CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 



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after all bright days until the middle of August, when the heavy 

 night dews then prevalent will render this less necessary. 

 Tying of shoots and destruction of insect pests must be promptly 

 attended to at all times, for if these latter are allowed to remain 

 on the plants injury will soon result. 



Feeding. — By the third week in July the pots will be well 

 filled with roots, and feeding may commence with the use of 

 soot- water and liquid cow-manure in a weak state. This may 

 be given at about every third watering, increasing the strength 

 and frequency of the supplies as time goes on, taking care 

 always not to overfeed the plants. Change the sort of manure 

 every week, but in using any of the various excellent chemical 

 fertilisers remember that a small dressing at frequent intervals 

 is much better than risking injury to the roots by an overdose. 

 The various animal manures and soot are best placed in a 

 coarse hemp bag in the water-tanks to keep the liquid free from 

 sediment, which, with frequent watering, would soon collect on 

 the surface of the soil and prevent the free passage of water and 

 air to the roots. Sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda, if used 

 at all, should always be given in very weak solution ; about half 

 an ounce to two gallons of water is quite safe. They are 

 not, however, really wanted unless as a stimulant to backward 

 plants after housing, to encourage the buds and hasten their 

 development. 



Moderate feeding may be continued until the blooms are half 

 expanded, but it is well to be guided by atmospheric conditions 

 somewhat : in dull rainy weather much less is needed than if 

 hot and dry conditions prevail. Some varieties, too, need less 

 than others, and a careful study of this will well repay the 

 cultivator. For example, take the old variety " Boule d'Or " ; 

 grown naturally this is almost a single flower, and to produce it 

 in good condition it has to be built up by liberal feeding and by 

 obtaining an early flower-bud. When this latter is secured its 

 development must be encouraged as much as possible in order to 

 multiply and strengthen the number of florets. On the other 

 hand, ' Avalanche,' which is a very double flower and forms its 

 bud early in August, is spoilt by too strong growing. The aim 

 in this case should be not to unduly increase the number of 

 petals by too free a use of manure. Incurved varieties, as a rule, 

 do not require to be grown so strongly as the Japanese. From 



