72 CHRYSANTHEMUMS 



the proportion of one gallon of liquid to 

 five or six gallons of clear water. In using 

 liquid fertilizers of any kind do not apply 

 them when the soil is dry. If such is the 

 case give the soil a watering with clear water 

 before applying the liquid. Never give the 

 plants two successive waterings with liquid 

 fertilizers. Follow a watering with liquid 

 fertilizer by one with clear water. This 

 method not only distributes the feeding 

 through a given period of time, but is 

 much safer. One or two waterings with 

 any fertilizer of a given strength may do 

 no harm, but a third watering of the same 

 strength might cause one or more chemical 

 elements to accumulate in the soil in suffi- 

 cient quantity to cause injury to the plants. 



The soil is a laboratory where chemical 

 changes are constantly taking place under 

 favourable conditions of moisture and tem- 

 perature, and during the summer it is be- 

 lieved that they are sometimes quite rapid. 



In the case of chrysanthemums growing 

 in less than a cubic foot of soil — almost 

 completely filled with roots — any material 

 changes are likely to affect the health of 

 the plant, and whether beneficial or detri- 



