154 Commercial Gardening 



should be avoided, as weak-necked blooms are the result of this short- 

 sighted policy. All the air possible is now required, but no heat should 

 be turned on before the blooms begin to open, and not even then unless 

 damping becomes apparent. Attempts should be made always to get the 

 house dry in the daytime, watering as early as possible; if the air is 

 heavy, a little heat turned on early in the day is advisable to get the air 

 on the move. 



The ventilators should be open on mild nights; on damp ones the 

 houses should be closed to keep the dry air in, unless of course the outside 

 temperature is too high to permit it. Feeding, as advised before, should 

 be done as required, discontinuing it when the flowers begin to open. If 

 any variety begins to grow soft, two doses of superphosphate, oz. to a 

 10-in. pot, at three- week intervals will stiffen it up. It is possible to make 

 a soft stem as brittle as an icicle by this means; bone superphosphate 

 should be used in preference to mineral, and should be mixed with 3 parts 

 of soil. 



As before stated, every endeavour should be made to keep the selection 

 of varieties up to date, a keen lookout being kept for good novelties, and 

 all inferior sorts being promptly discarded. The growth of each variety 

 needs studying, and a universal treatment avoided. The finer-rooted 

 varieties require smaller pots, and must never be over pot ted. It will be 

 found that the smaller-leaved sorts do best when only allowed to carry 

 one stem to a plant from the first stop, while the heavier varieties may 

 carry two or even three with advantage. The October and November 

 varieties usually require two stops, and the December ones one stop and 

 a natural break. It is wise to try all new varieties with stops at different 

 dates to find the right treatment for the locality. Singles are grown in 

 the same way as the doubles, and the disbudded large-bloomed varieties 

 require quite as much care. The sprays require three stops, the last from 

 July 1 to 15, and the disbudded ones two. Only stiff- petalled varieties 

 should be grown with at least two rows of florets. Outdoor sorts usually 

 require to be struck rather later, and after being hardened off* in a cold pit 

 can be bedded out in another one in good soil, planting at a distance of 

 6 in. by 4 in. After danger of frost is over, they require lifting with a fork 

 and carefully planting in permanent quarters; well-hardened plants will 

 stand 3 or 4 degrees of frost. All ground for outdoor varieties should be 

 deeply dug, well manured, and dressed with lime during the winter, and, 

 if at all poor a week before planting, dressed with 1 cwt. of sulphate of 

 ammonia to the acre. 



A natural break suits most outdoor varieties; or find out when the first 

 natural break of each sort occurs, and stop the next at that date, or even a 

 trifle earlier. 



Eighteen inches each way is the best distance for planting, four rows 

 going to each bed, and 2-ft.-6-in. paths being allowed between them. 



A careful record should be kept of each variety, and a suggested form 

 is given below. 



