58 CARNATIONS AND PINKS 



the plants free from any harmful insects. Towards 

 the close of the month stakes to support the flowering 

 stems should be placed in the pots. Stir the surface 

 of the soil frequently ; it should not be allowed to 

 remain close and hard, whether from watering or 

 rains. The plants will now grow rapidly, and in 

 tying the flowering stems to stakes do so with judg- 

 ment and not too tightly. As soon as the young 

 buds are large enough some disbudding may be done. 

 Great care should be taken that weakly plants are not 

 over-watered, as it delays their growth, few roots are 

 made, and an imperfect bloom results. 



June 



With the advanced growth there must be careful 

 attention to tying to the stakes. With rare exceptions, 

 all shoots starting for bloom beyond the leading stem 

 should be stopped. In a few c;ises, however, the 

 cultivator will find that the stopping of one shoot 

 is merely the precursor of the starting of another, 

 and thus his anticipation of increase is threatened 

 with disappointment. In such cases it is well to per- 

 mit a second or even a third stem to rise for bloom, 

 allowing such stems to carry a single bud only, and 

 thus the rampant vigour is subdued. One who is a 

 leading grower for exhibition states that he leaves 

 only the main bud, but this rule cannot be regarded 

 as a fixed one, as he has found some varieties lose re- 

 finement if allowed to throw all their energies into one 

 bloom, a statement which is quite true of other florists' 



