a hammer, and holding the clump firmly in one hand 

 hold it so that it just clears the ground the least bit. 

 But if the tubers are long and slender, do not raise 

 clear off the ground, as their own weight is the cause 

 of many of them breaking their necks. 



Tap the base of the stalk with the hammer far 

 enough above the buds not to bruise or injure them. 

 It will be surprising to see the dirt let loose and 

 tumble out from among the tubers, doing no harm 

 if the tapping is not done too hard. Wash all the 

 clumps off nice and clean with the garden hose', care 

 being taken not to let the water play with too much 

 force, as it would knock off the buds or the skin 

 from the tubers. 



After they have dried off nicely, proceed as follows. 

 Have a bench, old table, anything on which one 

 can work. For those clumps that can not be al- 

 lowed to sit down flat, I have a small block about 

 four inches square and two inches thick. Then 

 place a piece of old sacking of three or four ply 

 over the block, this prevents the block from bruis- 

 ing or skinning the tubers. Place the clump on the 

 block and proceed to divide it. 



There is nothing better than a key hole saw, where 

 a saw is necessary, when the stalk is too hard and 

 fiberous for a knife to cut in. The blade is very 

 narrow, which enables one to get in between the 

 tubers. This saw can be procured at almost any 

 hardware store. It is necessary to have it refiled 

 into a cut off saw. Saw off the old stalk as close 

 as you can to the tubers, not below any buds. If 

 the wood is too hard to cut with a knife, then it will 

 be necessary to saw down through the center of the 

 stalk, keeping clear of the buds. If there are a 



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