56 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. 



sacks, for a few days before and after pollinating. 

 While the seed is ripening, the plants should be kept 

 quite dry, and if proper surroundings cannot be given to 

 the plants, the stems may be cut off and placed where 

 they will not be in moist air. The seedlings are grown 

 much the same as those of other plants, and require, 

 after being potted off, about the same care as those 

 grown from cuttings. 



PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 



The usual method of propagating chrysanthemums 

 is by means of cuttings. If large plants are desired, 

 they are started in January or February, but when large 

 blooms are wanted for exhibition purposes, the cuttings 

 are often started as late as May or June, and the plants 

 are grown to single stems and allowed to develop but one 

 flower. 



In order to grow healthy plants that will give large 

 and fine flowers, strong and vigorous cuttings will be nec- 

 essary, and they will be best if they are taken from 

 plants that have not been forced. It is a good plan to 

 select strong plants in the spring and plant them out of 

 doors as early as it is safe. From these stock plants, 

 cuttings can be taken that will give good plants for sin- 

 gle flowers. In the fall, take up the old plants, place in 

 boxes, and keep until midwinter in a cold frame where 

 they will not freeze. Then take into the house, and a 

 large crop of excellent cuttings can be obtained. The 

 earlier ones will be just the thing for pot plants and for 

 planting out as stock plants. 



In April, another crop of cuttings should be taken. 

 These will answer for six-inch pot plants, and for either 

 single stems or "sprays," to be planted in the houses for 

 cut flowers. Another crop of cuttings can be taken in 

 June, but it will be better to take them from plants set 

 in the open ground, as recommended above. While most 



