THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 



91 



r IG. 2742. "Mum" in six-inch pot, ready for seconed check. 



Stem with the fingers and tipping the plant 

 out, it should be repotted into a pot one or 

 two sizes larger, from which size it should 

 be potted into a six or eight inch pot, and al- 

 lowed to bloom in this, though better results 

 are obtained by getting the plant into an 

 eight or nine inch pot a month or two before 

 the time of bloom. When potting into any 

 size of pot larger than four inches, an inch 

 or so of broken pottery, brick, or charcoal 

 should be placed in the bottom of the pot to 

 assist drainage. 



The Soil. — The soil for chrysanthe- 



mums, or in fact any pot growing plant, re- 

 quires considerable attention. No absolute 

 rule can be laid down as to what mixture is 

 the best, as soils vary so much in different 

 parts of the country. One of the chief in- 

 gredients in any mixture should be well rot- 

 ted sods or turf. We prepare this by cut- 

 ting the sods in the fall, piling them upside 

 down in a large heap, with a few layers of 

 rotting manure throughout the heap. Dur- 

 ing the following summer the heap is chop- 

 ped down and turned, and when needed for 

 potting enough sand is added to make the 

 mixture friable so that it will not bake in the 

 pots. A little bone meal mixed with it it 

 this time gives good results afterwards. 



Watering. — Many amateurs are at a loss 

 to know how to water pot-grown plants pro- 

 perly. One of the best rules that can be 

 given for the guidance of such is to with- 

 hold water until the soil begins to look dry 

 on top, then give a thorough soaking. A 

 florist can always tell when the plants need 

 watering by the hollow sound that the pot 

 gives when rapped with the knuckles. The 

 frequency with which plants need watering 

 depends much upon the temperature and the 

 amount of moisture in the atmosphere, as 

 well as upon the exposure to strong sun- 

 shine. Rain or soft water is the best. Be- 

 sides watering the soil it is well to occasion- 

 ally syringe the foliage, or to take advant- 

 age of nature's watering by placing the 

 plants outside during a gentle rain. 



Exposure to Sunlight. — Chrysanthe- 

 mums revel in sunshine. There are a few 

 plants like the Calla lily, begonia, and fuch- 

 sia which do best when not exposed to the 

 strong midday sun, but the chrysanthemums 

 can hardly get too much of it, provided the 

 temperature does not get too high accord- 

 ingly. When grown in a window where the 

 light comes all from one side, the plants 

 should be turned every day so as to keep 

 them growing symmetrically, otherwise they 

 are likely to turn their backs upon the house- 



