rate of 2 pounds per 100 square feet at intervals during the 
growing season pays good dividends but should be discontinued 
when the plants begin to bud. Single plants should receive a 
teaspoonful well mixed with the surface soil. 
Chrysanthemums seem to do well in soil that is somewhat 
on the acid side but if the foliage appears leathery and has con- 
siderable red or purplish coloration the use of lime will probably 
prove beneficial. If the surface soil about the plants is kept well 
cultivated chrysanthemums will stand considerable dry weather 
but if water can be supplied when buds begin to appear the bloom 
will be much larger. A peat moss mulch about an inch in thick- 
ness also gives good results on light soil. In heavy soils the peat 
moss may better be incorporated in the soil. 
In wet weather, when heavy or poorly drained soils are wa- 
tersoaked, symptoms of lack of phosphorus or nitrogen may be 
observed because of the inability of the plant to utilize these ele- 
ments under such conditions. A garden fork may be inserted 
under the root system of the plant so as to slightly raise it with- 
out entirely breaking the lateral roots. A few cinders or coal 
ashes about the plant will also be a help. 
Many varieties of chrysanthemums are tall growing and, if 
allowed to grow unrestrained, produce small clusters of blooms 
on ungainly stems. Such kinds should be pinched back two or 
three times during the growing season, beginning as soon as 
they reach a height of five or six inches. In this way compact, 
bushy plants are formed which are smothered with blooms. The 
cushion mums and many of the newer varieties grow naturally 
bushy and require no pinching. 
Best results are obtained if plants are taken up each spring 
and divided. This allows thorough preparation of the bed and 
the reset plants are more vigorous than the old clumps. Com- 
mercial growers use only rooted cuttings to produce blossoms of 
exhibition quality so do not be afraid to divide into small pieces. 
Even varieties that are hardy to extremely low tempera- 
tures may not live over winter in your garden if soil conditions 
are not right. If you have difficulty wintering chrysanthemums 
in the open, the plants may be taken up with as much soil as 
will cling to the roots and bedded close together in a cold frame. 
A cool cellar, if not too dry, is satisfactory storage or even an 
unheated building if too much alternate freezing and thawing 
does not occur. 
