JOXJBNAL OF HORTICTJLTTJBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ AprU 18, 1867. 



siBting of rich tmfy loam and leaf monld in equal parts, with 

 a liberal aJmixture of sharp sand, carefully attaching the name 

 to each variety. The pots are then placed in the propagating- 

 house, plunged to the rim in cocoa-nut fibre ; and as the house 

 is glazed with rough plate glass, but little shading is required. 

 The cuttings receive a gentle watering from a fine-rosed water- 

 ing-pot, so as to check too rapid evaporation when they are 

 deprived of the support of the parent roots, as well as to settle 

 the soil about them. The atmosphere is kept moist, and they 

 receive a gentle bedewing from the syringe on most days. 

 They will strike readily in a Cucumber-frame or in a vinery at 

 work, or, where no better accommodation can be afforded, the 

 cutting-pots may be plunged under hand-lights in the open air. 

 I find that in about a month or five weeks the cuttings begin 

 to grow and the pots to fill with roots. 



The plants, for such we must now call them, being rooted, 

 are removed to a situation where they will receive more sun 

 and air ; the point of each shoot is nipped out, and they are 

 shifted into six-inch pots. It is important to shift immediately 

 the roots reach the sides of the pots, for if they become cramped 

 in the small pots the well-doing of the plants will be consider- 

 ably affected. The soil used for this potting is somewhat 

 stronger than that employed for the cuttings. The Chrysan- 

 themum is a luxuriant grower, and delights in a rich compost ; 

 with liberal treatment it will reward the cultivator with glossy 

 green foliage, and a profusion of beautiful flowers. I now use 

 a strong turfy loam, with about one-fourth of decomposed 

 vegetable mould, a Uttle charcoal, and a good quantity of de- 

 cayed cow and sheep dung, the latter put on a hot iron or in 

 r.n old tin vessel, and placed over a fire for some time to destroy 

 insect life. In this compost the plants will grow freely, and 

 in due time produce a fine display ef bloom. They must gra- 

 dually be hardened off, and, when there is no danger appre- 

 hended from frosty nights, should be plunged in a bed of coal 

 ashes out of doors. When handsome specimens are desired, 

 with luxuriant green foliage to the rims of the pots, the plants 

 should be placed at a sufficient distance apart not to interfere 

 with each other, for if the leaves are allowed to intermingle 

 too freely the lower ones turn yellow and become unsightly. 

 Instead of a position facing due south, one with either a south- 

 east or south-west aspect suits them better. When the roots 

 have again reached the sides of the pots I give another shift, 

 at the same time stopping all the shoots to keep them dwarf 

 and compact. About the end of July I give their final shift, 

 using on this occasion 10 or 12-inch pots, according to the size 

 of the plant and the variety about to be potted. At this potting 

 they should be finally stopped, and all the shoots carefully 

 tied out to neat stakes. 



During the growing season the plants require copious sup- 

 plies of water, and they should never bo allowed to flag from 

 the time they are removed from the cutting-pots until after 

 blooming. In dry weather they will be greatly refreshed and 

 benefited by a watering overhead once or twice a-day. If it is 

 desired to secure fine heads of bloom and very large flowers, 

 the plants should be supplied with manure water at least twice 

 a-week. 



About the beginning of October the plants should be removed 

 into a cool house, where they will be protected from dashing 

 rains and severe frost. The front of a Peach-house is well 

 adapted for this purpose. It is not safe to allow them to re- 

 main out of doors late in October, as we are then never secure 

 from frosty nights. Last season many Chrysanthemums were 

 completely destroyed owing to being allowed to remain too long 

 out of doors unprotected. They may be removed into the con- 

 servatory or greenhouse as they come into flower. 



I have sometimes noticed when the plants have been re- 

 moved in-doors, that though well set with buds and promising to 

 go on prosperously, yet soon afterw.irds they have drooped, and 

 many of the buds have died off without coming to perfection. 

 This, I presume, is caused, as a rule, by the roots being al- 

 lowed to run freely through the holes of the pots into the soil ; 

 and from numerous rootlets being broken off on the removal 

 of the pots, the plants are deprived of avast amount of nourish- 

 ment, and consequently sustain a check, discoverable by the 

 leaves flagging and the buds withering. This evil may be 

 avoided by moving the pots before the roots run into the soil, 

 and repotting the plants when the pots are filled with roots. 



When the blooming season is over the flower-stems may be 

 cut down, and the plants plunged in coal ashes in a cold frame, 

 or in turf pits covered with spare sashes, whore they will 

 have slight protection from frost. As Chrysanthemums are 

 nearly hardy but little oare in winter is requisite, except occa- 



sionally to supply a little water. The old plants may be 

 planted out in the mixed borders, in open places in the shrub- 

 beries, or at the foot of walls bounding the flower garden. In 

 the southern counties in favourable seasons I have frequently 

 seen them produce a gorgeous display of bloom. 



It is unnecessary for mo to advert to the many varieties in 

 cultivation. I would refer all intending purchasers, as well as 

 all interested in the cultivation of this useful flower, to the 

 valuable article by " D.," of Deal, on " Chrysanthemums New 

 and Old," at page 100 of the present volume.— Quintin Eead. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN CiRDEN. 



Stir the soil frequently among young crops, and destroy 

 weeds as they appear. Axparnpus, as soon as the young shoots 

 are from 3 to G inches high, let the plantations be made. 

 Broccoli, let a sowing of all winter and spring sorts be made 

 forthwith. Cape Broccoli and Cauliflower for Michaelmas may, 

 however, be sown a week or two later. Carrots, continue to 

 sow successions of the Horn — indeed, sow a bed every month, 

 from January to September. This is the best way to be inde- 

 pendent of the grub. Cucumhcrs, the sort for ridges should be 

 forwarded immediately, also Tomatoes and Vegetahla Marrows. 

 Potatoes, this is an excellent time to plant a full crop ; Kidneys 

 with well-protruded sprouts, or other early kinds, planted now 

 will be a little later than those planted in February. Planting 

 them, however, involves a little care ; the sets should be placed 

 in baskets, a single layer thick, on damp litter, and handled as 

 carefully as eggs ; they should by no means be planted during 

 either sunshine or wind. See that plenty of Kah\ Savoys, 

 B)iLisck Sjirouts, Leeks, Scorzonera, Salsafy, Beet, &c., is put 

 in without delay. 



FKUIT GARDEN. 



Recently-planted fruit trees should be inspected in case they 

 have been loosened by the winds ; for although deep planting 

 is not supposed to have been practised, yet the soil shouu i e 

 kept in close contact with the stem, quite as high as the sur- 

 face level. It is necessary that all fruit-tree borders should be 

 well drained, to prevent the stagnation of water at all times, 

 but with this provision there will be no danger from all the 

 rain entering the borders which falls upon them between this 

 and August, even if it should be abundant. The climate in 

 front of a south wall is an artificial one, chiefly as regards an 

 increased temperature, and with this there is afforded no cor- 

 responding increase of moisture. The latter must be suppUed 

 by watering, but the less this becomes necessary the better. 

 If the border is smooth, firm, and sloping, heavy rains are 

 carried off by the siuface, and lost as regards the roots of the 

 trees : therefore from this time until August, or the period of 

 ripening, keep the surface loose so that rain may enter freely. 

 Weed Strawberry plantations. 



TLOWER GARPEN. 



Potting and sweeping lawns should now be regularly attended 

 to in suitable weather. Finish off new work, if not already 

 done, without delay. Eoll walks to make them firm before dry 

 weather sets in ; edge and sweep them after rolling to give them 

 a neat appearance. Any tender hoses that have suffered from 

 the late severe winter, and which are now breaking, should be 

 pruned, but leave such as have not begun to grow until the 

 season has advanced a little. Shrubs should also be looked 

 over in the same manner. Continue sowing annuals wherever 

 required. A thorough re-arrangement of all the herbaceous 

 tribes should take place every spring ; if this has not been 

 attended to no time should be lost in carrying it out. Some 

 of the grosser kinds form too large masses in time, and thereby 

 destroy all proportion in the borders and beds. 



GREENHOUSE AKD CONSERVATORY. 



With the advancing season plants of vigorous growth will 

 now be making rapid progress ; grent attention must therefore 

 be paid to regulating and training the branches. Climbers, in 

 particular, will require to be kept in almost daily subordination. 

 It is a question whether trellises of various fantastic devices 

 are the most appropriate, either for display or convenience. 

 The most simple forms will be found to answer all practical 

 purposes better, and may be in quite as good taste as many of 

 the grotesque trellises in use. This, like all other matters 

 where correct principles of taste are not often brought to bear, 

 is usually overdone. Variety and intricacy, and what is termed 

 originality, are too frequently mistaken for ornament. Nothing 

 can be ornamental, strictly speaking, unless the principles of 



