CULINARY HERBS 37 



from a single specimen of Holt's Mammoth sage 

 grown in a greenhouse. And from the same plant 

 at the same time I have taken more than lOO 

 cuttings. This is not an exceptional feat with this 

 variety, the plants of which are very branchy and 

 often exceed a yard in diameter. 



Layering is probably the simplest and most satis- 

 factory method of artificial propagation under ordi- 

 nary conditions, since the stems are almost sure 

 to take root if undisturbed long enough; and since 

 rooted plants can hardly fail to grow if properly 

 transplanted. Then, too, less apparent time is taken 

 than with plants grown from cuttings and far less 

 than with those grown from seed. In other words, 

 they generally produce a crop sooner than the plants 

 obtained by the other methods set in operation at 

 the same time. 



DIVISION 



Division of the clumps of such herbs as mint is 

 often practiced, a sharp spade or a lawn edger being 

 used to cut the clump into pieces about 6 inches 

 square. The squares are then placed in new quar- 

 ters and packed firmly in place with soil. This 

 method is, however, the least satisfactory of all 

 mentioned, because it too frequently deprives the 

 plants of a large amount of roots, thus impairs the 

 growth, and during the first season or two may 

 result in unsymmetrical clumps. If done in early 

 spring before growth starts, least damage is done 

 to the plants. 



