j6 Encyclopaedia of Gardening 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS continued. 



glass by the end of September, give plenty of air, and use the 

 syringe. If there is any trace of mildew, dissolve an ounce of fresh 

 liver of sulphur in 3 gallons of water and syringe the plants with it. 

 This may be done even when they are in bloom. The same remedy 

 may be used for rust. 



Growing for bushes. Much less trouble is involved when it is only 

 a case of growing plants as bushes to yield a larger number of 

 smaller flowers. To begin with, a later start may be made, as it is 

 not necessary to strike the cuttings till spring. The tortuous ques- 

 tion of bud selection may be dropped entirely. It is true that 

 stopping may be advisable, but it is merely to get a shapely plant. 

 Thus if the tips are pinched off when the young plants are about 

 6 ins. high.it will encourage them to throw out side shoots. Any 

 plants which tend to straggle may be stopped again. Flower buds 

 will appear in clusters late in summer, and may be thinned or not 

 at discretion. If thinning is done the buds left form larger flowers 

 than without thinning, but of course there are fewer of them. 



Culture in the garden. The Chrysanthemum is a very beautiful 

 autumn flower for the garden, and every garden lover will take 

 care to have a collection of plants, some for lifting when they come 

 into bud and replanting to fill bare places, some for groups in beds 

 or borders, some, perhaps, in a reserve bed merely to yield flowers 

 for cutting. If plants are shifted from one place to another in late 

 summer, the precaution should be taken of giving the soil round 

 them a good soaking just before, and they should also be watered 

 in. But perhaps a spell of showery weather will come at a suitable 

 time to favour the operation. Plants set 3 ft. apart in clumps of 

 3 or more make beautiful colour groups. The way to make a start 

 is to buy young plants freshly rooted from cuttings in spring. 

 Plant them in deep, manured soil, and give an occasional soaking 

 of water and liquid manure in dry weather. Give each plant a 

 strong stake when necessary, and tie securely, as the growths are 

 rather brittle and liable to be broken in windy weather. No 

 stopping is required. When the plants go out of bloom lift them, 

 cut them back to stumps, pack them with their labels in boxes with 

 moist soil round them, and put them in a sheltered place where some 

 litter can be thrown over them in hard weather, or in a frame. 

 When shoots push up from the roots 3 or 4 ins. long take them off, 

 strike them, and so get a fresh stock of good plants for the coming 

 year. In sandy, friable, well-drained soils the roots may be left in 

 the ground all the winter, and they will throw up fresh shoots in 

 spring like an herbaceous plant. 



Varieties. It is somewhat dangerous to recommend varieties of 

 a plant which, like the Ghrysanthemum, is still being developed 

 actively by the florists, as the sorts are quickly out of date. Cer- 

 tainly those who want to specialise the flower for exhibition or other 

 purposes should keep themselves in touch with the principal societies 

 and raisers. But there are certain varieties of established merit 

 which are not likely to be superseded quickly. The Japanese and 

 Incurved varieties named in the foregoing table are reliable. The 

 following are good in the other classes: 



