PLANTS WORTH GROWING 127 
the following year. Slugs are the greatest enemy 
of seedling Delphiniums, as also of the succulent 
young shoots of established plants. 
The usual precautionary measures as detailed 
elsewhere must be adopted to combat these 
destructive pests. 
Cutting up the roots to single crowns and potting 
the pieces in light sandy soil is, as already mentioned, 
a means of increasing stock of a particular variety, 
but where one is disinclined to disturb a whole 
plant a youngster or two may be obtained by 
removing a few young shoots from the base when 
about three to four inches long. Sever with a 
sharp knife, cutting just a ' heel ' of the rootstock 
at the base of the shoot. Dab the end in a saucer 
of dry powdered charcoal and insert firmly in a 
small pot filled with silver sand. Keep just moist 
in a close frame or cloche in a sheltered and not 
too sunny spot. It will be some time before roots 
are formed, but when this happens pot on into larger 
pots of leaf-mould with a little loam and silver 
sand. From these pots the plants may in due 
time be transferred to flowering quarters. 
Of florists' varieties of Delphinium the varieties 
are wellnigh innumerable, and it is these that are 
so immensely popular. In colour they run the 
whole gamut of blue shades and combinations of 
blue, mauve, lilac and purple, whilst there are white 
and almost white varieties, and double, semi-double, 
and single-flowered forms. To single out varieties 
