i88s. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



31 



well as growers of new sorts, meet with results 

 (juite niiirvclous. for tlie outlay they make. 



The form, brilliiuiey and profuseness of the 

 bloom are \uiequalleil among flowering plants 

 for effeetiveness. The vigor of the plant, its 

 ease of jiropagation, its liardiness, and its 

 freedom from disease and insects, together 

 afford a list of qualities quite unsurpassed. 



Neither is t he Chrysanthemum a mere flow- 

 er of fashion. Its merits are of a kind, that 

 have for ages found appreciation in other 

 lands; it is destined to fare as well here. 



Has this flower no undesirable qualities? 

 These are few indeed, and whether such as 

 we shall attempt to name, would be gener- 

 ally considered objectionalile, is a question. 

 For one thing, the season of bloom is limited 

 to a few weeks; this does not suit those peo- 

 ple who are alwaj's after continuous bloom- 

 ers. But if the flowering season is somewhat 



In plants exhibited, there were upwards of i 

 400 specimens, most of them marvels in the j 

 way of size and beauty. Many of these | 

 were fully three feet and a half in diameter. 

 Tho.se shown in the amateur's class, were quite 

 as striking as any shown by the florists. ] 



An attractive group consisted of grafted 

 Japanese standards embracing 25 varieties. 

 Some of these were eight feet tall, with hun- 

 dreds of open flowers. One .specimen wliicli 

 attracted nnu'h attention was seven feet high 

 and had six different colors grafted into it. 



The finest specimens among the bush or 

 low Chrysanthemums were the President 

 Cleveland, three feet in diameter, loaded 

 with hundreds of pure white 1)lossoms, and 

 the Jlrs. R, Brett, a new American seedling, 

 with plume-like flowers of a golden shade. 



In the department of cut Chrysanthemums 

 the display wa-s grand, there having been over 



earned. Indeed competent judges who were 

 present, and who had visited the .shows of 

 the larger cities, were free to state that in 

 general, this one was not excelled by any 

 other. Both amateur and professional grow- 

 ers were among the exhibitors, and some 

 hundreds of fine specimen plants, attested to 

 the skill of the growers in managing this 

 Queen of AtUiunn flowers. 



The Window Box in Winter. 



Oureorresjjondent, Jlrs. M. I). Wellcome, 

 of Yarmouth, Maine, is so much plea.sed 

 with an inside window box she has now had 

 in use for five winters, that she has kindly 

 described it for the readers of Popular 

 Gardeninc;. 



" It is made of zinc, size 3 feet by 14 inches, 

 and 7 inches deep. Were I to have another 



JAPANESE CHRYSANTHEMUM, MRS. N. HALLOCK 



short, it comes fittingly when few plants are 

 in bloom. It fills up the " November gap" 

 in flowers most completelj'. 



Then the plants are somewhat large for 

 the window, when grown to full size. But 

 this point can be overcome, by raising plants 

 of smaller size for hei'c. Such would stand 

 no chance at the Shows for prizes perhaps, 

 Init they would .satisfy in their place. Im- 

 Ijrovements are also being made, in raising 

 new sorts small in stature for window culture. 



A GOOD CHRYSANTHEMUM FLOWER- 



8000 in competition, including 600 varieties. I would add twoorthree inchesto the width. 

 Among the Japanese varieties were many j To give it strength, it is framed in a box of 

 flowers each over six inches in diameter, wood. Such a box can be painted any color 

 The incurved Chinese sorts, forming almost one fancies, or the wood may be walnut or 

 perfect globes of bloom four inches and a ^ some other kind of natural color, 

 half high, were much noticed. Of single , "In this box I find room for about forty 

 flowering varieties, with conspicious centers, plants; none of them large; the highest aver 



there was a good exhibit, in which the colors 

 were remarkably striking. 



Without any doubt the most marvelous 

 specimen of the raisers' skill in the cut flow- 



As house plants, the Chrysanthemums, if er exhibit was the new seedling Porcupine, 



somewhat bulky, are on the other hand most 

 accommodating. They can be grown out- 

 side until within a few weeks of blooming. 

 Then, given a place within while the flower- 

 ing is going on, they may at once after bloom 

 be moved to the cellar or store-room for the 

 winter, to give no more trouble. 



Recent Chrysanthemum Shows. 



Of the New York show held during the 

 first week of November, our representative, 

 Mr. John Thorpe, Jr., reports as follows: 



grown Ijy Mr. J. Thorpe, of East Hinsdale, 

 New York. This flower was of terra-cotta 

 shade, with entirely tulmlar petals, and is 

 the first of its kind ever produced. 



In the second week of N(jvember. Chrys- 

 anthemum Shows were held in Pliiladelphia 

 and Buffalo respectively. Of the former no 

 report has reached us beyond a few words by 

 postal card from one who attended, and 

 which .states that it was " perfectly grand." 

 The Buffalo .show, the first of its kind ever 

 held here, was a great success as far as the 

 extent and variety of the display was con- 



age ten or twelve inches, and this size make 

 up about one-half the number. The small 

 ones I set mostly on the outside. 



" As to kinds, I use liberally of such as 

 have ornamental foliage in Abutilons, 

 Palms. Marantas, Begonias and the Tri-col- 

 ored Geraniums. To these I add Fuchsias 

 and other green-leaved plants. 



"This liox fairly under way, is a veritable 

 garden and of bvit little trouble. A gen- 

 erous shower bath from the sprinkler once a 

 week is sutticient in the way of water. This 

 method keeps the foliage clean, and there is 

 no overflow nor dirt as from pots. 



"In filling the box I first put in a layer 

 of coarse stuff for drainage, gravel and bits 

 of coal from the siftings. Then I fill with 

 good earth, such as I use for plants." 



