THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 69 



get more branches and consequently more flowers, by pinching 

 quite frequentl}', provided it is not continued beyond the middle 

 of July. The most severe pinching is done while the plants are 

 quite small so as to secure as many branches near the bottom as 

 possible. Of course the foregoing remarks do not appl}- to vari- 

 eties that make shapely plants without pinching, for such are 

 better left to their own resources. 



Soon after planting out, each plant is furnished with a strong 

 stake, and as the plant increases in size others are added in order 

 to prevent the branches from being broken by the wind. 



As the season advances many branches become so heavj' that 

 they are unable to sustain their own weight ; and it frequentl}'^ 

 happens that what has promised to be a fine shapelv plant will be 

 irreparably disfigured by one or more branches breaking off. To 

 prevent this we do not depend entirely upon staking, but from 

 time to time, as the plants enlarge, we pass strings around them 

 in such a way that one branch sustains another. By so doing 

 we seldom lose any branches through the summer ; and much time 

 is saved when the plants are potted. 



In the way of insects the worst pest to be encountered is the 

 black aphis, which will cause much trouble if allowed to increase 

 to any great extent. We have found "Dalmatian powder" ap- 

 plied with the bellows to be the most efifectual remedy. 



About the second or third week in August we begin lifting our 

 plants from the ground. If the ground is very dry so much the 

 better, for the plants will lift better and recover sooner than when 

 it is moist. The\' are taken up thus early because it is better 

 they should form their buds after the}' are lifted ; for if the pot- 

 ting is left until late in the season the buds that are already 

 formed will receive a severe check, which is apt to result in de- 

 formed or one-sided flowers. 



The plants are lifted with all the roots that can be secured, but 

 in order to get them into pots of a reasonable size a considerable 

 quantity of the soil is carefully shaken from them, provided it is 

 of such a nature that it will fall away easily without breaking off 

 in lumps. 



For this potting we use soil containing more manure than for 

 the small plants in the spring, having about two parts of good 

 loam to one of well rotted stable manure. The pots are selected 

 according to the size of the roots, care being taken not to have 

 them too lar2:e. 



