374 



GARDENING. 



Sept. 



given plenty of drainage and a richer soil 

 potted on and finished in 9-inch pots. 

 When the pots are well filled with roots 

 give manure water once a week — not too 

 strong at first, gradually increasing the 

 strength as the plants become used to it. 



As it is some risk to leave the plants in 

 a frame after November we move them to 

 a greenhouse which is kept at a night 

 temperature of 40°, with a rise of 10° to 

 15° during the day. We syringe once 

 daily until they show flower buds, which 

 will be in January and February. 



(Jive good ventilation, avoiding drafts, 

 and do not allow the plants to touch, so 

 that there may be a good circulation of 

 air around them. The greatest enemy of 

 the cineraria is the greenfly, but by fumi- 

 gating with nikotecn once a week we 

 keep them clean. D. F. R. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. 



Preparations should now be made for 

 giving the plants in the benches liquid 

 manure, and this we consider one of the 

 most important operations connected 

 with chrysanthemum culture. The main 

 point is to have the plants and soil in 

 proper condition at the time of applying 

 the manure. We have found that when 

 the plants are growing vigorously, and 

 showing that greyish tint of the young 

 foliage which is peculiar to health}' stock, 

 they are in the right condition to receive 

 stimulants if they are judiciously applied; 

 that is, not to have the liquid too strong 

 to start with, but to use it mild at first, 

 increasing the strength gradually. At 

 every stage the plants must be watched 

 carefully in order to avoid carrying the 

 application of manures too far. One can 

 very soon tell when a plant has been 

 given all the feeding it will bear, from an 

 examination of the foliage. If it is at all 

 brittle the supply of food must be reduced, 

 not all at once but by easy stages. 



Most varieties will need but little stim- 

 ulant before the buds are set, except early 

 propagated stock, which we feed lightly 

 about three weeks before they set the 

 bud, ceasing the application at the time 

 the bud is forming, as the plant is then 

 practically at a standstill. At this time, 

 and till the bud can be seen plainly above 

 the top leaves, we aim to keep the beds a 

 little on the dry order. Of course there 

 are varieties which have to be treated 

 differently. For example, it is not to be 

 expected that small foiiaged sorts like 

 Ivory, Golden Wedding, E. Dailledouze 

 and others of that order, will require the 

 same quantity of stimulant as vigorous 

 growers, like Mayflower, Sunstone and 

 Mrs. Jerome Jones. Again, most of the 

 red varieties should receive but little 

 liquid manure after they have formed the 

 bud or the}' will be sure to burn on the 

 petals. 



It is impossible to prescribe an}- rule 

 that will be applicable in every instance, 

 as the strength and quantity of the ma- 

 nure must be determined by the soil 

 conditions, and this knowledge is only 

 acquired by long andcareful observation. 



There is one point in applying stimu- 

 lants on which all chrysanthemum grow- 

 ers agree, and that is doing it in as little 

 time and as cleanly as possible. 



We use fifty-gallon barrels to hold the 

 preparation and do not stick to one kind 

 of manure but change it at every applica- 

 tion, using about a bushel to a barrel of 

 water, allowing it to stand a few days 

 before using. We prepare several barrels 

 of a mixture consisting of an ordinary 

 bucket of bone meal and the same amount 

 of soot to a barrel of water and let it 

 stand from three weeks to a month before 



applying. We have found this an excel- 

 lent aid to fine texture, both in foliage 

 and bloom, and use it twice during the 

 season. At the time the plants are able 

 to assimilate the strongest stimulant we 

 use a 3-inch pot of nitrate of soda with 

 every barrel of the compound. This is 

 applied through a Kinney pump, which 

 dilutes the strength one half, so if cans 

 were used we would figure accordingly. 



It is getting along now toward the 

 time when we should be on the lookout 

 for the buds that are to be retained, and 

 they should be taken or selected before 

 the side shoots have an opportunity of 

 drawing upon their vitality by absorbing 

 the greater part of the nourishment given 

 to the plants. When the lateral buds and 

 shoots are large enough to be rubbed out 

 without damaging the center bud, they 

 should be removed. 



We are taking buds this week of some 

 varieties, the plants being from early 

 propagated stock, and in most cases the 

 buds now in process of formation are 

 second crowns. Care must be taken to 

 see that the buds are perfect in form; if 

 the center bud is not perfect it should be 

 removed and one of the side shoots 

 retained to furnish another. 



The variety Midge is the first one to 

 form the bud with us and we find this 

 early bud the best one to take, the next 

 not making nearly so fine a flower. We 

 have no trouble with weak necks in this 

 variety, the bloom hardly getting above 

 the foliage. Geo. S. Kalb is also setting 

 the best bud to take, but care must be 

 used with this one as we find it has a 

 tendency to come blind. Yellow Queen 

 from early stock is also showing the bud, 

 but with June struck stock it is best not 

 to take the bud until about the 1st to 

 loth of September. We also take the buds 

 of Mrs. Jerome Jones as they come along 

 now, the early buds making the largest 

 and fullest flower and come pure white, 

 while the later ones come mostly pink. 

 Like Midge, this variety gives no trouble 

 witli the neck. 



We also notice buds forming on May- 

 flower, Modesto, Mrs. Caton, Henry 

 Hurrell and Ivory. The following are 

 best from the terminal buds: Maud 

 Dean, Viviand-Morel, Mrs. Martin A. 

 Ryerson, Mrs. J. J. Glessner and Defender. 



At present writing we are having a 

 spell of hot weather with very heavy 

 dews at night, which, with the full venti- 

 lation given, cause a damp atmosphere 

 inside. We therefore discontinue syring- 

 ing late in the day so as to have the 

 foliage dry at nightfall. 



Specimen plants need to be staked out 

 now and they should have plenty of 

 water with an occasional dose of liquid 

 manure. If the roots show at all on the 

 surface of the soil, they need a mulch of 

 well rotted manure. Single-stemmed 

 plants should be in their flowering pots 

 by this time; and staked up as soon as 

 large enough; they need a light place near 

 the glass and when pot-bound a little 

 liquid manure may be applied. 



C. W. Johnson. 



Just at this time all of the old and a few 

 new ideas in staking are brought out for 

 the guidance of young florists and the 

 assistance of some of the olderhandswho 

 ma} - be ambitious to improve on their 

 former methods. I have tried for several 

 seasons a simple idea which I find works 

 nicely. I 'se a cane stake about half to 

 five-eighths of an inch thick and have it 

 at least as high above the pot as your 

 plant may grow. Paint a dark green 

 color and stick firmly as near the center 

 of the pot as possible without injury to 



the roots of the plant. Use no string of 

 any kind for tying except, perhaps, a piece 

 of raffia near the pot to make the main 

 stem firm. Have a lot of straight pieces 

 of galvanized wire about the size of a 

 knitting needle and a sharp brad-awl the 

 same size as the branches of the plant; 

 pierce the cane horizontally, being care- 

 ful not to split it, and insert a wire reach- 

 ing to the extreme diameter of the bush. 

 With a pair of wire nippers cut the wire 

 about an inch from where you wish vour 

 flower stem placed and bend a loop in the 

 end of it a little larger than the stem. 

 Spring this open and around the stem. 

 Choose a shoot on the opposite side of 

 the plant and hold that in position with 

 the other end of your wire. Any number 

 of wires can be passed through your 

 stake. You will find the friction of the 

 wire in passing through the cane will be 

 sufficient to prevent its moving laterally, 

 and the slightest bend of a wire, even 

 after the plant is in bloom, will hold a 

 flower just where it is wanted. In aplant 

 of good foliage the wires will be invisible, 

 and the stake can be cut off just below 

 the foliage, when the plant has attained 

 its growth. F. P. Davis. 



SELECT PERNS. 



One of the most distinct and beautiful 

 of the large fronded maidenhairs is Adi- 

 antum Perarianum, which requires stove 

 treatment. Raised from spores and potted 

 in a compost of loam, peat, and leaf- 

 mold, with plenty of sand added, it grows 

 freely. The matured fronds are of a deep 

 green, which makes a good contrast with 

 the young ones, these having a soft bronzy 

 tint. Though not yet grown for market 

 purposes I believe if well done many of 

 our florists would use it for specially 

 I choice work, as next to A. Farleyense it 

 ? is the most effective of the adiantums. 



Acrostichum drynarioides is one of the 

 most distinct ferns we have. I believe I 

 have previously alluded to this as one 

 which may be raised from spores. It 

 takes a considerable time to establish 

 plants large enough to bear the fertile 

 fronds, which add much to its beauty. It 

 is a native of the Solomon Islands and 

 Penang, and succeeds best in a stove tem- 

 perature, with plenty of pot room and a 

 rough, porous compost. Grown in a sus- 

 pended basket it makes a fine specimen. 



Davallia Assamieu is a very distinct 

 species with fronds from six to eight 

 inches long and two to three inches 

 wide and of a dark bronzy green color. 

 The rhizomes, spread freely and are cov- 

 ered with silvery grey scales, changing to 

 a darker color with age. It makes a fine 



t basket fern and may be readily increased 

 by division, but I have not yet seen a batch 

 of seedlings. The plant was accidentally 

 introduced among an importation of 

 orchids a few years ago, at which time I 

 believe there were no other living speci- 

 mens in cultivation. 



Platy cerium alcicorne majus differs from 

 the type in having broader fronds. The 

 basal or shell-like fronds are also much 

 larger. Grown on cork it makes a fine 

 ornament for the wall. I think the platy - 

 ceriums ought to come into more general 

 use for decorations. They may be hung 

 on pedestals or against a wall and are 

 most attractive. When exhibiting ferns 

 I find these always attract much atten- 

 tion, and as they last so well in a dry 

 atmosphere they may be strongly recom- 

 mended. A. Hkmsley. 



Perknnials and annuals will keep on 

 blooming much longer if all faded flowers 

 are removed. 



