46 Chrysanthemum Culture for America. 



become large, unshapely plants, and the blooms be inferior in 

 quality. Never let them go more than one year without 

 dividing. Give them good rich soil, and keep them staked 

 and watered. Keep the ground free from weeds, and hoe 

 occasionally to keep the ground loose. A top dressing or 

 mulching of litter or hay will help them in a dry time. 



Grafting is performed in the usual way during the summer 

 months, as young chrysanthemum stems of sufficient substance 

 cannot be had in the winter or early spring months to admit 

 of this practice ; moreover, chrysanthemum wood is of but 

 annual duration, and consequently must be worked upon dur- 

 ing the early months of summer in order that the object 

 aimed at may be accomplished before the blooming season in 

 fall begins. These methods are not adopted as a means of 

 increasing the stock, but simply as a means of increasing the 

 number of varieties upon an individual plant, when such a 

 curiosity is desired. Such specimens are objects of admira- 

 tion in the exhibition hall or conservatory, although it adds 

 no value or beauty to the individual flowers. This is prac- 

 ticed to some extent by the Chinese, and the idea of grafting 

 the more delicate rooting kinds upon stocks of more vigorous 

 growth has sound reason in it for the chrysanthemum as well 

 as other classes of plants, although it is not adopted to any 

 considerable extent. 



Inarching is accomplished by tying up the scion plant 

 among the branches of the plant to be used as a stock, the 

 two being grown near enough together to admit of this when 

 in the border. If in pots the contact is secured more conve- 

 niently, and as there is no separation between the scion and 

 stock till the union of the two varieties is assured, inarching 

 is often more successful than grafting. 



Propagation by seed, together with the process of hybridiz- 

 ing, is a branch of chrysanthemum culture to which no hard 

 and fast rule can be applied. Climate and condition must 



