Gardening for Amateurs 



467 



the blooms are half- 

 open, the manures 

 being varied as much 

 as possible. Instead 

 of putting on all the 

 top-dressing compost 

 at one occasion, 

 sprinkle on Just 

 enough to cover the 

 exposed roots twice 

 every week ; con- 

 tinue this until there 

 is only space enough 

 left for watering. 

 Use a " rose " on the 

 watering-can so as 

 not to dislodge the 

 new surface mulch 

 and disturb the 

 young roots in it. 



"Taking" the 

 Buds. "Taking" 

 buds really means 

 disbudding. The 

 "crown" bud which 

 generally appears in 

 August or early Sep- 

 tember, according to 

 the variety is sur- 

 rounded by young 

 shoots, and " taking " 

 the bud means the 

 removal of these 

 young side shoots, so 

 that the bud will 

 grow and develop 

 into a large bloom. 

 Or in the case of 

 terminal buds " tak- 

 ing " means the re- 

 moval of side buds 

 and the retention of 

 the largest the cen- 

 tral one. When the side shoots are big 

 enough to handle nicely, say an inch or 

 less in length, remove them, they will snap 

 off easily, especially early in the day. Do 

 not remove all on one day, but two or so 

 each day, until all are snapped off, then 

 the bud retained will receive no check. 



Housing the Plants. Plants bearing 

 buds that are too forward may be placed in a 

 shady position for a short time, but all should 



}.- A. K. Goethti 



Border Chrysanthemum White Quintus. 



be housed before the colour of the florets 

 shows or the blooms will damp off badly 

 later. Lato- flowering varieties, the blooms 

 of which are required early in Noveml>er, 

 should be put under glass alxnit September 

 20th, the bulk of varieties being housed 

 the first few days in October. Plants in- 

 tended for late flowering in December and 

 at Christmas must be put under glass 

 before frosts damage the buds. Amateurs 



