52 THE CHRYSANTHEMUM 



highly concentrated character on the market and used 

 by some to vary the feeding, which can be done in 

 perfect safety by the expert grower who understands 

 these rich foods and their effects, but the amateur 

 should proceed cautiously with them. Overfeeding 

 is, of course, possible. It has been overdone when the 

 growth becomes short jointed and the leaves crowd 

 upon one another with little or no intervening space. 

 The remedy in that case suggests itself. A safer in- 

 dication is furnished by the plants themselves before 

 they reach such an undesirable condition. If they be 

 in the best of health, with luxuriant foliage, and the 

 leaves be brittle, breaking quite easily when lightly 

 handled, then the feeding should be diminished, as 

 they are fed "to the limit." While continuous feeding 

 has been advised, it is well now and then to let the 

 plants have a drink of pure water, for this helps to 

 clarify and sweeten the soil. 



Last but not least, the varieties must be studied 

 in regard to their needs. Some will take double the 

 quantity of feeding, and with others it may be neces- 

 sary to cease feeding at an early stage of bud develop- 

 ment, those having pink flowers being the most 

 affected by a too prolonged rich diet. A general 

 rule for all is to cease feeding as the petals of the 

 flowers show color and commence to unfold. The 

 object of feeding should be clearly apparent from 

 what has been said in this chapter. Natural or 

 animal manures are given first choice because they 

 contain, in varying quantities, all the main essential 

 elements of plant substance, namely, nitrogen, potash 

 and phosphoric acid, therefore they constitute com- 

 plete plant foods. An inability to obtain these, how- 

 ever, need not debar one from growing fine flowers, 

 as with an ordinary soil, and a careful system of feed- 



