97 
ure wanted for increase ; if there are many off- 
sets and large, we can expect but a poor truss 
fi’om that plant, but if the plant be of a choice 
and expensive kind, the increase, to many, is of 
more consequence than the bloom ; and were it 
not for that, the offsets ought not be suffered to 
remain. The offsets are so often situated, that 
by removing a little of the earth, they may be 
slipped off the mother-plant with your fingers, 
or with a sharp piece of box, yew, or other 
hard wood, made for that purpose in the shape 
of a knife, without taking the plant out of the 
])Ot; this will do the plant little or no injury, 
and should be done if practicable ; but offsets 
will not always separate thus easily ; when, 
therefore, the suckers are large, and so united 
to the mother-plant that it is difficult to separate 
them with your fingers, so as to preserve a suf- 
ficient quantity of fibres or small roots to them, 
you need not fear taking the plant out of the 
pot, and dividing the main root with a shaiq) 
knife, into as many parts as there are suckers. 
This operation, likewise, is the safest for two 
reasons : first, because the suckers, being diffi- 
cult to be severed, will not by that means be 
so much in danger of spoiling ; and secondly, 
being thus separated, they will certainly bring 
away more small roots with them than if they 
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