Growing Flowers 185 



When thinning young plants, do so without regard 

 to the size of the plants. Small plants will soon 

 attain their growth if plenty of room is given and 

 cultivation started. The tendency in thinning 

 usually is to retain the largest plants, discarding 

 the smaller ones, but this should not be done when 

 it will leave bunches of plants, otherwise the large 

 ones will soon be outstripped by the young ones 

 which have been given their chance. 



The amount of space to be given each plant 

 should be determined by the height to which the 

 plant grows and whether or not it is a bunchy 

 plant. The roots of tall plants, as a rule, grow 

 downward into the earth, instead of branching 

 out near the surface, hence they do not require as 

 great a distance in proportion as a plant the roots 

 of which spread out. Keep in mind both the tend- 

 ency of the roots and the branches when the first 

 thinning is done. 



In transplanting young plants to the open ground, 

 great precaution should be exercised with regard 

 to the roots. If they are bruised it will take some 

 time for them to heal before they will begin to 

 grow and furnish nourishment to the plant. 



