56 PROPAGATION OF PLANTS BY DIVISION 



The blackberry is commonly propagated by means of cuttings 

 from the roots, seeds being used chiefly for the starting of new 

 varieties. Roots about one-fourth inch in diameter are taken 

 up in the fall and cut into two-inch lengths. These are kept in 

 wet sand or sawdust in a cool cellar until spring, when they may 

 be planted in shallow furrows and covered with about two inches of 

 soil. They are sometimes started in hot-beds in very early spring 

 and transplanted to the permanent garden about six weeks later. 



Difference Between Roots and Stems. The technical differ- 

 ence between a root and a stem is that a root does not bear true 

 buds, at least the buds are not arranged in systematic order as 

 they are upon stems. There are no scales or modified leaves 

 about the "buds" on roots as there are on stems. True buds are 

 often only upon stems. They contain rudimentary leaves for 

 future growth. 



Divisions of Crowns. True buds are found at the crown of 

 the root stem. This is true of many woody plants and herbaceous 

 perennials. Such plants may be readily multiplied by division of 

 the crowns in such a manner that some of the buds remain attached 

 to each part of the roots after the division is made. Thus a lilac 

 bush may be divided into a number of plants. Many of the 

 perennial flowers are propagated in this manner; for example, 

 dicentra, delphinium, columbine, perennial phlox, golden-glow and 

 peonie. Division of roots may be accomplished best when the 

 plant is dormant, as in late fall or early spring. This is one of the 

 easiest methods of multiplying plants. It is used in the propaga- 

 tion of hundreds of different shrubs, such as roses, currants, 

 gooseberries, altheas, wygelia and spirea. 



Rootstocks, or underground stems, creep near the surface of 

 the ground and may be partly out of the ground at different 

 places. They are supplied with buds, and at many of these new 

 stems may be sent upward and roots sent downward. Thus new 

 plants may be propagated by division at any point. This is a 

 common method of propagation among many of the grasses, such 

 as blue grass and quack grass. White clover spreads extensively 

 in this way. 



Tubers and Bulbs. Tubers are commonly used in the propaga- 

 tion of white potatoes, dahlias and a few others. True buds are 

 often found upon the tubers. These are sometimes called "eyes." 



Many bulbs are multiplied in the moist climates of western 

 Washington (Fig. 44) and western Europe. The Dutch bulbs are 



