204 FLOWERS OF GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE 
hardened off in spring, and the pots turned out. To prevent the roots 
becoming dry the pots should be plunged in coal-ashes in a well-drained 
border, the aspect of which must depend upon the general character of 
the locality as regards normal temperature. If the neighbourhood is a 
cold one, give the plants a sunny position, but if in a mild district, place 
them where the aspect is eastern or western, and where they will not get 
continuous exposure to the midday sunshine. If a successful autumn show 
of large well-formed flower-heads is desired, the plants must now be care- 
fully watched, and the least tendency towards flagging of the leaves 
must be checked by watering the roots. Mulching the surface of the soil 
in the pots with well-rotted manure will also prove beneficial, serving as 
it does the double purpose of keeping the roots cool and moist and feed- 
ing the plants. 
The after-treatment of these pot-plants depends upon what is 
expected of them. To obtain tall exhibition standards with a few 
enormous blooms, the plants must be allowed to grow, trained to a stake, 
until the requisite height has been nearly attained. Then the main 
stem must be nipped and a more bushy head produced. As the flower- 
buds appear, if size is desired before number, only the central bud at 
the extremity of each shoot should be left, the others being nipped out. 
It is by this means that the extraordinary flower-heads exhibited in 
recent years have been obtained. Where a large number of medium 
flowers is desired for cutting or conservatory decoration, a more bushy 
form should be encouraged by stopping the main shoot early, and so 
producing several erect branches; these should in turn be stopped when 
they are a few inches long, and the process repeated with the newer 
shoots. It is not advisable, however, to -continue this treatment after 
the middle of June, or the flowering will be prejudicially affected. 
When the flower-buds appear, however, they should be thinned out 
as early as possible. Here we have two antagonistic processes at work, 
for the stopping tends to increase the number of flowers at the expense 
of size and quality, but to some extent we rectify this tendency by 
thinning out the buds, and so getting only a reasonable quantity of 
medium-sized flower-heads. Stopping of the small-flowered Pompon 
Section may be continued a month later than the date prescribed for 
the larger kinds, 
The only reason for putting the pot-plants under glass in autumn is 
to protect the opening buds from the early frosts. Sudden changes of 
temperature are bad for them, and therefore it is better to bring them ™ 
before there is any fear of frost than to wait until there is considerable 
difference between the outside temperature and that of the cool house. 
