CULTURE OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS FOR EXHIBITION. 



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a kind which will make ideal cuttings. To some this may seem much unnecessary 

 trouble, hut this method of preparing the plants to produce cuttings ensures the perpetuation 

 of healthy stock. With newer and more expensive novelties the method of preparation 

 just laid down has much to commend it. Of course, thousands of growers simply cut 

 down their old plants and propagate from the new growths as soon as they develop. In 

 many cases, too, this has answered well, but owing to the unsatisfactory condition of many 

 collections of plants when the flowering season is over, it is unwise to use such plants 

 for stock purposes. A suitable temperature at this season is one that varies from 4odeg. 

 to 55deg. The foregoing remarks apply to each kind of Chrysanthemum. The completion of 

 this work' brings one to the period when propagation should be commenced. Cuttings may 

 be inserted at any time from the early days of December until the end of January, and 

 in some cases even later. It is well to begin fust with known late varieties, and those it 

 is the desire of the exhibitor to see represented by neat and even blooms from buds secured 

 rather late in the succeeding summer, and known as second "crown" or late "crown" 

 buds. Cuttings should be from 2jin. to 3m. in length, and when bein^ detached from the 

 old stools, taken from the surface at considerable distance from the remains of the Old 

 main stem. As a rule these, when rooted, make a free growth, whereas cuttings from the 

 old stem, or in close proximity thereto, invariably develop a bud during the propagating 

 period, and thus completely upset the growers' calculations. The cuttings are made by cutting 

 straight through the stem with a sharp knife, immediately below a joint, formed by a 

 junction of the leaf with the stem ; also trim off the leaf and insert the cutting in the 

 compost specially prepared for its reception. A suitable compost may be made up of the 

 following ingredients : Equal parts of good light loam, such as that taken from an old 

 pasture, and leaf mould, and add to this a sufficient quantity of sand to render the compost 

 porous after a good watering, say an eighth part of coarse silver sand. These ingredients 

 should be well mixed and passed through a sieve with Jin. mesh, and if prepared a few 

 days before the compost is needed, and then turned occasionally, the equal distribution of 

 each soil is ensured and the compost also sweetened. A good method of striking the 

 cuttings is to use deep "thumb" pots, and to 

 place one cutting in each pot. In all cases 

 the pots should be scrupulously clean, otherwise 

 when turning out the plants later for repotting 

 the soil will adhere to the sides and probably 

 injure the tender young roots. Propagating each 

 cutting singly, as described, enables the grower 

 to repot easily the young plants later, and avoid 

 any check being experienced. Those who have 

 little space under glass may insert a number 

 of cuttings early in the year around the 

 edge of a 3m. pot. In this way they root 

 readily enough, but care must be taken to pot 

 them up singly immediately they become rooted, 

 otherwise the tender roots become entangled 

 and broken. Shallow wooden boxes also are 

 used where a large number of plants are raised. 

 These are generally 15m. long by ioin. wide 

 and 2in. deep. Insert the cuttings in rows, 

 about 2in. apart, and about the same distance 

 between each cutting. The pots and boxes 

 should be crocked with care to ensure proper 



drainage, otherwise all one's labour will be in a decukau\e variety. 



