DECORATIVE VARIETIES. 
23 
altogether by pinching off at least an inch of the growth. 
This manipulation has the effect of inducing shoots of a 
stronger character to evolve, and with such sturdy 
material the grower’s prospects are considerably bright- 
ened. A certain proportion of popular sorts of to-day 
have an inherent weakness in this respect. No matter 
how well the old stools may be cared for, they persistently 
develop growths with buds at their apex, and often not 
until quite late in the spring is it possible to procure 
cuttings of a satisfactory kind. 
Preparing the Cuttings. — The making or preparation 
of a chrysanthemum cutting is a very simple affair, when 
one has detached a growth or shoot from a plant making 
free growth. The cutting should never be more than 
three inches in length, a better length being about two 
and a-half inches, or rather less. Do not be misled into 
taking large growths of a stout and sappy character, as 
continued experiment has proved most conclusively that 
they take longer to root and require more skilfully hand- 
ling than do those cuttings of medium stoutness. To 
make a cutting, the grower should cut through the stem 
immediately below a joint, and the bottom leaf should 
also be trimmed off close to the stem to complete the 
operation. 
Cuttings procured from a chrysanthemum specialist, 
although packed in damp moss before being despatched 
through the post, do not always arrive in the nice crisp 
condition that is so much to be desired. For this reason, 
it »s a good plan to place them in moss in small pots on 
arrival, and see that they are arranged in an upright 
p)osition. A sprinkling overhead with clear water will 
refresh and invigorate them, and if the pots be stood on 
the floor of the cool greenhouse for the night, they should 
be in a fit condition to take in hand the next morning. 
Should the cuttings arrive in the morning, a few hours’ 
treatment in the manner just described will suffice to 
rehabilitate them. 
D 
