90 



Tlie Canadian Horticulturist. 



of Perfection, pink, margined with 

 white; (2) Chinese, AuiphiUn, bright 

 crimson ; (3) Japanese, La Cltari- 

 netise, purple, shaded lilac and white ; 

 and (4) Anemone flowered, Tricolor. 



Regarding the Cultivation of the 

 Chrysanthemum, we give the follow- 

 ing valuable extract from a paper by 

 Mr. A. H. Feukes, read before the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 

 at Boston : — 



The cultivation of the Chrysanthe- 

 mum should begin as soon as the 

 plant is through flowering, for it is in 

 a great measure upon the health of 

 the cutting taken from the old plant 

 that future success depends. Many 

 growers, as soon as the plant has 

 flowered, cut it down to the pot ; but 

 this is a very risky thing to do, as 

 many varieties have a weak consti- 

 tution, and will sometimes refuse to 

 start into growth if the old tops are 

 cut off too soon. The best way is to 

 cut the branches back quite severely 

 at first, but not to cut the plant 

 down to the pot until the shoots have 

 begun to start quite freely from the 

 roots. 



The Chrysanthemum is essentially 

 a sun-loving plant, and any encroach- 

 ment on its rights is full}' paid for in 

 sickly plants and flowers devoid of 

 that exquisite coloring that should 

 make them so charming. The plants, 

 as soon as they are through flower- 

 ing, should be put in the sunniest 

 place possible, and have plenty of 

 fresh air, judicious watering, and a 

 temperature of about 50'-' or 55°. 



An April cutting that has never 

 been checked is much better than 

 one started in February or March, 

 and allowed to beconie pot-bound, 

 for one great secret of success in 



Chrysanthemum culture is to be 

 found in keeping the plants in a 

 healthy growing condition from the 

 time the cuttings are made until they 

 come into flower. 



Pinching may begin as soon as the 

 plant is about six inches high. Pinch 

 out the smallest amount possible 

 from the growing end, never cutting 

 back to hard wood except in cases of 

 unshapely growth. Pinching is best 

 done a few days or a week before the 

 plant is shifted to a larger pot, for by 

 this time the new shoots have begun 

 to start, and will be in condition to 

 use the nourishment supplied by the 

 fresh soil. 



For planting out, such a location 

 should be chosen as will, at all times, 

 have a full exposure to the sun and 

 air. It is desirable that it should be 

 so situated as to be protected from 

 strong winds, but this must not inter- 

 fere with the prime necessities of 

 sun and air. The plants can be so 

 staked and tied that they will with- 

 stand all ordinary winds, but nothing 

 will supply the deficiency of direct 

 sunlight and fresh air. 



A light, rich loam is the best soil ; 

 if possible, it should be quite sandy, 

 so as not to adhere to the roots in 

 hard lumps, but to fall away without 

 taking the roots with it. With a 

 proper soil and a high, open expo- 

 sure, there need be little fear of mil- 

 dew, the one nearly unconquerable 

 enemy of the Chrysanthemum grower. 



The plants should be placed in 

 rows, about two-and-a-half or three 

 feet apart each way. For each plant 

 a hole about the size of a potato hill 

 is dug and filled with manure, which 

 is well forked into the soil. The 

 plant is placed in the hole, which is 



