THE JUNE CALENDAR 209 



plant stem with one or more buds or sprouts. Some sprouts 

 are long and must be handled with great care to avoid break- 

 ing them, while other buds are so small as to be hardly 

 noticeable. The best tubers are held to be the smaller ones, 

 which will serve to start the new plant, but which will not 

 check the development of vigorous roots by too large a 

 supply of food. If one has lost his tubers during the winter 

 through some fungous disease, either single tubers or well- 

 rooted plants from flower-pots may be bought of florists or 

 wholesale dealers in plants, then placed directly in the soil. 



Too much moisture and enrichment of the soil during 

 the early stages of growth, however, tend to produce more 

 foliage than flowers. It is perhaps better to give the plants 

 top dressing as a mulch when the buds form in midsummer, 

 and follow this with frequent watering during the time of 

 flowering. Unless in a sheltered situation, the plants will be 

 blown over during high winds, the stem is so succulent and 

 the spread of foliage so large. Therefore, all save the shorter 

 Pompon Dahlias should be tied to stout stakes driven into the 

 ground beside the tuber. 



THE JUNE CALENDAR 



Flowers 



Go over the surface of the hardy border gardens carefully for chance 

 seedlings of Perennial Phlox, columbine, hardy coreopsis, wild 

 aster, and other plants. Transplant these to some place where 

 they may develop until they flower and show whether or not they 

 are worth saving. 



TRANSPLANT early in the month, China Aster or other seedlings among 

 the daffodils in the border garden. These will be starting as the 

 daffodil leaves ripen. 



WATCH for greenflies or aphides on aU plants. When seen, see if there 



