Propagation 53 



Green plants are too often condemned as not 

 being so satisfactory as those grown direct from 

 the tuber. This is usually the fault of the 

 grower, and if plants are purchased, the gar- 

 dener should make very sure of the man from 

 whom he gets them. 



Green plants must be started early and 

 grown slowly. Those started late and grown 

 rapidly make large bushes above ground, but 

 they seldom have roots which winter well. 



Over-propagation — ^i,e.,too many green plants 

 taken from the mother clump — ^is too often 

 practised by growers who have more greed than 

 common sense. This is another cause for the 

 gardener's general condemnation. 



There is one slip, however, in the growing of 

 purchased green plants, which is the fault of the 

 gardener himself. It is his lack of knowledge as 

 to how to treat the newly arrived baby. The 

 plant was born and brought up with the tender- 

 est care, indoors. It was shaded from the hot 

 sun and given water at regular intervals. Sud- 

 denly it was placed in a close dark box and 

 tumbled about for several days, finally to emerge 

 in a strange country. Usually the gardener takes 

 it out of the box and immediately plants it in the 

 garden like a potted geranium. 



The poor little plant is tired out after its 



