150 THE GARDEN BEAUTIFUL 



guished when young by the buds directly below or 

 surounding it being growth buds. If these growth 

 buds are not taken off they will finally produce new 

 shoots, and the crown bud will dry up, it being 

 really an abortive flower bud and would never pro- 

 duce a flower without the aid of the grower. These 

 crown buds, being produced fully two weeks before 

 the terminal buds begin to appear, will produce 

 flowers two weeks earlier than if terminals had been 

 chosen. 



For midseason and late varieties it is just as well 

 to take the terminal buds. They appear in a cluster 

 and are all flower buds. These are the buds that are 

 usually chosen for general purpose flowers. It is 

 more work to disbud these, as new buds are contin- 

 ually forming, and the plants have to be gone over 

 several times. When the crown bud is reserved no 

 buds are subsequently formed under it, and if all 

 side shoots are brushed off they will require but one 

 disbudding. Then the leaves begin to assume a dark, 

 leathery appearance, and you may know all the 

 strength of the plant is being concentrated in the 

 flower, and it is likely to be a good one. 



POT CULTURE 



As soon as the plants have filled the three-inch 

 pots with roots, shift again into six-inch pots. Give 

 a good drainage of broken crocks and two-thirds 

 fibrous soil and one-third good rotten manure, water 

 thoroughly and spray occasionally. From this time 

 the plants need no other shift till the final one which 

 is about the first of June. Care should be taken in 

 pinching the plants, pinch either ten days before 

 potting or ten days after as it is liable to check the 

 plants. This is done only to keep the plants from 

 maturing too soon. 



