SECOND WEEK IN NOVEMBER 



which the plants should be ready for their final potting, 

 using a rich compost and pots about 9 inches across at the 

 top. Bone meal, Clay's fertiliser, and charcoal in small 

 lumps should be mixed with this compost, but some varieties 

 are impatient of extremely rich soil, and it is therefore 

 desirable to consult a list of these plants (usually given in 

 the catalogues of the specialists in chrysanthemums) before 

 placing them in their flowering pots. The plants must then 

 stand in the full sunshine, with abundance of air and space, 

 crowding them together at this time being very injurious to 

 them, as they need to ripen their growths to produce good 

 flower buds. 



Careful watering will be needed throughout, for every 

 drooping leaf will shrivel away, thus spoiling the appearance 

 of the plant ; syringing, too, is desirable in warm, dry 

 weather, and should be carried out towards evening. 



The mysteries of stopping the growths and " taking the 

 buds " are only to be learned by a careful consultation of the 

 aforesaid lists for each separate variety, the dates at which 

 these operations should be carried out being very various ; 

 but the month of August is an important time in this con- 

 nection where large blooms are wanted. Before the plants 

 are taken under shelter they should be carefully staked and 

 sheltered from the storms of autumn, and when housed 

 it will be necessary to fumigate the greenhouse to prevent 

 the attacks of green fly, &c. 



Feeding (which must not be overdone) consists of giving 

 weak doses of soot-water or other liquid manure twice a 

 week from the middle of August until the colour of the bud 

 is apparent, after which pure water only should be given, and 

 when the buds are well set a sprinkling of concentrated 

 manure in very small quantity may be occasionally added 

 over the roots. 



Many of the older varieties (such as Charles Davis, 

 apricot and orange ; Florence Molyneux, in creamy white ; 

 Mme. Therese Ray and Nellie Pockett, both pure white ; 

 Duke of Edinburgh, deep red ; William Seward, ruby-red ; 

 and Golden Nugget, yellow) are of easier cultivation than 



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