198 SATURDAY IN MY GAKDEN 



or four of the leaves towards its base. This should not be done by 

 pulling the leaves from the stem with the thumb and finger and 

 employing such force that part of the fleshy portion of the stem is 

 torn away. The safer plan is to cut off the lower leaves as near 

 the stem as possible, either with a pair of sharp scissors or with a 

 knife. The ideal cutting should be three inches in length, and it 

 may be reduced to this size by cutting horizontally (not slantwise) 

 immediately beneath a joint formed by the union of the leaf stalks 

 to the stem of the cutting. 



The preparation of the soil for the reception of the cuttings is 

 an important item at this stage of the proceedings. The most 

 satisfactory compost will be obtained if fibrous loam and thor- 

 oughly decomposed leaf mould be well mixed together in equal 

 proportions. To this it will be necessary to add a good quantity 

 of coarse silver sand. When this has been incorporated the whole 

 compost should be passed through a half-inch sieve. The soil 

 ought to be nicely moist but not so wet as to be sticky and 

 difficult to manipulate. 



Next it must be decided where the cuttings are to be " struck," 

 whether in pots or boxes. In the case of the choicer Japanese 

 varieties I have no hesitation in recommending the use of small 

 pots. The chrysanthemum, above all things, requires uninter- 

 rupted growth, and there is danger if the cuttings are struck in 

 boxes that when the tune comes for " potting on " the roots may 

 be damaged, and growth be thereby checked. " Thumb " pots 

 are quite large enough to receive the cuttings in the earliest stage 

 of their development. They should be thoroughly washed before 

 being brought into use, and in the case of new pots it is advisable 

 to soak them for a few hours before use, otherwise they will with- 

 draw a good deal of the moisture from the soil, and probably leave 

 the stem of the cutting dry. This would considerably retard the 

 process of root formation. 



For drainage purposes one broken crock should be placed in the 

 bottom of the pot. Over this it will be well to put in a small 

 quantity of rougher soil from the sittings. Fill the pot nearly 

 to the brim with the prepared compost, and make fairly firm. 



