TENDER BEDDING PLANTS 341 



in the boxes as the growth extends, because potting them entails 

 time, soil, and pots, without any very striking superiority in vigour. 

 If the material is kept moist, roots will push into it freely. Plants 

 in frames are pretty certain to keep dwarf and sturdy, but they 

 might get drawn in a house unless care was taken to keep them 

 near the glass. This point is of importance, as long, scraggy 

 plants are very poor material for beds or anything else either, 

 for the matter of that. Air should be given in fine weather. 



Between, say, mid-March and the end of May the plants will 

 have plenty of time to get strong. Meantime, as soon as the 

 spring plants are cleared away the soil ought to be prepared. It 

 should be dug deeply in fact, the subsoil ought to be broken up, 

 so that a depth of a foot and a half is secured. Well decayed yard 

 manure, leaf-mould, and wood ashes are all suitable material to 

 add. If the soil is naturally retentive and moist clay, for instance 

 it will be all the better for the plants ; but light soil can be made 

 to give good results with liberal treatment. 



If the plants are six to eight inches high at the end of May, 

 with a good mat of fibres, they will be in perfect condition for 

 planting. The roots should not be shaken clear of the fibre when 

 they are removed from the box ; on the contrary, as much as clings 

 to them must be allowed to remain. We say this, not because 

 we believe that the fibre will be particularly nourishing to the 

 plants when they are put in the beds, but because we regard it 

 as important to avoid any risk of the roots getting dry. The 

 plants may be put eighteen inches apart in heavy, rich, moist 

 soil, but somewhat closer in lighter, drier ground. They may be 

 settled in with a good watering, and if the weather should keep 

 dry after planting it will be well to give further waterings until 

 they have got nicely into growth. The grower must pay particular 

 attention to the plants for the first two or three weeks, as it is 

 very desirable to start them off quickly and keep them moving. 

 Regular hoeing will suffice to maintain steady progress in retentive 



