Chrysanthemums

OK, so my "old Chrysanthemum book" is:

CHRYSANTHEMUMS
for Amateur and Market Grower
by
F.W.ALLERTON

first published in mcmxlix, which is a while back, but I don't expect much has changed in the last 162 years...

   

I note that wherever the plants are, FW says to wait till January to do anything.

   

Personally, I follow FW pretty closely here, although I've never resorted to hot water eelworm treatment. I think the tip to bury the stools half an inch deeper is great, the cuttings with white on the bottom do seem to root a lot quicker.

   

This answers Vinny's question: "The removal of old, exhausted soil from the stools and the substitution of a rooting medium... has a considerable influence on the number and quality of the cuttings produced. Casual treatment at this stage may well be reflected in second-rate results throughout the season..."

Having said that, see this picture:

   

I guess there was more than one way to do things, even back then!