156 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1892. 



material which may be prepared as follows : In the early Spring 

 take the turf or top spit from good soil from a pasture if to be 

 obtained, and mix with stable manure, that from the cow stable 

 to be preferred, in the proportion of two-thirds turf and one- 

 third manure, mixing two or three times before using. 



The plants should be taken np and potted from the twentieth 

 to the thirtieth of August. The most favorable time to take 

 up the plants is when the weather is warm and the soil dry enough 

 to shake easily from the roots, — remove carefully all the suckers 

 from among the roots and pot immediately, exposing the roots to 

 the air as little as possible ; ten. eleven, and twelve inch pots 

 will be the sizes generally required ; press the earth firmly in the 

 pots and wet the soil thoroughly with water, let the plants stand 

 two or three days in partial shade or until they commence making 

 new roots, when the pots may be plunged in the open ground 

 where they may remain until danger from frost. In staging or 

 placing the plants on the benches, they should not be crowded 

 as they will continue to extend their side branches until the buds 

 are formed. Care must be taken to keep the plants well watered 

 as any neglect will cause them to wilt and check their growth. 



As soon as the buds are formed, if huge and handsome blooms 

 instead of clusters of flowers are desired, disbudding must be 

 practiced. At the end of all the branches there will be three or 

 four terminal buds, all but one of which should be removed, 

 this may easily be done with a sharp-pointed knife, being careful 

 not to injure the bud left to produce the bloom ; it will be neces- 

 sary to take off most, and if the best flowers are desired, all the 

 lateral buds, but no definite rule can be given, as some varieties 

 set tlieir buds much more thickly than others. Give air freely, 

 keeping the ventilators open night and day when the tempera- 

 ture is above the freezing point. As soon as the plants show 

 buds, commence watering with liquid manure every three or 

 four days, making it weak at first, increasing the strength as the 

 application is continued until the plants are in full bloom. 

 Sometimes in cold, damp weather or when sudden changes in 

 the atmosphere occur, mildew will make its appearance on the 

 foliage; this may be prevented or overcome by shutting up the 

 house and evaporating sulphur, which may be safely done by 



