THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
309 
out the old plants (after undergoing a thorough cleansing pro- 
cess) into a raised bed, in the month of June. The bed should be 
composed of one-half leaf-soil, or other vegetable matter, with sharp 
sand; and if soiled up, pretty close to the collar, abundance of fine 
young plants will be ready for pots by the early part of August ; 
they should then be taken up for general pottiug. They must be 
shaken entirely apart, and the plants singled out ; those strong, put 
into three-inch pots ; those weak, into thumbs ; and the very 
weakest, pricked thickly into stove-pots for the latest spring use. 
Nothing is necessary but to place them all behind a wall, on the 
north side, immediately they are potted, and to sprinkle them well. 
The soil should be equal parts leaf-mould, peat, old cow-dung, char- 
coal, or wood ashes, strong loam, and sharp sand, remembering in 
all these matters to drain the pots completely. These will want 
nearly the same treatment as the Chinese Primroses, only the latter 
revel in and enjoy both more light and air than the former. The 
most forward will require a shift about the first week of September 
— not later — into their final pots, using the compost in a rougher 
state. About the same time those in “ stores ” should be placed in 
thumbs, to receive their last shift about the end of January, whilst 
those potted in thumbs in August will want their final shift about 
the last week of September. By these means a constant bloom may 
be insured, from the first week of November until the end of the 
nest Alay. These plants in the dead of winter like abundance of 
light and moderate waterings, but with the return of spring they 
require much water. 
The Chrysanthemum bolds a most important place amongst the 
autumn flowers; indeed, they may be said to form the great con- 
necting link between the old year and the new. In endeavouring to 
simplify the cultivation of these gaudy flowers, I have found the 
one best plan to be, transplanting the cuttings when struck in the 
month of July, into beds in the open ground, placing them about 
eight inches apart. They remain thus until the middle of August 
(the grossest shoots being stopped occasionally), when they are 
potted at once into their final shift, and treated carefully as cuttings 
for a week or so, when they are inured gradually to the sunshine. 
It is well, however, to pot all the smallest and weakest plants three 
in a five-inch pot, without planting out ; these may have a final shift 
in the end of August, and will by these means be of a dwarfer 
habit than the others, and will be found very useful. Early pro- 
tection, and constantly clear liquid-manure, with abundance of light 
and air, are all the requisites henceforth, and, with the exception of 
sticks, they should have one to every main shoot, disposed in a 
graceful way. These are particularly fond of clear liquid-manure, 
and should have it abundantly the moment they show the flower- 
bud. They should constantly have all root-suckers pulled from 
them, and the shoots thinned judiciously, until the end of August. 
As a rule three principal shoots may be left to a six inch pot, four 
to an eight-inch, and five to a nine-inch pot, and so onwards. The 
plants should have abundance of light and room in an airy situation, 
after the month of July, and should be under cover in some light 
October. 
