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PROPAGATION BY SEPARATION 



Propagation by Division. Many plants are propa- 

 gated by cutting or breaking the parent plant into several 

 pieces. This method of propagation is known as division. 

 Propagation by division is practiced principally with tu- 

 bers, rootstocks, crowns, stolons, and suckers. 



A Tuber is a thickened portion of a stem that grows 

 beneath the surface of the soil. The Irish potato and the 



dahlia are familiar examples. 

 These plants are multiplied by 

 either planting the entire tuber 

 or dividing it into portions each 

 of which must contain a bud 

 or " eye." 



A Rootstock is .a prostrate, 

 much thickened stem which 

 pushes out lateral roots in all 

 directions and upon which buds 

 are formed. These buds when 

 detached develop into new 

 plants. The rootstock may be 

 separated into as many parts 

 as there are buds and each 

 part treated as a separate plant. 

 Crowns. With some plants the rootstock during the sum- 

 mer develops on each rooted branch a strong terminal bud. 

 Each branch thus formed containing roots and a terminal 

 bud is called a crown. This may be dug in the fall when 

 the plant is dormant and divided into as many parts as 

 there are crowns and each treated as an independent plant. 

 Stolons are trailing branches often known as runners. 

 Roots start at the nodes of the runner and thus new plants 

 are produced. After the young plants are well rooted 



Fig. 1 16. A new corm of caladium, 

 with cormels, and the old corm at 

 the base. 





