THE CHRYSANTHEMUM, AND ITS CULTURE. 
the pots, the top surface rubbed off, some of the 
spent mould shaken out of the roots, which may- 
be slightly trimmed, the plants repotted in the 
same size or larger pots, with fresh compost, 
new drainage, and so forth, and may be 
replaced where they were taken from ; only 
remember that when plants are plunged, the 
hole in which the pot is placed ought to be 
carried down lower than the bottom of the 
pot, narrow enough to prevent the pot from 
going down, but sufficient to hold the water 
which runs through the pot, instead of pre- 
venting its egress, which would be the case 
were the pot fitted to the solid bottom. 
April. — The shoots come up thick now, and 
those who propagate for sale take them off as 
fast as they come, and continue striking them 
under a bell glass in sand and soil, and with 
a little bottom heat ; rub the glass dry e,\ery 
morning inside ; shade the cuttings from the 
sun by means of paper which does not exclude 
the light. Those plants which are to be 
grown for specimens are not to lose any of 
their tops, but may have all superfluous shoots 
removed to strike for young plants. Continue 
protection through the month, and when 
necessary give them moderate waterings. 
Mat. — The plants may now generally be ex- 
amined and removed to a sheltered and shady 
place, where they are to make their summer 
growth. You may continue to remove super- 
fluous shoots and branches for propagation, and 
strike them as before directed* At the end of the 
month some of the struck cuttings may require 
potting off, and they should be continued in 
the heat they were struck in until the plants 
have recovered their check. You may begin 
now to trim the large specimens, leaving no 
more main shoots than you require. 
June. — Top some of the longest of the shoots, 
but not generally, as July and August cuttings 
make shorter and better plants ; but, where 
quantity is required, we cannot be too much 
upon the alert ; strike them as before. Pot 
off struck cuttings, and those which have be- 
come established and got over the potting may 
now be placed out where they are to grow ; 
some may be left to grow naturally, others 
may have the tops taken off to throw out late- 
rals. The large ones must be looked to and 
treated as required ; if they are to be grown 
as specimens, they must be shortened and 
trimmed out ; if destined to supply late cut- 
tings for dwarf plants, they may go on grow- 
ing. See to the watering, which must never 
be neglected with growing pot plants, because 
they dry rapidly. 
July. — Take off more cuttings from the tops 
of the strong shoots of the plants left for the 
purpose, and strike them as before. Pot off all 
those that are struck, and shift some of the 
earliest that have filled the pots with roots. 
Give also all the specimen plants a shift, if 
they have filled their pots with roots. Look 
well to the watering; top any of the small 
plants intended to be made bushy ; and place 
out those plants which have been potted off 
and have recovered themselves. 
August is a continuation of the same events, 
and, therefore, requires a continuation of the 
same treatment as tbat for July, Take off the 
last cuttings. Let them be from the tallest 
shoots, for they will, in the end, make the short- 
est plants. Strike them with great care and 
attention, because they are naturally the most 
obstinate. Pot off struck cuttings ; shift 
plants which have filled their pots from one 
size to another ; and look well to the specimen 
plants, which require thinning out, topping, 
removing, or shortening, the growing shoots 
to give something like symmetry to the plant, 
So with the young ones. If they are not 
growing handsome, and are getting lanky, 
shorten them also, always excepting those to- 
be grown naturally, but from cuttings ; tie up 
the specimens out of doors. Plant out some 
in the open ground. 
September. — Some of the plants are indi- 
cating flower, and all have, by the end of this 
month, come pretty well to their growth. Now 
they must be taken to their several places, ac- 
cording to their purpose, some into a warm 
greenhouse to bloom, and be drawn up, and 
spoiled ; some to the conservatory, to figure 
among the few autumn flowers ; but the mass 
to cold pits, where they are protected from 
frost, but can have all the air in mild weather, 
even by the entire removal of the glass all 
day. In all their stations they will require 
occasional watering ; fasten any of the loose 
shoots of these in the open ground. 
October and November is a mere con- 
tinuance of their approach to, or their com- 
pletion of bloom ; and they merely want the 
same treatment. Some apply liquid manure 
to them instead of plain water. It is a wrong 
notion, spoiling the texture, the colour, and the 
endurance of the bloom. 
December., — The bloom of the early ones 
begins rapidly to decline ; and, as this occurs, 
cut down the plants, and remove them into cold 
pits, or plunge them in the open ground where 
they can be protected by hoops and mats, or 
litter. See that the place be well drained, and 
have the pots filled with compost, that no water 
may lodge. Keep off the heaviest rains, if 
possible. Those in the open ground may be 
flowering half through this month, if the wea- 
ther has been mild ; but when the frost finishes 
the bloom, they may be cut down and cleared, 
and left to take their chance, or be covered up 
with rough litter. All the plants are to be 
removed from their various flowering places 
to their resting quarters, and be tended during 
