186 GARDENING INDOORS AND UNDER GLASS 
water, in order to rid them entirely of any black 
aphis there may be present. Give them a clean 
start, and it will be much easier to keep them clean, 
as they must be kept to make good healthy plants. 
If you have not already a stock on hand, I would 
suggest going to some florist’s in the chrysanthemum 
season and making a list of the varieties which par- 
ticularly please you. Later, say in February or 
March, you can get cuttings of these, already rooted 
if you like, but it’s more fun to root them yourself. 
Pot off in two-and-one-half-inch pots, and shift 
on as rapidly as the roots develop. Use, after the 
first potting, a very rich soil, and give plenty of 
water. Chrysanthemums are very gross feeders 
and the secret of success with them lies in keeping 
them growing on from the beginning as rapidly as 
possible, without a check. Keep at about fifty-five 
degrees and repot as frequently as required. 
If they are to be grown in a bed or bench, have 
the soil ready by the first part of June. The dis- 
tance apart will be determined by the method by 
which they are to be grown — six or eight inches if 
to “single stems’”’ with the great big flowers one 
sees at the florist’s; about eight, ten or twelve if 
three blooms are to be had from each plant. Of 
course that will be determined by individual taste; 
but personally I prefer the “ spray” form, growing 
a dozen or more to each plant. They should be 
syringed frequently and given partial shade. A 
