ORNAMENTALS 265 



freely, which it will do if left entirely alone. 

 Division of its tubers, the only means of propaga- 

 tion, is an injury rather than an aid to its flower- 

 ing. I have known clumps that have not been dis- 

 turbed for 40 years to produce their flowers in 

 abundance annually, and have seen old clumps, 

 divided with care, and seemingly under the most 

 favorable conditions, to stand still for a number of 

 years without producing a flower. Propagation, or 

 division, should be done in October when the plants 

 are at rest and the roots, or tubers kept out of the 

 ground as short a time as possible. Usually the 

 plants will produce a few flowers the second season. 

 If so, success is assured, and an annual display of 

 flowers certain." 



PLANTS FOR HANGING BASKETS 



" Two of the most important classes of flowers," 

 writes Laura Jones of Kentucky, " are pot shrubs 

 and hanging basket plants, because they are use- 

 ful, decorative, and are all-the-year-round plants. 

 With proper care theyare always permanent with us. 

 Some of the pot shrubs can be kept from six to eight 

 years, if properly pruned to keep in low shrubby 

 shape. If allowed to grow tall and straggling, there 

 is little room for them in either window, or garden, 

 or veranda. Only when they are kept in shrubby 

 shape do they bloom well, as the long, straight 

 branches do not produce flowers. 



" The best flowering shrubs that will flower in 

 the window and in the late winter and early spring 

 are the Azalea indica, or the Chinese azalea, which 

 blooms about Easter. This is a beautiful flowering 

 plant. It comes in colors of pink, crimson, white, 

 rose color and the variegated pink and white. 



