34 



will do the plant little or no injury, and should be 

 done, if practicable. When the suckers are large, and 

 so united to the mother-plant that it is difficult to 

 separate them and yet to preserve a sufficient quantity 

 of small roots to them ; take the plant out of the pot, 

 and divide the main root, with a sharp knife, into as 

 many parts as there are suckers. This operation, 

 likewise, is the safest for two reasons ; first, because 

 the suckers, being difficult to be severed, will not by 

 that means be so much in danger of spoiling ; and 

 secondly, being thus separated they will certainly 

 bring away more small roots with them than if they 

 were torn off. Sometimes the operation of the knife 

 is not necessary, and yet the oiFsets cannot be so well 

 separated without taking the old plant out of the pot ; 

 when this happens, and you have slipt oif the offsets, 

 trim the fibres of the old plant, and replace it again 

 into its pot ; if this can be done without disturbing 

 many of the roots, the old plant may blow the stronger 

 for it. If there is not above an offset or two, and you 

 want a strong bloom from the mother-plant, take 

 them off without removing the old plant ; if this be 

 not practicable, let it remain till the plant has done 

 blowing ; it will then be time enough to remove the 

 offsets. Plant the offsets, immediately on taking them 

 off, on the side of pots called (about London) upright 

 forty-eights ; they are about four or five inches over 

 at the top, three inches and a half at the bottom, and 



