72 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



theory to the proof. I do not like to hear any one continually de- 

 nouncing a certain system unless he is prepared to bring forward a 

 better, and prove that his substitute is better than the original. It 

 is all very well to say it deceives the public, but let an amateur go 

 to a nurseryman or seedsman for plants or seeds, having previously 

 seen flowers grow naturally, as they are termed, and see if they will 

 turn out as he expects. I am sure they will not ; they do not tell 

 him that all the blooms have been stripped, with the exception of 

 two or three, in order that they may produce a few very fine blooms, 

 nor that they have applied liquid manure periodically, nor the many 

 other artificial means employed by them to bring the blooms to per- 

 fection. In fact, the only artificial means that they do not resort to 

 are training and dressing, as it is termed, and therefore I consider one 

 system quite as artificial as another, and that the method of training is 

 the least objectionable, if any objection can reasonably exist, for folks 

 can immediately see that a trained plant has had artificial means 

 employed to bring it to perfection, while with the others they may 

 be deceived into the belief that they have been produced without the 

 aid of human art, which would be very far from the truth. 



Now when amateurs first commence growing the pompone, there 

 are several evils to guard against and contend with. Grenerally 

 speaking, they are a very excitable race of individuals, and are always 

 wanting to see the end before they have well begun. They are very 

 often too fast with the liquid manure, which I consider a very great 

 evil, for if the pompone is too much excited when young, it will not 

 properly ripen its wood, and if the wood is not properly ripened, it 

 is impossible to obtain a fine bloom. The liquid manure I would 

 recommend amateurs to use is made from rotten horse-droppings, for 

 they will not be likely to give them too much of that, but if the plants 

 are grown in good compost, they will not require much of this assis- 

 tance. The compost that I use is composed of one part leaf-mould, 

 one part rotten dung, and two parts of good friable loam, with a 

 little silver sand to give a good drainage, for if not perfect in that 

 particular, disastrous consequences are sure to follow, as they are 

 thirsty souls, and require watering two or three times a day in dry 

 weather, and therefore if not thoroughly drained, will get clogged, 

 and the water become stagnant. 



In first starting a plant (which I in general commence as soon as 

 ever I can get a piece to start with, but some growers prefer waiting 

 until they can obtain spring cuttings), the earlier you begin the 

 larger your plants will be ; but in growing standards you need not 

 have fresh plants every season, for if they are protected from the 

 frost, they can be kept any number of years, and the longer they are 

 kept the larger they will be. But in growing other shapes I prefer 

 fre.sli plants, and it will be necessary to consider what sorts you 

 intend growing;. The varieties I should recommend are — light ones, 

 Andromeda, Cedo Nulli, and Mrs. Dix, the latter rather shy ; yel- 

 lows, Golden Cedo JSTulli, General Canrobert, and Canary Bird; 

 other sorts, Bob, St. Thais, Duruflet, Lilac Cedo Nulli, Salomon, and 

 Alexander Pele. In growing the late varieties, such as Bob, I think 

 it is best to have an old root with a sucker attached to it, because it 



