114 CARRYING 0\ER FOR A SECOND YEAR 



to sacrifice the blooms in the Springtime in order to cut 

 back the plants, as the cuttings were all taken off. 



About the best time to cut back stock is the latter part 

 of April, and our method is to use pruning shears and cut 

 everything even across the bench, about six or seven inches 

 above the soil. Disregard any nice looking shoots that 

 might give promise of giving flowers in the Summer. White 

 Enchantress does very welL We tried this variety by tak- 

 ing the plants out of the soil after cutting them back in 

 April and replanting them in another bench. We found 

 there was very little difference in getting them into crop 

 and the number of blooms you would get from these plants 

 by leaving them in the same bench, removing some of the 

 top soil, and refilling with fresh soil and mulch. The ex- 

 pense of taking off the top soil and carrying in the fresh soil 

 in boxes or pails is about as much as to empty the bench 

 and refill it. We have been able to cut as many as twelve 

 blooms to the plant from July i to Jan. i. These were 

 strong, healthy plants that had been used the season be- 

 fore for cutting purposes, therefore it was not necessary to 

 sacrifice any blooms. 



We also tried Beacon plants that were net used for 

 cutting purposes the first year, by leaving on all the flowering 

 shoots that would bloom by Memorial Day, and cutting 

 everything off the plants about six inches above the soil. 

 It is an easy matter to determine about the first part of 

 May which buds will be in bloom for Memorial Day. You 

 can then cut off all their shoots, leaving only the largest 

 buds, and as the flowers develop they can be cut off even 

 with the other shoots. In this way you will have nice, 

 even plants, and with careful treatment they will be in 

 good growing condition and begin to throw up a nice 

 number of shoots by the first of July, and by the middle of 



