General Culture. 57 



the plants to become well established in the pots before the 

 blooming season arrives, while if delayed much later, they will 

 have grown so large that they can not be conveniently potted 

 without injuring the roots or branches. Dry weather is the 

 best time to pot plants from the open ground, as the soil 

 readily drops away from the ball without injuring the roots. 

 Pot firmly and give a thorough soaking at the roots ; place 

 them in a shady spot for a few days, keeping the foliage moist 

 by frequent sprinklings, and a few days later they may gradu- 

 ally be inured to the sun, when if any of them still show a 

 tendency to wilt, they may be returned to the shade for a few 

 days longer. After this the pots ought to be sunk in the 

 ground up to the rim, as this keeps them from becoming dry 

 so rapidly ; otherwise, when the pots are exposed to the sun, 

 they are more liable to suffer for want of water, and conse- 

 quently need more care. 



Standards, and in fact all large specimens, will need a good 

 top-dressing or thick coat of manure over the surface when 

 the pots become well filled with roots. Cow manure is best 

 for this purpose, as it can be piled an inch above the level of 

 the pot if necessary, leaving a hollow in the center to hold 

 water. They may remain out of doors until there is danger 

 of frost, when they should be moved into a cool room or green- 

 house, but not subjected to fire heat, unless needed to protect 

 from frost. The chrysanthemum does not require heat, but 

 only needs protection from the frost, the drenching rain, and 

 the damaging storms that usually occur at the time they are 

 in bloom. 



Liquid manure may be given freely after the plants are 

 potted, and have recovered from the effects of the operation. 

 The most successful growers of chrysanthemums attribute no 

 small portion of their success to the judicious application of 

 liquid manure as soon as the plants have filled the pots with 

 roots. The manure in liquid form is most freely assimilated 



