“MUMS,” CULTURAL INSTRUCTIONS (Continued) 
PROPAGATION 
Three to four inches of sharp sand that is well drained is 
the most satisfactory rooting medium. Steam sterilization 
of the sand prevents damping-off, stem rot, and infection 
from verticillium wilt. Three to four-inch cuttings from 
stock plants should be firm and if soft enough to root rap- 
idly removal of only a few lower leaves is necessary. Treat- 
ment with growth substances and bottom heat hastens 
rooting. Protection with paper or cloth the first few days 
prevents flagging. Cuttings should be rooted in two to 
four weeks. Potting the unrooted cuttings in 24-inch pots 
in light soil (2 soil and 1 sand), covering with cloth, syringing 
frequently, is new but very successful. It saves one operation 
and plants so produced are soft and vigorous. No special 
attention is. necessary other than syringing. Planting 
unrooted cuttings in the growing bench 8x8 inches is not 
recommended because of unsatisfactory results unless 
very closely watched. Do not propagate too early or the 
plants will become hardened between the time they are 
stuck as cuttings in the propagation house and the day 
they are planted in the bench. 
Buying Cuttings 
The trend now is to buy cuttings every year instead of 
attempting to carry over stock plants. There are a num- 
ber of valid reasons for so doing. In the first place, few 
growers are either equipped or careful enough to produce 
verticillium free cuttings. This should be left to a specialist. 
Secondly, the space occupied by the stock plants could be 
utilized to better advantage. Third, propagation has to 
be done when you are busiest—in the Spring. In addition, 
unless stock plants are given adequate care, some varieties 
will die out and you will be taking cuttings from the 
remaining ones, even though these are not the kinds you 
need to grow. Your balance of colors, seasonal cut, be- 
comes disturbed. So in general, most growers have found 
it more economical and satisfactory to buy cuttings as 
they are needed. 
YOUNG PLANTS 
Rooted cuttings may be potted in 24-inch pots or 
placed directly in the bench where they are to be grown. 
The potted plants may be allowed to grow enough to take 
a top cutting from them, but they should never be allowed 
to become hard and pot bound. Loss of lower foliage upsets 
methods of pinching and such plants are hard and woody 
and require considerable time to develop new leaves. 
PLANTING 
The usual distance is 8x8 inches for Standards, Pompons, 
and Disbuds. Greater distance on strong spreading varie- 
ties may be necessary. For Standards one plant per hill is 
recommended, and they should be pinched to give two or 
three stems rather than use two or three plants per hill. 
The plants should be set so that there is a dish in the soil 
with the stem in the center of the dish. This practice facili- 
tates spot watering, which is recommended until the plants 
have become established. Syringing of the foliage pre- 
vents wilting and helps the plant get started. 
For early flowering the plants should be benched by the 
middle of May. Midseason and later varieties should be 
planted from the last of May until July 1, except those 
which are shaded. Plants to be shaded should be benched 
by June 1 in order that sufficient growth is made to give 
necessary height before shade is applied. 
WATERING 
Profits or losses are often determined by the man with 
the hose. In the early stages spot watering around the 
plants is preferred to watering the entire bench. When 
the plants are well established, the bench should be given 
a heavy watering and this practice should be continued 
until maturity of the crop. When watering is done it 
should be thorough in order to insure wetting of all parts 
of the soil in the bench. The soil should dry in between 
waterings but the plants should never wilt. Steam steri- 
lized soil requires more water than unsterilized soil. Insteam 
sterilized soil the granulation of the soil permits rapid 
passage of water, and the soil in the bench is wet where the 
water traveled downward through the cracks and pore 
spaces, but the main body of the soil is not wet. Failure of 
plants to grow in sterilized soil is due to insufficient watering 
to wet the soil and to wash through and leach out the nitrogen 
which often accumulates to toxic levels. 
TEMPERATURE 
The Chrysanthemum is a cool season crop. During Sum- 
mer maintaining a cool house is impossible, but overhead 
syringing helps to cool the plants. When the weather be- 
comes cooler in the Fall a night temperature of 50 degs. F. 
is satisfactory. With late planting of late varieties such 
as Snow, which have not made sufficient growth to give 
the last pinch by August 1, the night temperature must 
be carried at 60 degs. F. until buds are visible to prevent 
blindness. 
PINCHING 
For many years the main object of pinching was to pro- 
duce bushy plants with numerous stems. In some varieties 
such a procedure produced short stems and poor flower 
sprays: in others it was fairly satisfactory. In recent years 
the better growers have begun to pay more attention to 
the time of pinching to secure quality. 
Dates will be found with the varieties listed. 
DISBUDDING 
When Standards are grown, either one, two, or three 
stems per plant, each stem must be disbudded to prevent 
development of side shoots. This should be done regularly 
when the shoots are long enough to be handled easily. 
Neglect will cause undue loss of time when operation is 
performed. Disbuds are handled the same as Standards. 
Pompons are not disbudded. 
TAKING BUDS 
Taking buds on Chrysanthemums is a process peculiar 
only to this plant. Taking the bud means allowing it to 
remain and removing all others. Two types of flower buds 
are produced on the Mum. The crown type appears first 
RAYMOND A. FLECK, Inc., STREET ROAD (ROUTE 132) SOUTHAMPTON, PA. 6] 
