CHRYSANTHEMUMS FROM CUTTINGS 155 



is done. This is better than leaving the old plants to renew themselves 

 by new shoots from the old clumps, and will give better flowers of a 

 size suitable enough for every-day house decoration, if the colors are 

 good. 



Another way is to take shoots of the previous fall growth and 

 handle them as hard wood cuttings according to methods described in 

 Chapter VIII. This also gives fair garden plants which may serve a 

 good purpose. 



But the way to get the greatest flowers is to work with soft wood 

 cuttings made from the new spring growth, rejecting all old roots 

 and old wood and keep this soft wood always going, by never allowing 

 the cutting to wilt and starting it to making new growth ias soon as 

 possible and keeping the wood soft and active until the bloom is cut. 

 This of course involves most constant feeding and watering of the 

 plants as will be noted later. 



As the soft wood is to be used the cuttings are taken later than 

 when root-division or hard wood cuttings are relied upon. Such cut- 

 tings may be taken during the whole of April, May and June the 

 later dates in places with cool summers. A day or two before taking 

 the cuttings it is well to water the old plants well if showers have not 

 done it. This is to make them as full of moisture as possible and the 

 cuttings will root better. If the plants have thrown up lots of suckers 

 from around the old plant, you can take the tips. But two-eye or even 

 single-eye cuttings (if you tare short of wood) will do well. The two- 

 eye cuttings are made by cutting slantingly just above an eye or joint 

 and just below an eye, making a slanting cut. Use a very sharp knife. 

 Single-eye cuttings can be made by cutting just above an eye and 

 leaving about an inch of stem below the eye. They will root in about 

 four weeks. 



But tip or top cuttings are usually best if one has plenty of shoots 

 to take them from. There are at least two ways to handle them: One 

 to root them in a cold frame, the other to set them at once where they 

 are to grow. 



Mrs. S. G. Wills of San Jose advises the former in these words: 

 "At some favorable time in March, April, or early May April is best 

 break (not cut) slips from the tops of the suckers, which come from the 

 old plants, and pinch from the slips all the leaves, except the bunch at 

 the end. Let these slips stand in water for twenty-four hours and 

 they will absorb enough moisture to keep them from wilting when they 

 are set out; then plant them in sand in boxes to a depth of about six 

 inches, planting them about two inches deep. Place these boxes in 

 a sunny exposure and up from the ground, cover the boxes with painted 

 or shaded glass, allowing a good circulation of air between the box 

 and the glass, so that the slips will not be too much heated. These 



