ICS HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



Growing Chrysanthemums for a Retail Trade. 



Bv Francis Canning. 



The work in the college greenhouses has to a certain ex- 

 tent been carried along on the lines and in many respects 

 similar to that of a country florist's establishment, having a 

 local trade. The many problems which present themselves 

 under such conditions have been the subject of considerable 

 experiment. 



A florist's establishment in a country town is managed on 

 a very difierent basis from that which ol)tains in growing 

 cut flowers for the wholesale market, where two or three 

 varieties of flowers are grown in quantity. 



To meet the demands of a local trade requires the handling 

 of a large variety of cut flowers and plants, not necessarily 

 large in quantity, yet sufficient to meet the demand when 

 any particular variety is in season. 



One of the principal crops a florist grows under such con- 

 ditions is the chrysanthemum, and it necessarily follows that 

 he must be familiar with the earliest and latest flowering 

 varieties, so as to prolong the season as far as possible. He 

 must also ascertain which varieties are the best adapted for 

 pot plants, also the colors which suit his trade. 



The chrysanthemum having a short season, it follows that 

 considerable forethought is necessary in the arrangement of 

 space devoted to it ; it frecjuently means the crowding of 

 some other crops until that occupied by the chrysanthemum 

 becomes available. To the uninitiated the transformation at 

 the close of the chrysanthemum season, from beds filled with 

 blooming plants to those occupied with other material, seems 

 remarkable ; yet the florist has long prearranged this matter 

 in liis mind. At this stage the saving of the necessary stock 

 plants is done. In this connection a weeding out of unde- 

 sirable varieties, or varieties that do not reach the standard 

 in the grower's judgment, is accomplished. Various methods 

 of saving the stock plants are practised ; but we have found 

 the use of boxes five or six inches in depth, with provision 

 for drainage, to be a good method. It is better, however, 

 not to mix several varieties in one box, for even though 



