82 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS. 



cuttings, it will form roots in ten or twelve days more, 

 and not more than two per cent, will fail. Plants of the 

 Tricolor Geraniums, which all know are difficult to root 

 under the ordinary modes of propagation, particularly in 

 hot weather, do excellently by this plan. 



The advantage of this method is not only that the 

 slips root with far greater facility, but the injury to 

 the stock or mother plants is far less than if the slips had 

 been cut clean off instead of being only partly detached. 

 Many other plants can be thus propagated with safety, 

 notably Begonias, Petunias, Poinsettias, and such plants, 

 the cuttings of which have a tendency to damp in hot 

 weather. 



PROPAGATION BY DIVISION. 



This is the simplest of all methods of increasing plants, 

 but it is almost exclusively confined to hardy herbaceous 

 border plants, although Cannas, Dahlias, and various other 

 tender plants can also be propagated in this way. But 

 whenever plants are propagated by division, it is best 

 done at their natural period of starting to grow. Thus 

 Phloxes, Chrysanthemums, Paeonias, Iris, and grasses of 

 all kinds start to grow in the Northern States in the open 

 ground about May ist, which is the best time to divide; 

 while Cannas, Dahlias, and other tender tropical plants 

 should not be divided, if to be set out in the open ground, 

 until a month later, or say the first week in June. In 

 all cases, here as in cuttings, firm the divided roots well 

 with the foot to exclude the air ; otherwise the operation 

 may fail. 



PROPAGATION BY SEEDS. 



The most natural way of increasing plants is by seeds; 

 and whenever it is practicable to do so, it is preferable to 

 all others, so that in our own practice, any plant of which 



