ON CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 1 39 



soil. Afterwards air may be admitted freely on warm or sunny 

 days ; in fact, when the weather is very mild, the lights may 

 with advantage be taken right off. Any attempt at coddling will 

 end in leggy plants, with no foliage at their base. Towards the 

 end of April the lights may be left off the frames entirely except, 

 in very cold weather, and by the middle of May the plants may 

 be stood outside in an open sunny position. By the end of 

 May or early in June the plants may be transferred to their 

 flowering pots. If required for exhibition, 8in. pots will be quite 

 large enough ; but if extra large plants are required for quantities 

 of cut blossoms or conservatory decoration, ioin. or even larger- 

 sized pots may be employed. The compost at this final potting 

 should consist of three parts rich fibrous loam and one part dry 

 horse-droppings, with a 7m. potfull of bone-meal to each large 

 barrow-load of soil ; or failing bone-meal a similar quantity of 

 Thomson's Manure may be used instead. The drainage of the 

 pots ought to be carefully arranged (inverted oyster shells are 

 first rate) and covered with moss, while a sprinkling of soot will 

 keep out worms for a considerable period. The soil should be 

 rammed moderately hard, and must not fill the pot. A space of 

 2in. or 3m. at the top should be allowed for a top-dressing later on. 

 From this time onwards, the plants will demand constant 

 attention in watering, staking, and tying, and ample space should 

 be provided for each plant. A very good position for them 

 is by the side of a sunny walk, in a single line. By having 

 stakes driven in at intervals, with stout string running from 

 each other, the plants may b,e securely tied thereto, and thus 

 prevented from being blown down or injured by strong winds, 

 while the sun and light have full play upon both sides of 

 the plants, ensuring thorough ripening of the wood. Some 

 growers advise giving no liquid or other manures until the 

 flower-buds have formed, but a little weak liquid manure, or a 

 top-dressing of soot or soot-water, certainly improves the health 

 and colour of the growth. Immediately the flower-buds are 

 formed, a mulch of fibrous loam and decayed manure, in equal 

 proportions, will prove highly beneficial, and from the time of 

 the flower-bud formation until the flowers begin to expand 

 frequent applications of diluted liquid manure, or some of the 

 prepared chemical manures, will be very serviceable, bearing 

 in mind that the roots can only take up or use a limited 

 amount of plant-food, and any great excess above their require- 

 ments is likely to do more harm than good. 



