io6 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



well kept up, until the border varieties are in flower in 

 July. Plants which have filled their flower-pots well with 

 roots may be helped by waterings of weak manure water, 

 three times in a week. Those not in flower may be syringed 

 freely in warm weather to keep off red spider. Look out 

 also for fungus disease, which can best be destroyed by 

 cutting off all diseased leaves as soon as the disease is 

 observed. Ventilate the house freely. 



Perpetual-Flowering-Varieties. The plants propagated 

 from slips and cuttings must have careful attention, and 

 be shifted into larger flower-pots as they require it. Plants 

 which were propagated in December will now be ready 

 for potting into their flowering pots. They should be 

 afforded a porous, rich compost, and this should be made 

 very firm. Those intended for planting out in benches in 

 autumn should be hardened gradually, afterwards planting 

 them in well-prepared soil in the open. Those intended for 

 flowering in beds in the flower garden should be hardened 

 similarly, and may be planted at the end of the month. 



Pinks. Stir the surface of the beds, after the sticks 

 have been placed to the rising flower-stems. It is bene- 

 ficial to give the beds a slight dressing of decayed manure. 



JUNE 



Border Carnations and Picotees. Continue to tie the 

 flower-stems to the sticks ; these latter should stand 2 feet 

 6 inches to 3 feet out of the soil. Attend to disbudding 

 as soon as the buds are large enough ; it is usual to allow 

 three buds to one flower-stem. Some, who wish for very 

 large blooms for exhibition, will remove all but the leading 

 bud. Others do not disbud at all, allowing all the flowers 

 to develop. The plants may be syringed frequently during 



