tearing off 

 some of the wood. Slips from the stem are to be 

 considered as cuttings, and treated accordingly, 

 They take more certainly, and make better roots than 

 cuttings. 



Offset is a term sometime applied to slips from 

 fibrous roots ; but more properly so from bulbous 

 roots, which put forth many offsets. These are 

 slipped away at the time they are taken up for re- 

 moval or replanting, and commonly take two or 

 three years before they bear flowers;, dispose of 

 them therefore in a nursery, where they remain un- 

 disturbed while they come to a flowering state ; keep 

 them however clean from weeds, and stir the ground 

 fe little* 



Division of the roots is a way of propagating 

 many sorts of plants. To this end (of course) they 

 must be taken up, and then either carefully putted? 

 or cut asunder with a sharp instrument ; as the case 

 may require. It is not safe, however, to divide such 

 roots into very small pieces, (especially if cut), as 

 then they are apt to die ; but leave them of a size 

 sufficient, not barely to secure life, but to form im- 

 mediately a handsome head. The general and best 

 season for thus splitting fibrous rooted plants, is Oc- 

 tober, but it may be done early in the spring, as 

 February. 



Cuttings of a variety of woody plants will grow ?; 

 and many trees an,d shrubs are propagated this way ; 



