OF THE GROWING OF HERBS 151 



room to flourish, the soil should have a good staple of 

 mould thirty inches or three feet in depth. Taking the 

 small horizontal roots of established plants, cut them 

 into sections six inches long. Having traced out rows 

 a yard asunder, plant the sets along each row at 

 intervals of eighteen inches, covering them entirely with 

 mould."! ^ 



Saffron will grow in any soil, but prefers a sandy one, 

 and plenty of sun. It is increased by seed, and by 

 ofF-sets, which must be taken from the bulb when the 

 plant is in a state of rest. As Saffron is an autumn- 

 flowering plant, the time of rest is in the beginning of 

 summer, and the bulb should be taken up when the 

 leaves (which appear in the spring) begin to decay. 

 The parent bulbs should be kept dry for a month and 

 then replanted, that they may have time to " establish 

 themselves " and flower before winter. This should be 

 done once in three years. Skirrets are seldom eaten, 

 but occasionally seen ; they may be raised from seed, 

 or by off-sets from the roots taken in spring or autumn. 

 Chives are propagated by dividing the roots either in 

 spring or autumn, and when the leaves are wanted they 

 should be cut close, and then new ones will grow up in 

 their place. 



Sorrel of two kinds is cultivated, Rumex Acetosa and 

 Rumex Scutatus ox French Sorrel; Garden Sorrel rejoices 

 in a damp, French Sorrel in a dry, soil. Both are most 

 commonly increased by parting the roots, which may be 

 done either in spring or autumn, and the roots planted 

 about a foot apart and watered. Loudon says : " The 

 finer plants are propagated from seed," which should be 

 sown in March, though it may be sown in any of the 

 spring months, and the plants must be thinned out when 

 they are one or two inches high. When the stalks run 

 up in the summer they should be cut back occasionally. 



1 Abercrombie. 



