1873.] CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTUEE AND SELECTION. 35 



greenliouse do not require to be of large size, small and medium-sized specimens 

 being often the most useful for furnishing ; but healthy plants, with flowers of 

 superior quality, are always desirable. Young plants propagated from cuttings 

 any time during February will make the best medium-sized specimens, and for 

 all purposes these are much preferable to plants obtained by the clumsy method 

 of dividing the plants. I insert each cutting separately in a small thumb-pot, 

 and place the pots in a hot-bed, where they can have just a very little bottom- 

 heat. In this position the cuttings will soon form roots, and when this is the case 

 plenty of air may be admitted to them. When the plants are fairl}' established, 

 remove them to a cold frame or pit ; they will require to be repotted as soon as 

 the pots are filled with roots, and should be kept in the cold pits or frames until 

 the end of April, but during favourable weather the lights should be entirely 

 removed, so that when the plants are turned out of doors, as they should be at 

 that time, they may suffer no check to their growth. Eepotting must be 

 attended to as required. The Large-flowered section should be bloomed in 11^-in. 

 pots, 85-in. ones being sufficiently large for the Pompons. The potting 

 material should be composed of good turfy loam, in which clay predominates ; 

 to this may be added a fourth part of rotted manure ; and a ten-inch potf ul of 

 powdered oyster-shells to each barrow-load. 



The treatment the plants receive during their gi'owing period will depend on 

 whether they are grown for specimens or for the quality of the flowers ; also to 

 the section to which they severally belong. Those intended to form specimen 

 plants either of the Large-flowered Chinese varieties or the Pompons, should have 

 the growing shoots stopped three times during the period of their growth ; and 

 the shoots should be tied to sticks as they progress, to prevent their being broken 

 off by the wind. If very large flowers are required, such as are seen at 

 exhibitions, a different course of treatment is necessary ; the plants then must 

 not have the leading shoot stopped at all, and two plants may be grown in an 

 8|-in., or three in an llA-in. pot, each plant being allowed to bear on an average 

 about three flowers. The side shoots should be removed during summer ; and 

 in autumn the plant will branch into three shoots near the top ; the leading bud 

 on each of these shoots should be saved, and all the others removed. I have 

 had flowers five inches in diameter grown in this way. The varieties named 

 Queen of England, Empress of India, Prince Alfred, and Princess of Wales 

 produce the largest flowers. The Japanese varieties should be grown in a some- 

 what similar manner to the Large-flowered section. I merely pinch the point 

 out of the 3'oung plant ; three or four shoots will then be produced, which as 

 they grow up should be tied to separate sticks. The quaint and striking forms 

 of the Japanese flowers are most efi'ective on plants trained in that -way. AU 

 the varieties are much benefited by being watered with liquid manure as soon as 

 the flower-buds are formed. The plants should also be removed into the house 

 early in October, as after this there is a chance of their being injured by frosts. 



New varieties have not been brought into prominence during the last year or 



