CHR 



[ 239 ] 



CHE 



emit roots. When rooted, pot them im- 

 mediately into small pots and replace 

 them under the hand-glasses. As soon 

 as the roots reach the sides of the pots, 

 repot them immediately. Cramping the 

 roots in small pots is very injurious. 

 Then place them either on a shelf near 

 the glass of a good greenhouse, or, 

 which is better, place them in a cold 

 frame well protected from frost and 

 damp. 



By layers. To procure very dwarf 

 plants, as soon as the frosts are fairly 

 passed for the season, plant out in the 

 open air a few old plants in a row in an 

 open situation. Peg down some of the 

 branches, and, as soon as the flower 

 buds appear, plunge as many small pots 

 round the plants, filled with light rich 

 earth, as may be required; place a 

 branch into each pot, and give it a gentle 

 twist : put a short hooked peg into each 

 pot, catching the branch with the hook ; 

 then cover it with half an inch of soil, 

 and in a month it will be rooted. Then 

 cut it off from the parent plant, take up 

 the pots and keep them in the shade till 

 fairly established. They may then have 

 another and final potting, and will be 

 neat dwarf plants to place in front of the 

 taller ones. 



By seeds. The seed must be saved as 

 soon as it is ripe, and only from such as 

 are of a fine shape and bright, clear co- 

 lour. Sow the seeds in February, very 

 slightly covered with soil, finely sifted 

 in shallow wide pots. Place them in a 

 gentle heat, giving very gentle waterings 

 when dry with a fine rosed watering- 

 pot. As soon as the seedlings have two 

 or three leaves each, transplant them 

 singly into small pots, keeping them in a 

 temperature of 55 to 60 ; repot when 

 required. Some of them may flower, if 

 well grown, the same season. Treat 

 them exactly like the old varieties, and 

 they will all flower the second year. 



Soil. As these plants are gross feeders, 

 they require a very rich compost ; half 

 light loam, half decayed dung, with a 

 fourth of peat added, will grow them 

 strong and flower them well. 



Summer culture commences in April. 

 Such as are intended to bloom in pots 

 should now have large shifts out of their 

 small pots into three sizes larger ; for 



cuttings struck the same season, the 

 blooming pots should be at least nine 

 inches' diameter, but for plants a year 

 older they should be twelve inches. At 

 every potting stop all the shoots, to 

 cause them to branch early and form 

 dwarf compact bushes. Give up stopping 

 at the last shift, which should not be 

 done later than the middle of June. Tie 

 the branches out so as to give as much 

 room and air to each as possible, con- 

 sistent with forming a handsome plant. 

 Thin the buds of such as are intended 

 for exhibition, to cause large flowers. 

 During the whole season of growth give 

 abundance of water. Every week give 

 them one watering with liquid manure. 

 Never allow them to flag from the first re- 

 potting up to the finishing bloom. "Water 

 them over head in hot weather at least 

 twice a day. The proper situation to 

 place them at this season (from May till 

 they bloom), is on a bed of ashes or 

 gravel in an open situation. As soon as 

 the buds begin to open remove them 

 into the greenhouse, giving them as 

 much space as possible, or the lower 

 leaves will drop off. Continue an abun- 

 dant supply of water till the blooming 

 season is over. 



Winter Culture. "When the flowers 

 are all decayed, cut down the blooming 

 shoots and place the pots in a cool pit, 

 giving only just water enough to keep 

 the plants alive during the winter, and, 

 as they are nearly hardy, they do not re- 

 quire much protection ; a mat or two 

 thrown over the glass in very severe frost 

 will be quite sufficient. 



These old plants are the best to plant 

 out in the open border. In the southern 

 counties Chrysanthemums bloom very 

 finely either in the open borders or 

 against a wall or low paling, and during 

 the months of October and November 

 make a fine display. 



Insects. The green fly is the most 

 troublesome, and, where it is allowed to 

 prevail greatly, will quite destroy the 

 bloom. It is easily destroyed in the 

 open air by dipping the ends of the 

 shoots in tobacco water, and, in the 

 greenhouse, by filling it completely with 

 the smoke of tobacco. 



Diseases. These are such robust 

 hardy plants that they are seldom 



