under glass to flower in late fall and are not usually hardy, although a 

 few varieties may be carried through the winter with the protection of 

 a coldframe. 



Not all chrysanthemum varieties are suitable for pot plants. Va- 

 rieties best adapted to this method of culture are dwarf, free-branching 

 ones, with good foliage and double or near-double flowers. The out- 

 door or field method of growing chrysanthemum pot plants, used for 

 the past several years at the University of New Hampshire in developing 

 new varieties, is perhaps the easiest and most suitable for the home gar- 

 dener. An outline of this method of culture follows. 



Propagation 



Since chrysanthemums produce few, if any, seed and those produced 

 do not come true to type, they must be propagated by division of the 

 old clump or by rooting slips or cuttings from new growths in the spring. 

 To maintain stock for propagation purposes old plants should be cut 

 back after flowering and put away in a cold place. A cold basement 

 window with good light and a temperature of from 40° - 50° F is suit- 

 able and only occasional watering is necessary when plants are in such a 

 place. These old plants will send up a number of new shoots which can 

 be roughly divided and planted out in the garden in May. If smaller 

 plants are wanted, slips may be rooted as late as July 1 for pot plants to 

 fit five-inch pots. The tips of vigorous shoots taken from plants grow- 

 ing in the garden are suitable for late propagation. These slips require 

 from two to four weeks to root and may be planted back in the garden 

 as soon as well rooted. Slips are easily rooted in boxes of clean sharp 

 sand or in water. Some growers also report rooting them in boxes of 

 soil. While the cuttings are rooting they should be kept in a cool, well- 

 shaded place. When the rooted cuttings are transplanted to the garden 

 it is desirable to water them well and shade them for several days. If 

 old plants are not available for propagation, it is necessary to obtain 



Fig. 14b — Field-grown plants require a pot about the size 

 of the outer diameter of plant 



Twenty -eight 



