130 The Cineraria. 



be sown as late as September, and when in pots the plant 

 may be kept in-doors during the winter. 



If it is desired to increase the number of the plants rapidk 

 cuttings may be used. Each of these should be pl ace( i 

 close to the side of a pot, so as to touch it throughout its length* 

 the pot should then be filled up with bits of broken pots, ci* 

 ders and stones, to within two inches of the top, and over this 

 should be placed a layer of moss, and the pot then filled with 

 white sand, or light peat earth. The pot should then be placed 

 in a shady and moist border, with a bell glass over it, and the 

 cuttings must be watered each day. The root of the Cinera- 

 ria, being perennial, all the stems die each year, when they 

 have performed their functions, and are succeeded in the fol. 

 lowing season by new shoots from the main root. 



This property of putting forth new shoots, or suckers, 

 from the old root, is a very common property among herba' 

 ceous and shrubby plants, and advantage has been taken of 

 it to increase the number of plants by dividing each root 

 into as many pieces as there are incipient stems, provided 

 each portion of the root so separated have also a sufficient 

 number of fibres as purveyors of nutriment from the soil to in- 

 sure vigorous vitality in the scion. For making this division, 

 of the roots of the Cineraria, August is considered the proper 

 month. The professional florist commonly anticipates nature 

 by removing the flower stems and old leaves as soon as the 

 bloom has gone ; by which means he causes the root to expend 

 all its vigor in the production of new stems, and increases the 

 strength of those which have not yet flowered; and for the 

 purpose of promoting this tendency to the utmost, he places 

 his plants, when so cut down, in a cold pit, where he allows 

 them to remain for some weeks, keeping them for a while 

 somewhat close, and when they begin to grow, a little air is 

 admitted during the day, and excluded at night. If this 

 has been done in proper time, when August arrives the roots 

 will be in proper condition for being divided. The pieces 

 of root are then to be planted in pots in a light soil, composed 

 of peat, a little loam, and some exhausted dung, from a melon 

 or cucumber bed. When this is done, the pots should be 

 placed in a close frame until they have recommenced growing, 



