46 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



5-inch pots in April, will produce equally good flowers. 

 There is no advantage to be gained by early propagation, 

 except that the earlier-rooted plants may give two or three 

 blooms, whilst the later ones rooted two or three in a pot 

 yield only one flower from each. But as the " Jameson" 

 varieties usually break rather unevenly, there is the danger 

 when two or three shoots are allowed on the same plant 

 that one will be strong and the others weak, so the 

 advantage is again with the late struck plants. Growers 

 in Northern or cold districts will naturally commence 

 propagation earlier than those in the Midlands and South, 

 but December is quite early enough to start general pro- 

 pagation, and it may be continued until the first week in 

 February. At this latter date, with just a little heat, cuttings 

 strike very freely, and those varieties that flower too early 

 on crown buds may be inserted at this time in confidence 

 that the blooms will be better than from plants rooted very 

 early. Master James, Lady Talbot, Mrs. A. T. Miller, 

 White Queen, James Lock, Mrs. L. Thorne, Frances 

 Jolliffe, Evangeline, and D. B. Crane are varieties that I 

 have found succeed well if rooted late. Chrysanthe- 

 mum cuttings usually form roots very readily, and any 

 house that is kept fairly close and in which the temperature 

 does not exceed 50 will suit their requirements, but if 

 the house is draughty it will be preferable to put the 

 cuttings in a case or frame within the house. This 

 method ensures them rooting without flagging, and is 

 probably the best way to strike them. 



Even a cold frame may be made to serve for rooting 

 the cuttings, but in the event of severe frosts there will 

 necessarily be considerable delay ; therefore, when a frame 

 has to be used it is best to make up a very slight hotbed 



