68 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



getting hard they soon break again and a more liberal 

 amount of air may be given, disbudding the shoots to one. 

 As soon as the plants are well rooted in the 6o-size pots 

 they require a shift into 48-size (5-inch) pots, and if the 

 weather conditions are not good they may be again returned 

 to the frame for a few days, but as the sun by this time is 

 very powerful no attempt must be made to keep the frame 

 closed, and the more genial atmosphere will allow the free 

 use of the syringe. This keeps the foliage from flagging 

 until roots begin to spread into the fresh soil. As soon 

 as fit the plants may be removed to the open air and re- 

 ceive similar treatment to those rooted at an earlier 

 period. 



Growth being rapid at this season, it will not be long 

 before they are ready for potting into their flowering pots, 

 large 32-size and 24-size (6-inch and 8-inch pots) being 

 the best. The same mixture of soil suits these as recom- 

 mended for the main batch of Japanese varieties and the 

 potting must be done firmly, leaving a small amount of 

 space for accommodating a top-dressing. 



The general rules of cultivation laid down for the 

 earlier rooted plants apply equally to these dwarf plants, 

 but it may be found as the pots get filled with roots that 

 plants in these small pots will require more water, and 

 possibly may need looking over a little oftener to pre- 

 vent loss of leaves through drought. Many of these plants 

 rooted in March or early April will probably make a natural 

 break at about the right time for the first-crown bud to be 

 taken in the second or third week in August, but if they do 

 not, then stop them at the end of the second week in June, 

 or even the very quick opening varieties a few days later 

 than this, as generally speaking these late struck plants do 



