IN INDIAN SUMMERS 



them. If, instead of a flower bud with its attendant 1-15* 

 set of growth buds, a cluster forms which consists 

 entirely of flower buds, a large one in the centre and 

 small ones around, we no longer have "crown" but 

 "terminal" buds. We see that when a crown bud 

 forms, the plant has not finished producing shoots, 

 because the leaf buds below the crown would carry 

 growth on if they were not pinched out ; but when the 

 branch produces a cluster of flower buds only, it may 

 be taken as a sign that there will be no more shoots 

 produced. I describe the terminal buds, because plants 

 which are grown under less severe restriction than the 

 prize bloom plants may not produce crown buds at all, 

 and if readers knew only of the latter they would be 

 surprised to have a cluster of flower buds without any 

 growth buds beneath them, and wonder what was the 

 best thing to do. " Are terminal buds ever used for 

 prize blooms ? " it may be asked. The answer is that it 

 is quite exceptional. Sometimes a plant grown on the 

 three-stem principle is developed with terminal buds, 

 and large flowers got, but the crown bud is generally 

 used. Terminal buds on bush plants may be thinned 

 down to the central one if a few fairly large flowers are 

 wanted, but if a plant full of flowers is required, to give 

 small blooms suitable for cutting, the clusters may be 

 left unthinned. 



Dahlias in Bloom. — September is the great month of 

 the Dahlia, and the most must be got out of the plant 

 that it can possibly give. Sometimes the flowers do not 

 show up very well, owing to being partially hidden 

 among the leaves ; a little judicious thinning and staking 

 will do something to remedy this trouble. Soakings of 

 water and mulchings of manure will help to maintain 

 the display of flowers. 



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