February Dawning Spring 



magnifica ; last year's shoots ought now to be shortened 

 to within two or three buds of the base. Now is the 

 time to prune late-flowering Spiraeas such as Aitchisoni 

 and japonica; weak shoots are cut out and the others 

 are shortened to within about 15 inches of the base. 



Root Cuttings. Propagation by means of root 

 cuttings is a method of increasing plants that is not com- 

 monly practised by amateur gardeners, except, perhaps, 

 unwittingly, when Dandelion, or Plantain, Couch Grass or 

 other obnoxious weed is imperfectly removed ; the pieces 

 remaining in the ground are able to produce fresh growths, 

 and so the plants are perpetuated. Yet quite a number 

 of good plants are easily and preferably increased in this 

 manner. Most people who have grown the beautiful 

 blue Alkanet (Anchusa) have found it to be a doubt- 

 ful perennial, and probably have discovered that a 

 fresh supply of plants is obtained without difficulty 

 by means of root cuttings. The Japanese Anemone 

 (Anemone japonica) is another favourite hardy plant 

 that is readily propagated in a similar way, although 

 the same necessity does not arise in this case, since 

 the Anemone is a true perennial. The Burning Bush 

 (Dictamnus Fraxinella), which one does not see very often 

 now, though both the type and the white variety are 

 attractive border flowers this, too, is increased by root 

 cuttings. The same method may be practised for obtain- 

 ing a larger number^ of plants of the handsome Plume 

 Poppy (Bocconia cordata). Owing to its spreading roots, 

 each little piece of which will grow, this plant is 

 difficult to get rid of when once well established, and 

 fresh growths continue to appear annually unless all 

 the roots are carefully picked out. Other border plants 

 of which root cuttings may be taken are Oriental Poppy, 

 Crambe orientale (Ornamental Seakale), Sea Lavender 

 (Statice), Monkshood (Aconitum), Paeony, Convolvulus, 

 and, of vegetables, Seakale and Horseradish. 



The method of preparing root cuttings is of the 



