XIV 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS 



327 



pillar or two in the afternoon on a small plant which I 

 had carefully examined in the morning. If a rolled 

 leaf be simply pinched you will probably carefully 

 squeeze the same leaf again half a dozen times ; it must 

 therefore either be picked off or unrolled, and the latter 

 plan is best. If several leaf sprays are curled on one 

 shoot the enemy will be found in the topmost one, which 

 probably show r s the disfigurement least : he is working 

 upwards towards the bud, and with inherited cunning 

 leaves hispast abodes most manifest, and artfully conceals 

 his present one. Be not satisfied with a pinch unless 

 you feel him " go squash." Never go up and down with- 

 out a supply of raffia about you ; something is sure to 

 want tying : the maiden plants should be looked over 

 for this purpose very frequently. Do not be satisfied with 

 any shoot . till it is firmly and closely tied to a support. 

 Raffia does not keep well in my pockets somehow : there 

 should be supplies of it ready in places close at hand. 

 Tea shoots should be thinned ; harden your heart if you 

 want good blooms : early trusses will require disbudding 

 before the end of the month. Suckers should be pulled 

 out or rubbed off as soon as they appear ; in fact, there 

 will now be hardly a plant which will not want a little 

 attention pretty frequently. Liquid manure may be 

 applied, particularly to those plants which are already 

 showing flower buds ; and hoeing, especially after rain or 

 liquid applications, must on no account be neglected. A 

 further light dressing of artificial manure may be desir- 

 able if there has been much heavy rain since February. 

 Towards the end of the month Teas on sunny walls will 

 be in bloom : let them all be cut as wanted, and not 

 remain to seed on the plants. Indoors the Marechal 

 Niel will have been cut completely back, by slow grada- 

 tions as the blooms are gathered, to the original 



