198 HYBRIDIZING AND CROSSBREEDING 



germination will take place and the watering during this 

 time should be done very carefully to avoid damping off. 

 We like to sow the seed about March i, as that gives 

 enough time to grow nicely established plants by planting 

 out time at the end of April. As soon as they are large 

 enough to handle, pot the seedlings into small pots. We 

 prefer potting to pricking into flats, because the young 

 plants can be treated more individually in case of damping. 

 Usually these plants are set out in the field and are 

 allowed to bloom outdoors in late Summer or early Fall, 

 each one being labeled when in bloom and later brought 

 inside. This is, no doubt, the most practical method 

 where large quantities are handled, but if the number of 

 seedlings does not exceed a thousand or two, we prefer to 

 flower them inside in pots. We find that but little idea 

 can be gained from the flowers that are produced outside. 

 Colors that seem good out of doors may come pale and 

 washy in the greenhouse in the Winter months, and vice 

 versa. The same may be said regarding the calyx and 

 form; while no dependence can be placed in the stem as it 

 is produced out of doors. We find it possible to get a far 

 better idea of the merits of a seedling from a bloom that is 

 produced under Winter conditions, and as stated above, if 

 the number of plants to be tested is not prohibitive, we prefer 

 to handle them in that way. Pot them into 4 in. or 5 in. 

 pots, allowing them to run to flower when they get ready, 

 w^hich is usually in the late Fall or early Winter. When 

 a vigorous plant in a 4 in. or 5 in. pot runs up to one flower 

 in the late Fall, if there is any inclination to split the calyx 

 it -is apt to show it. The presence or absence of young 

 shoots around the base and along the lower part of the 

 stem w ill give you an idea of the style of the growth. Then, 

 too, you have better control over the plants. We have 



