144 HOUSE PLANTS 



had a lot of chrysanthemums. They were 

 plants which were started in the spring, and 

 were large enough so that some of them 

 were in five-inch pots when I planted 

 them out late in May, sometimes before the 

 last frosts, which will not injure them. 

 They were given the same treatment as were 

 the carnations, except the pinching out 

 of the ends of the shoots. This was done 

 regularly; every day or two the plants were 

 looked over, the ends of some of the shoots 

 being pinched out. As a rule, I usually 

 allowed a new shoot to make about two 

 inches of stem before stopping it, but varied 

 it, as was necessary, in order to secure a 

 symmetrical plant. Pinching out the ends 

 of the shoots must stop not later than the 

 first of August. Some of the professional 

 growers do not stop the shoots after the 

 middle of July. 



Plants given the treatment described will 

 need pots from eight to ten inches in dia- 

 meter, with possibly a few exceptions, when 

 eleven and twelve inch sizes may be needed 

 — never larger than that. Soap boxes will 

 make very good receptacles for them, and 

 they are much the cheaper, as several boxes 



