SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF FEEDING 69 



must be distinctly understood, however, 

 that not the calendar, but the condition of 

 each individual plant, must determine the 

 question of when to begin this feeding. 

 Some varieties may not require it at all. 

 If the plants are not growing vigorously, 

 with heavy foliage or dark-green colour, do 

 not give them additional food. When in 

 fine health the chrysanthemum is a good 

 feeder and a robust grower. If not 

 growing freely it is not in good health, 

 and any attempt to force it into health 

 by increasing the amount of feeding ma- 

 terial in the soil will simply aggravate the 

 situation. 



SUPPLYING THE PLANTS WITH LIME 



While scientific authorities do not consider 

 lime to be a direct fertilizer, the fact that 

 it is a necessary element of the plant food 

 makes it a fertilizer for all practical purposes. 

 As lime appears in the largest quantity of 

 any single element in the ash of the chrysan- 

 themum, a reasonable amount of it should 

 be supplied to the plants; for while most 

 soils contain some lime, many have an in- 

 sufficient amount, and, as in the case of the 



