472 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



has been properly mixed or prepared some months previously, 

 and protected from heavy rains, but occasionally turned during 

 bright, frosty weather, the important operation of potting the 

 plants into their flowering pots will have to be done. The time of 

 potting will depend upon the weather and the resources of the 

 grower to shelter the plants after potting, the middle of the month 

 being the best time if the weather be favourable. The plants on 

 being potted should be protected overhead with glass, and the 

 pots stood upon wooden strips or ashes on gravel which has been 

 thoroughly drained, the pots best suited to grow exhibition 

 flowers being 8 inches for a pair of plants. Smaller or larger 

 pots may be used according to the growth of the variety, one 

 very important point being not to overpot any variety, and 

 another most important one to put in all the plants firmly. 



The soil to be used in potting the above should consist of 

 three parts fibrous loam and one part old manure, with a 

 sprinkling of coarse silver- sand and bone-dust, the loam having 

 been carefully looked over to find any wireworms. Cover the 

 hole at the bottom of the pot with an oyster-shell, and at least 

 2 inches of clean broken crocks should be at the bottom of the 

 pot, and then some fibre from the loam and a few pieces of 

 charcoal. 



The plants will now soon throw up their flower- stems, and 

 attention should be given to secure them to some neat sticks, 

 and as the season advances carefully watch for any attack of 

 green-fly, and wash off with a solution of soft-soap and quassia 

 or tobacco ; the powder of the latter is very effective if applied 

 after a shower, or the plants sprinkled overhead before applying 

 it. The plants should now be top-dressed with some well- 

 decayed manure, or manure and leaf-mould which has been used 

 the previous season to make a hot-bed, a little of the soil on 

 the surface being removed and the surface stirred before applying 

 it. Should the weather be bright and hot, sprinkle the plants 

 overhead night and morning. The leading shoots will now 

 require disbudding, and although there is no general rule to guide 

 the grower, the usual method is to leave the crown bud and two 

 side buds about the third or fourth joint from the top bud, 

 removing one of the side buds later on, when the grower can 

 see which is the most promising, and will also bloom about the 

 time it is required for exhibition. In disbudding, very much 



