36 



trouble of judging for themselves, to follow the 

 old track of cutting and watering, the same as 

 they may have before seen practised on the 

 hardiest geraniums, or myrtles. 



The above method I hope to see ere long 

 entirely exploded ; for, though it may not seem 

 to hurt some few kinds of strong free growing- 

 plants; yet it never can be allowed as a proper 

 mode of treatment for all plants indiscrimi- 

 nately, because they may happen to have a 

 good portion of roots. I think I may venture 

 to assert, that there have been more plants 

 destroyed by this practice, than by any other 

 particular part of the system of mismanagement 

 which some so blindly follow. 



There are instances however wherein a knife 

 is necessary, to the roots, as well as the 

 branches, viz. ; when they become rotten, or 

 otherwise contaminated ; and also to such as 

 are propagated by cuttings of the roots, as most 

 species of geranium may be, some mimosae also, 

 and indeed any that are observed to produce 

 what we gardeners term suckers, or a multiple 

 city of young stems around the parent : in all 

 which cases, they should be taken off with pre- 

 cision and a sufficiency left to support the 

 parent, if considered worth preserving. 



