26 



PYPvAMID P0MP0:N^ES. 



You gave me so much praise for my pyra- 

 mid pompoucs, as shown at the Crystal 

 Palace and at 13rixton, that I am in duty 

 bound to offer a few words of advice on 

 the culture of sjiccimens in that style, to 

 the many readers of the Floral World 

 who liave made inquiries on the subject ; 

 and I must first state that, so far from the 

 portrait given at p. 2G2 of the last volume 

 being in any res])cct an exaggeration, it 

 was xmder, rather than over the mark, in 

 the amount of bloom represented, for my 

 plants had blooms lo^\'er down to the pot 

 than hi the picture. With such a crowd 

 as pressed round the table all day, I can 

 only wonder how tlie editor could have 

 made his sketch at all ; it is certainly 

 faithful, and not more symmetrical than 

 tlie plant. Eut I am not the only one 

 who has succeeded in this mode of tram- 

 ing, for my friends Messrs. Glover and 

 Harper were in advance of me at Brixton, 

 so that where the pyramids were placed 

 on the centre table, there was a fine row 

 of them, presenting a trulj' beautiful and 

 novel appearance, and the awards were : 

 1st, Glover; 2nd, Harper; 3rd, Monk. 

 It was my first attempt in exhibiting 

 pyramids, so that of course I hope to do 

 better yet, and am now watching my 

 plants for 1861 with expectant interest. 



The Golden Cedo Kulli, figured at page 

 £62, was struck in the latter end of Fe- 

 bruary, 1860. Now I must caution exhi- 

 bitors that that is not early enough. I 

 began for 1861 in November last, and got 

 m cuttmgs as fast as they could be had, so 

 as to have all rooted before Christmas. 

 This is important, as if there is a sharp 

 eompetition, the advantage of t\'\o months' 

 growth will tell its joroper tale ; but as I 

 began in February, last year, so those who 

 begin this present Februai'y, may expect 

 to produce plants as worthy of being 

 sketched as mine were, and I dwell upon 

 this point as one of encouragement. The 

 twelve sorts I have now in liand for pyra- 

 mids are Cedo Nidh, Golden Cedo Nulli, 

 Eob, Adonis, General Canobert, Eequiqui, 

 Helen, Duruflet, Mrs. Dix, Andi-omeda, 

 Jane Amelia (one of Salter's of 1860), Ida, 

 and Madame Fould. Supposing all goes 

 well from the time of writing this, I hope 

 to make my first stopping at the latter 

 end of January, and after that, three other 

 stoppings, for they requu-e foiir in all to 

 form goocl plants. 



There is no mystery in getting the 

 plants to regular pyramidal^^iapes, for , 



if grown well, and the stopping rightly 

 managed, the close, pyramid shape is very 

 much a matter of tying \ip at the last. 

 Therefore the first shoots after the fii-st 

 stop may be tied or pegged down in just 

 the same way as for squat plants, which is 

 an advantage, as the growers who are now 

 pushing on yomig plants for squat speci- 

 mens, may, if they choose, pick out a few 

 of them for pyramids, altermg the treat- 

 ment a little from this tune as follows: — 

 After the first break, let the head get up 

 six or seven inches, then stop again, and 

 as the new shoots come, tie them out, not 

 so squat as tlie first, but somewhat in the 

 form of a fan, and all round alike. If this 

 is not done, the lower parts of the main 

 stem and shoots will lose their leaves ; the 

 ultimate perfection of the plant will de- 

 pend on having plenty of light and air 

 admitted through the lower branches. 

 There must be two more stoppings between 

 this last and July, and on each occasion 

 the side-shoots must be topped as well as 

 the head. After July, no more stopping, 

 but keep the branches open till the end of 

 September, and meanwhile, give plenty of 

 water, sprinkle frequently overhead, and 

 during very hot weather keep the soil 

 about them moist, or you may lose all 

 your lowest leaves. Amateiu's who won- 

 der how the lower leaves ai"e kept on till 

 the last in a beautifully fresh and healthy 

 state, are informed that is a question of 

 patience only, not of skill ; once let the 

 plants get burnt, neglect to give ^^■ater 

 when they really want it, and away go the 

 lower leaves, and with tliem all chance of 

 a first prize, or the high encomiums of 

 friends who know what chrysanthemums 

 should be. The last task is to tram them 

 into close pyramids, which is strictly a 

 mechanical aflair. This should be done 

 the last week of September, or first week 

 of October, so as to cause the bloom-buds, 

 as they swell, to take proper positions, so 

 as to cover the exteriors of the plants 

 evenly with blossoms. 



The onlj' stimulus I gave my plants 

 was manure-water from sheep's-dung, 

 which was iised as brought fresh from tlie 

 field, one peck to twelve large water-pots 

 of pond-water. In case the reader should 

 be perplexed as to the size of the pots, 

 suppose we say one peck to twenty-four 

 gallons. Wlien one mixing of this was 

 used, I used pure -VAater only, and then 

 made a fresh mixture with the sheep's- 

 dung, so as to use pure water and manure 



