230 
a0 
THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, r 
Chrysanthemum—continued. 
early removal of all malformed or useless petals. For 
instance, in an Incurved blossom some of the petals are ill- 
formed or twisted, and if allowed to remain would spoil an 
otherwise good flower ; and the same applies to the Anemone 
section. Ivory tweezers and a fine small brash are employed 
to curl and fix the petals in a correct and symmetrical form. 
With a little practice on spare flowers it will not be found 
difficult to arrange the petals properly and thus improve the 
appearance of the flowers, although perhaps a little reducing 
them in size. 
In arranging the blossoms on the exhibition-boards (Fig. 
244), the finest or largest flowers shonld be at the back, the 
colours so arranged as to give the best effect, and the 
blossoms raised sufficiently to show their depth and trne 
character. Good taste, neatness, and punctuality in staging, 
are quite as requisite to the man who would become a 
successful exhibitor as fine flowers. 
For the supply of cut flowers, or for plants intended only 
for decorative purposes, the details of culture are a little 
different from those which obtain when dealing with plants 
for exhibition. To furnish flowers in November, the cuttings 
should be ‘‘ struck” or rooted as advised in November ; but 
for flowers at Christmas and the New Year, January is soon 
Fic. 244 
enongh to pnt in enttings, growing them on sturdily as 
previously suggested, and also potting them similarly ; but, 
instead of waiting for the plants to branch ont naturally, it 
is advisable to pinch out points of the shoots several times 
to obtain dwarf and bushy specimens. All stopping or 
pinching of the shoots shonld, however, cease by the end of 
July. Proper attention to staking must be paid; and 
when the plants form their flower-bnds in September, it 
is wise to cut away all the buds except three or four on each 
shoot. If all the buds were left, the lower ones on each 
shoot would fail to open except in the case of the Pompones ; 
with these all the buds should be retained. It will be found 
that this early removal of useless buds greatly improves 
the quality of the flowers, making them more valuable for 
home use or for market. 
The remarks already made on feeding, mulching, and 
spraying with a futigicide are applicable to bush-plants ; in 
fact, to grow any Chrysanthemum thoroughly well, freedom 
from insect or fungoid pests and generous treatment are 
absolutely essential. In pinching or taking ont the tops of 
the Japanese varieties in April or May, it is well to cut the 
shoots back 2in. or 3in. These points make splendid 
cuttings, and will root readily if placed in a cool close 
Chrysanthemum—continued, 
frame, in the compost already described. Immediately it is 
observed that the cuttings have rooted, ventilation should 
be given gradually, and the plants kept strong and short- 
jointed, pinching ont all side-shoots as they appear, and 
only permitting one stem to grow. When the cnutting-pot is 
well filled with roots, a shift into a 5in. or 6in. pot should be 
given ; in this the plant should flower. By confining the 
growth to one stem, a short, strong plant, about 1ft. high, 
and with one large, well-coloured flower at the top, will be 
the result. These little plants are very useful for room- 
decoration, as they fit very well into vases, and continue 
fresh for a week or longer. More than one flower-bud will 
form, but all except the largest and best buds should be 
removed. 
By sowing seed there is always a chance of raising new 
varieties equal to, and sometimes distinct from, existing 
varieties. Most of the leading seedsmen now advertise 
seed for sale. The best time to sow is in January or 
February, placing it in gentle heat to germinate, and 
afterwards keeping the seedlings close to the glass. Potting 
should be done as often as necessary, until finally the plants 
are in 7in. or 8in. pots, in which they should flower. It is 
always advisable to pot all the seedlings, however weak and 
EXHIBITION CHRYSANTHEMUM BLOSSOMS ARRANGED ON A BOARD. 
delicate they may appear, as there is often the very best 
amongst the weakest, and to throw such away as worth- 
less might be the means of discarding the only good variety 
in the whole batch. On the other hand, equally as satis- 
factory varieties occasionally originate from strong and 
moderately strong-growing varieties, showing the uncer- 
tainty of pinning faith to either strong or weak ones as 
the most likely to produce anything specially noteworthy. 
As a rule, the blossoms the first year are very disappointing, 
the major portion of the flowers coming single and semi- 
double, and a novice would probably throw them all away ; 
this is a mistake to be avoided, for ont of a large quantity 
raised from seed we have never found a really good 
flower the first year. The better plan is to carefully select 
those combining good colour and width of flower with the 
largest number of petals or florets, and from such take 
cuttings in November, growing them on in the usual manner. 
If any of them are of merit, they will show their true 
character in the second year, and the grower can decide if 
they are worth retaining. 
To the species and varieties described on pp. 318-24, Vol. L., 
the following should be added. Except where otherwise stated, 
the species are hardy perennials. See also Pyrethrum. 
