113 
will be apt to yield to the wind; when you 
pei-ceive this turn your pots, which will bring 
them straight again. They should now have 
gentle waterings often, perhaps every day, so 
much depends on the heat of the weather at 
this time, for if neglected, they will go off 
bloom much sooner, and lose their brilliant 
colours. The water should be given from a 
watering-pot with a small crane-bill spout, by 
which means you may prevent any water from 
falling into the center of the plant or among 
the leaves. 
Whilst the flowers ai*e in bloom, cover the 
earth on the top of your pots with the flat or 
top shells of oysters, which will serve to keep 
the plants moist, so that they will not require 
watering so often; and they may have water 
given them with the watering-pot before de- 
scribed without displacing or making holes in 
the soil on the top of the pots, which would 
appear disagreeable. Never suffer above two 
trusses of flowers to blow on one plant : one 
truss is sufficient, unless your plant be very 
vigorous. I also remind you not to let two or 
three leaves grow on a truss of flowers ; but 
so soon as you perceive more than one, take 
them off veiy early with scissars, leaving the 
one that grows at the back of the truss ; this 
