General Culture. 55 



sional handful being all that is required. In applying lime it 

 should not be used too freely in soils already charged with it, 

 but for those of a sandy nature no harm will follow in using 

 the quantity advised. Some discretion should be used in 

 regard to sand also, as scarcely any is required if the soil is 

 of a sandy character. Some growers never use sand at all 

 after the cuttings are rooted. If the soil is close and heavy, 

 they add enough of finely broken old lime mortar to make it 

 porous. 



When the soil is used for potting plants that have been out- 

 side during the summer, one-third manure may be added to 

 the soil ; but in the case of plants that have to be grown con- 

 tinuously in pots all through the summer, much less manure 

 should be used with the soil, as an excess of manure has a 

 tendency to sour the soil, where plants have to remain in it 

 for so long a time. It is best to use a rather poor soil where 

 plants are grown in pots all summer, and feed liberally from 

 the surface by top-dressings and liquid manure. It needs a 

 stiffer and more retentive soil to grow the chrysanthemum in 

 Tennesssee than in Connecticut, so it will be seen that it is 

 difficult to prescribe a single mixture which shall be the best 

 for all climates and soils. We will therefore, suggest a com- 

 post for light, and another for heavy soil, which will be found 

 suitable under most conditions in which the chrysanthemum 

 is grown. 



For a heavy soil, take three parts of fibrous loam, broken 

 up roughly, taking out the fine soil, one part horse manure, 

 one part decayed leaves, one part of old mortar or lime rub- 

 bish, one part of charcoal or wood ashes broken about the 

 size of walnuts, and one-fourth part dissolved bones, and a 

 six-inch flower pot full of soot to every four bushels of the 

 mixture. Where the soil is light in texture, use four parts of 

 loam as fibrous as can be obtained, adding two parts of cow 

 manure, one part of leaf mold, the same quantity of ground 



