BORDER VARIETIES. 
69 
Planting at the time advocated meets the requirements of 
growers in the South of England, but in the Midlands and 
North, greater care is necessary, and it is to be doubted 
whether it is wise to commence planting in these more 
northerly positions until a rather later date. In the Midlands, 
planting should not begin until the last week in May, and in 
the North, and Scotland in particular, the early days of June 
should be quite early enough. From close observation ex- 
tending over many years, it has been found that cold and 
cutting winds not infrequently prevail during the greater 
part of April, and all too frequently in May. 
As an experiment plants have been put out in their 
flowering quarters in April, as recommended by certain trade 
growers, but the bedraggled character of such plants when 
' placed out thus early, fully justifies one in keeping them 
under some slight cover until the date recommended, 
namely, the third week in May. 
’ If they are planted, in the first instance, in frames, and 
I accorded a fairly hardy system of culture in these through 
the spring and early part of May, and the frame lights re- 
j moved on every possible occasion, entirely removed during 
the last fortnight, they should be in a nice, hard condition 
for planting, in which case the risk run is very small. The 
cutting winds in the spring, before referred to, frequently 
break off the somewhat tender and brittle leaves, and all too 
often the lower portion of the plant is denuded of its 
foliage. This is a matter that is easily avoided when the 
later period of planting is observed. Undue haste generally 
leads to an unsatisfactory sequence of events. 
How to Plant. — Plenty of space should be given to 
I the plants, otherwise their proper development will be un- 
I satisfactory. The Japanese varieties are the stronger grow- 
i ing, and in consequence they should be given a larger space 
than those of the Pompon type. The Japanese sorts of more 
j recent introduction possess a somewhat vigorous character 
I of growth, and a splendid branching habit. For this 
I reason it will be easily understood that such plants need 
I plenty of room that their ample growths may be seen at their 
best. 
