106 
tried out as distinct types and are reproduced true only 
by propagation from cuttings. As the number of pos¬ 
sible propagations from a new variety is extremely lim¬ 
ited, it may remain rare for several years, only in the 
meantime furnishing material for still more improve¬ 
ment by the hybridization route. 
In the culture of Delphiniums there is no occult 
secret to be communicated. The skilled gardener will 
succeed with it as he does all his other plantings. Where 
the soil is already in good physical condition and con¬ 
tains a fair amount of the nutritive elements, no spe¬ 
cial preparation is necessary. But the Delphinium 
thrives not in poor, worn out, soil. Mere existence will 
do for it just what it does for the three-hundred-egg 
hen—you won’t get the eggs. And once planting in 
the right soil will not suffice for all time; annual re¬ 
plenishment will be rewarded. 
Springtime when growth starts is decidedly the time 
when cuttings are easiest to take and get to grow. 
When the young stalks are three to five inches long 
they can be cut off close to the crown of the plant 
and inserted in sand in a hot-bed or in the benches 
of a greenhouse. Some prefer the hot-bed as affording 
more natural moisture. If everything goes well the 
new plants will have sufficient roots to be set out in 
nursery rows in just a month from the time cuttings 
are made. Summer cuttings are more difficult. Some 
success is had in putting them in the ground under a 
bell glass in September and leaving them covered until 
spring. 
Divisions are made when the plants arrive at a stage 
where they need rejuvenating. They should be lifted 
and thoroughly washed free of soil; then cut into seg- 
