ON REARING FLOWERS. 



165 



be subjected to this operation either late in the spring, 

 or early in the autumn, and it is a very simple method, 

 as all that is required is to lay down the young shoots 

 into the soil, and make a slight incision at the joint 

 which is buried deepest in the ground. They will soon 

 strike root, and may then be carefully detached, and 

 managed as the old plants. AYhere a great number of 

 plants is required, the best method of obtaining these is 

 by cuttings, which, in the jDerennial sorts, vrill strike very 

 readily if properly managed. The advantage of this 

 method is, that only the tops of the plants are taken off, 

 and the base of the stems and roots will soon produce 

 fresh shoots ; besides which, plants raised from cuttings, 

 are generally superior in every respect to those obtained 

 from division of the roots or layers. The best time for 

 practising this metliod is said to be late in the spring, or 

 early in the autumn, but not during the summer months. 

 The cuttings should be taken from the extremities of the 

 young shoots, and should be cut off just below the third 

 or fourth joint from the top, removing the leaves fi^om 

 the part that is to be inserted in the soil. They should 

 be planted an inch or two apart in a sheltered border, 

 and in a rather rich loamy soil that has been previously 

 well watered, covering them with a hand-glass, and 

 shading this with some thin material fur a few days after 

 planting, if the sun should shine upon them. AVhen 

 they are free from danger on this score, the hand-glass 

 should be removed by degrees, to admit light and air ; 

 and as soon as the cuttings are struck, they may be 

 planted out in a similar situation, and treated as here- 

 after directed. 



Heartseases require a rather rich loamy soil, but it is of 

 much greater importance that they be not allowed to re- 

 main in the same soil more than one year, as they are 

 considered to be great deteriorators of the soil. On this 

 account, also, cultivators never remove heartseases with 

 balls of earth ; but, on the contrary, when they are trans- 

 planted, the soil is taken from the roots, and these latter 

 are carefully washed for the purpose of removing all the 

 old soil which attaches itself to the roots. This is con- 

 sidered of great importance by some; but it may be 



