102 PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 



root will be sufficient ; about the first of the month the old 

 root, entire, should be planted in some warm and sheltered 

 spot of the garden, covering it with sand, vegetable mould, 

 or any light soil j in about two weeks the eyes or young shoots 

 will have sprouted : then it will be properly seen how they 

 can be most carefully divided ; the root should be carefully 

 cut into as many pieces as there are eyes or sprouts, leaving 

 only one tuber to each, when they can be planted into the 

 situation appropriated for their blooming. 



Propagation by Cuttings. Prepare a hot-bed in March, 

 as therein described, and place a frame and lights of the 

 required size upon it ; scatter over the surface of the bed four 

 or five inches of sand, old bark, or any light soil ; after four 

 or five days, the fresh steam will have subsided, when the 

 roots may be laid thereon, covering them (but not over the 

 crowns) with light sandy soil ; but where large pots can be 

 obtained, I prefer planting them in the pots ; by this means 

 the plants are kept distinct, and can be taken out at any 

 time and examined. They should be frequently sprinkled 

 with water that is partially warm ; and if, after they are thus 

 placed in the bed, a rank and dense steam should arise, the 

 lights should be slightly raised both night and day, till it 

 subsides; and if the nights are cold, cover the lights with 

 mats or shutters. This gentle bottom-heat will speedily in- 

 duce the eyes to grow, and when the shoots have attained the 

 height of three or four inches, they should be cut off close to 

 the base, which makes the best plant. After the cuttings 

 are taken off, pot them singly into very small pots filled with 

 light sandy loam, containing a good portion of black earth 

 from the woods, and placed in another moderate hot-bed, and 

 give a gentle supply of water. Particular care must be paid 

 to shading them from the violent rays of the sun, for if they 

 are once exposed, they seldom recover : in this state they 

 should continue till they have formed their roots, which, in 

 a temperature of from sixty to seventy degrees, will be in 

 from two to three weeks. Where a great stock of any par- 

 ticular sort is wanted, the cuttings should be taken off just 

 below a joint, leaving two or three eyes at the base of the 

 shoot, which will again speedily produce new shoots, that can 

 bo again removed in a similar manner. 



When the plants are rooted, they may then be considered 

 established, and all that is necessary is, to shift them inte 



