68 THE BOOK OF THE GREENHOUSE 



to 50 deg. being ample during winter. They should 

 never be syringed, as this develops disease in the 

 plants. They are propagated by layering the young 

 shoots under glass during summer, and when these are 

 well established in pots the tops may be pinched out. 

 By stopping or pinching a few plants at a time, a suc- 

 cessional flowering season may be had. A light house, 

 where the plants may be brought near the glass and 

 with provision made for slight shading in bright weather, 

 will suit these plants. They are not to be recommended 

 for growing among other plants. 



Chrysanthemums. For ordinary greenhouse decoration, 

 these are best propagated early in spring, choosing 

 cuttings from the base of last year's plants, not from 

 the stems. Cutting these off near the base when 

 about three inches long, insert them, either singly or 

 in threes, in small pots of sandy loam and leaf mould. 

 Take off only a few cuttings at a time, putting them at 

 once in the cutting pots and watering well before they 

 have time to flag. They may then be plunged in ashes 

 up to the rims of the pots in a cold frame and kept 

 close and shaded until rooted. Pot on when well 

 rooted, putting the single cuttings into five-inch and the 

 triplets into six-inch pots, returning them to the frame 

 and increasing the ventilation day by day until the 

 weather is fit for complete exposure. When they 

 have grown about six inches high, nip out the tops to 

 induce a bushy habit, repeating this process once or twice 

 but not later than the end of June, and never pinching 

 within a week, either before or after, of potting. The 

 final potting into the flowering pots should be given in 

 June or very early in July, and the soil at this potting 

 should consist of two-thirds roughly broken fibrous loam 

 and one-third decayed horse droppings, with some sand. 

 Should the loam be heavy, use as a corrective some 

 broken lime rubble or burnt earth in addition to the 



