CHRYSANTHEMUMS IN POTS. 



67 



though at night a very slight crack of air may be put on to free the 

 frame from any surfeit of moisture, and so prevent damping. 



As soon as it is observed that the cuttings have taken root, the 

 hardening off must be commenced, by the admission of air both day 

 and night, finally removing the glass altogether, when the young 

 plants should be ready for transferring to the shelf or staging of a cool 

 greenhouse, or a frame where a slight amount of heat may be main- 

 tained, but this must be governed somewhat by the date of propagation. 



Cuttings rooted in boxes, three or four in a pot, or in a bed of soil, 

 must be potted off singly before the roots have attained sufficient 

 length to be damaged in the process of potting, and it may be necessary 

 to restrict the amount of air for a few days ; also, to help them or keep 

 them from flagging, a slight spraying overhead should be given on all 

 occasions when the state of the weather warrants it. Plants potted 

 early in the year will need very little spraying, but from the end of 

 February they may require it twice a day for a few days after potting. 

 The size of pot to be used must be governed by the size of pot in which 

 they are to flower. Singles and decoratives generally are flowered in 

 9-inch or 16 size pots ; the first potting should be into 6o's, second 

 potting 48's, and the final i6's. 



For exhibition varieties rooted in thumbs, first potting should be 

 into 54/s, second into 32's, and the final into 10 or 11 inch, according to 

 the vigour of the variety. 



It is useless and unnecessary to say exactly what mixture of soil 

 to use, but it should be moderately light and open, not too rich, to 

 encourage a quick formation of the roots, and it must be made fairly 

 firm in the pots. 



By the middle of March all the young plants will be fit for removal 

 to a cold frame. Brick frames may be preferable, as requiring less 

 protection in the event of severe frosts, but the ordinary wooden 

 frame will do quite well providing due precautions are taken . Watering 

 at this time must be carefully done, and only during exceptionally 

 mild, bright weather must the young plants be sprayed after mid-day, 

 but as the days get warmer spraying twice a day will assist growth. 



The amount of air admitted to the frames must be governed some- 

 what by the state of the weather, and of course by the condition of the 

 toots. 



Do not ventilate the frames by tilting from the back, as in such a 

 case the front plants during bright sunshine are enduring the tempera- 

 ture of a stove whilst the back ones are as cool as they ought to be ; 

 so tilt the lights sideways, always in the opposite direction to the wind, 

 and thus secure much more even ventilation, free from draughts. 



By about the first week in April forward plants will be ready for 

 their second shift, either into 48^ or 32's. At this potting the soil should 

 not be so fine as at the previous potting ; a little well-decayed manure 

 may be added to the loam, and in addition a 48 potful of bonemeal 

 and a shovel or two of wood ashes to each barrow-load. 



At this potting the soil should be made very firm to counteract as 



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