762 



CHRYSANTHEMUM 



CHRYSANTHEMUM 



949. A pompon 



chrysanthemum. 



(X>fl 



cutting, and when inserted in the cutting-bed the end 

 of the cutting should rest upon the sand. It requires 

 more time to produce good plants by this system than 

 when fair-sized cuttings can be taken, but it is often 

 of service when stock is limited. The propagating- 



house should be well 

 aired, and it is ad- 

 visable to change the 

 sand after the second 

 or third batch of 

 cuttings has been re- 

 moved, to avoid what 

 is termed cutting- 

 bench fungus. The 

 cuttings should never 

 be allowed to wilt, 

 and this is avoided 

 by giving abundance 

 of air, and when the 

 temperature reaches 

 over 70 from sun 

 heat, by shading with 

 some material, either 

 cloth or paper. Fig. 

 951 shows a good 

 form of chrysanthe- 

 mum cutting. 



2. Planting. Cut- 

 tings should not be 

 allowed to remain 

 in the cutting-bench 

 after the roots are 

 Yi inch in length, or 

 they will become 

 hardened, which will 

 check the growth. As 

 soon as rooted, they 

 should be potted into 

 2- or 2^-inch pots, 

 using good mellow 

 soil, with a slight admixture of decomposed manure. 

 Most of the large flowers are produced under glass, and 

 the bench system is generally employed, which consists 

 of 4 or 5 inches of soil placed upon benches. In these 

 benches the small plants are planted 8 to 12 inches 

 apart each way, from the latter part of May to the mid- 

 dle of July. Those planted at the first date usually 

 give the best results. The soil should be pounded 

 rather firm either before planting or after the plants 

 have become established. 



3. Soil. There are many ideas as to what soil is 

 best suited for the chrysanthemum, but good blooms 

 may be grown on clay or light sandy loam, provided 

 the cultivator is a close observer and considers the con- 

 dition of the soil in which they are growing. Clay soil, 

 being more retentive of moisture, will require less water 

 and feeding than soil of a more porous nature. The 

 chrysanthemum is a gross feeder, and, therefore, the 

 fertility of the soil is very important in the production 

 of fine blooms. Each expert has a way of his own in 

 preparing the soil, but as equally good results have 

 been secured under varied conditions, it is safe to 

 conclude that the method of preparing the soil has 

 little to do with the results, provided there is sufficient 

 food within their reach. All concede that fresh-cut sod, 

 piled late the preceding fall or in early spring, with 

 one-fourth to one-fifth its bulk of half-decomposed 

 manure, forms an excellent compost. Many use 1 or 2 

 inches of manure as a mulch after the plants have 

 become established. Others place an inch of half- 

 decomposed manure in the bottom of the bench. This 

 the roots find as soon as they require it. Good blooms 

 have been grown by planting on decomposed sod and 

 relying on liquid applications of chemicals. 



4. Feeding. No definite rule can be given for this 

 work, as so much depends on the amount of food 



incorporated in the soil. If the soil be very rich, the 

 liquid applications should be only occasional and very 

 dilute. There is more danger of overfeeding by the 

 use of liquids than by using excessively rich soil. Each 

 grower must depend on his own judgment as to the 

 requirements, being guided by the appearance of the 

 plants. When the leaves become dark-colored and very 

 brittle, it is safe to consider that the limit in feeding has 

 been reached. Some varieties refuse to bud when over- 

 fed, making a mass of leaves instead. Others show very 

 contorted petals, giving a rough unfinished bloom. 

 Still others, particularly the red varieties, are likely 

 to be ruined by decomposition of the petals, called 

 "burning," especially if the 

 atmosphere is allowed to 

 become hot and stuffy. The 

 same result will follow in 

 dark weather, or when the 

 nights become cool, if the 

 moisture of the house is 

 allowed to fall upon the 

 blooms. Under such condi- 

 tions, the ventilation should 

 remain on during the night, 

 or heat be turned in accord- 

 ing to the outside tempera- 

 ture. 



5. Watering and shading. 

 Let the foliage be the index 

 to watering. If it appears 

 yellow and sickly, use less 

 water, and see that the 

 drainage is perfect. There 

 is little danger of over-water- 

 ing as long as the foliage is 

 bright green. A little shad- 

 ing at planting time is not 

 objectionable, but it should 

 be removed as soon as the 

 plants are established. It is 

 often necessary to shade the 



pink and red flowers, if the weather continues bright 

 for some time, to prevent their fading. 



6. Training. When the plants are 8 inches high, 

 they should be tied either to stakes or to jute twine. 

 In the former system, use one horizontal wire over 

 each row, tying the stake to this after the bottom has 

 been inserted into the ground. Two wires will be 

 necessary when twine is used, one above the plants and 

 the other a few inches above the soil to which the 

 twine is fastened. From the first of August until the 

 flowers are in color, all lateral growths should be 

 removed as soon as they appear, allowing only the 

 shoots intended for flowers to remain. The above 

 remarks refer to the training of benched chrysanthe- 

 mums as grown by florists for cut-flowers. Other kinds 

 of training are described under Section II, pages 763-4. 



7. Disbudding. No special date can 

 be given for this work, as much depends 

 on the season and the earliness or late- 

 ness of the variety to be treated. Buds 

 usually begin to form on the early sorts 

 about August 15, or soon after, and 

 some of the late varieties are not in con- 

 dition before October 10. Golden Glow 

 and Smith Advance among the large- 

 flowering, and several of the early- 

 flowering of the hardy varieties, are 

 exceptions to the foregoing, as they will 

 set buds in June and July that will 

 develop very good blooms during the 

 month of August and later. The advent 

 951 of these kinds has advanced the flower- 



One kind of m S season four to six weeks. The 

 chrysanthe- object of removing the weak and small 

 mum cutting, buds and retaining the best is to con- 



950. Single type. 



