An excellent example of a specimen bush plant. A. J. Balfour, pinK 



The pompons are not often grown as specimens. Many blooms, but small 



one-fifth leaf mold, or old well-decayed 

 manure and three-fifths fresh loam, thor- 

 oughly mixed. 



The mechanical condition of the soil in 

 which chrysanthemums are to be grown is 

 of as much, or even greater, importance 

 than its richness. Sand, muck, or clay are 

 not good. What is known as a friable 

 clay loam is the best. This should be pre- 

 pared in the fall, previous to the time that 

 it will be needed, or if not convenient to get 

 it in the fall, it must be prepared very early 

 in the spring. If possible it should be taken 

 from the surface of an old pasture, or field. 

 Removing the sod and three or four inches of 

 the surface soil, this should be placed, grass 

 side down, in a flat pile in layers alternating 

 with a layer of good cow manure, if it can be 

 had, using one part of manure to three parts 

 of soil. Fresh manure may be used in the 

 fall ; but if the compost is not prepared until 

 spring, fairly well-rotted manure will be 

 better. Horse manure may be used if cow 

 manure cannot be obtained, but it must be 

 well rotted. After the soil and manure have 

 been collected and piled, the whole should be 

 chopped down with a spade, thus thor- 

 oughly mixing the soil and manure. This 



mixing should be done twice, and three times 

 will be better, allowing about two weeks 

 interval between the mixings. Before the 

 final mixing, add good bone meal at the rate 

 of one half peck to each cubic yard of com- 

 post. This compost, if properly prepared, 

 is all that will be required for subsequent 

 pottings, or for filling boxes or benches for 

 growing cut blooms. 



The soil for potting or planting should 

 always be in a moderately moist condition, 

 so that, when taken in the hand and pressed 

 firmly, it will when released retain the im- 

 prints of the fingers, and yet fall apart read- 

 ily. Such soil is in ideal condition. In 

 potting, the soil should be made reasonably 

 firm, and the lighter it is, the firmer it should 

 be made. 



WHEN TO REPOT 



Plants should always be repotted as soon 

 as the roots have made such growth that the 

 ball of earth is full of fibres, and the roots are 

 showing outside, which may be determined 

 by knocking out one ball, to examine it. 

 This "shifting" is done successively, as 

 necessary. Do not let them remain until 

 nothing but a mass of roots can be seen when 



the plant is turned out of the pot. This con- 

 dition is what is termed "pot bound." In 

 the pots or boxes, ample room should be left 

 from the surface of the soil to rim of pot for 

 water. This will vary from one-half inch for 

 the small pots to one inch in the six-inch size. 



WATER AND HEAT 



The chrysanthemums require an abun- 

 dance of water during the growing season, 

 which is until they are through flowering, 

 and if thorough drainage has been provided 

 in the potting, there is practically no danger 

 of over-watering. When watering plants 

 that have been recently repotted, be careful 

 to apply the water sparingly, as otherwise 

 the soil will become sour before the roots 

 have had time to penetrate. 



Chrysanthemums thrive best in a tem- 

 perature ranging from 45 ° to 50 ° at night to 

 from 60 ° to 75 during the day. During 

 the summer, of course, it is much warmer 

 than the temperatures g ven, and every ef- 

 fort should be made to keep the temperature 

 as low as possible, by abundant ventilation at 

 all times. For this reason the best sort of 

 house is one where both top and side venti- 

 lation can be given. Syringe the plants freely 



Loosely incurved bloom. Evidently from a'crown 

 bud — the stem is bare 



A good example of the Japanese type. Madam Paul 



Galade. Foliage up to the flower — from terminal bud 



214 



'4 A :>*>v? 



m 



'i 





ike 



A reflexed Japanese— Madame Carnol, while, one cf 

 the largest flowers. Has a very weaK stem 



