66 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



soon as the shoots have attained a length of 2in. or 3in., they 

 may be taken off and planted singly as cuttings in thumb pots, 

 and stood in a forcing-house or on a hot-bed. Each cutting will 

 form roots, and as soon as they are well-established they should 

 be potted on into larger sizes, and inured to a cooler 

 atmosphere. 



The Dahlia is one of the very easiest plants to propagate, 

 and also to grow on for planting out. All that is required in 



Fig. 35. — Cactus Dahlia Miss Finch. 

 (Cheal.) 



the early spring is to see that the plants receive no check to 

 their growth. They are necessarily propagated in a warm 

 temperature, and in the process of inuring them to that of a 

 greenhouse or a garden-frame, they should not receive any 

 check from cold winds or a low night temperature. 



Another method of propagation is by producing what 

 gardeners term " pot-roots." These are produced by taking oft' 



