Propagation of Plants 103 



gle stalk which I had left untouched. The loss was irrepara- 

 ble as the Ulmaria is one of the most beautiful of my plants. 



Another mistake easy to make is to overlook the position of 

 certain plants that are late in springing to life. One spring I 

 watched vainly for my Incarvillea to come up, and not finding 

 it, I thrust in a sharp little pointed trowel to remove a spirea 

 growing near by, and, to my horror, I pierced the Incarvillea 

 to its very heart. It was as cruel to me as if I had maimed a 

 human being. I muttered many incantations over it, gave it 

 massage and absent treatments, and prayed my guardian an- 

 gel (I only know I have one in times of sore need) to heal the 

 wound. The plant lived, but it is a cripple for life. The 

 Dodecathon media, Mertensia Virginica and Liatris are also 

 late in coming up, and these I mark with tall stakes so as not 

 to mistake the places where they are planted. 



Certain plants attain an unruly height and need special 

 treatment. Among these are the golden glow, Helenium au- 

 tumnale superbum, some of the perennial varieties of Helian- 

 thus, Boltonia and the perennial phlox. When these are less 

 than a foot high, nip off the tips of the plant. They will then 

 branch freely and grow perhaps four feet instead of six or 

 seven. This retards the blooming a little and perhaps makes 

 the flowers smaller, but there will be more of them. In treat- 

 ing phlox thus, a longer season of bloom may be secured 

 by nipping some and allowing the others to grow. The un- 

 nipped ones will bloom perhaps two weeks earlier than those 

 cut off. 



After a bed is planted, do not think your responsibility is 

 over for that season. Whenever you have a leisure hour, take 

 a hand fork, a small implement with three flat tines, and stir 

 the ground about the roots of plants. This is particularly 

 needed if the season is dry, for it opens the ground to catch 

 any slight rain that does fall Adam calls them vague little 



