54 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



February, 



depends upon tlie kinds of Chrysantbemums 

 grown, and upon the stjie or shape of plants 

 wanted. When you find by the label on 

 your plant.that it is a fine Incurved or a Late- 

 flowering variety, do not stop the plant at 

 all. So too, wliere the object is the growth 

 of large and handsome flowers for cutting 



Fig, 3. Standard or Tree Chrysanthemum. 



or for exhibition, without special reference 

 to the form of the plant, then the plants 

 need no pinching. 



On the other hand, the Reflexed, Free- 

 Howering and Early-flowering kinds in all 

 classes, may be stopped twice, and all of the 

 Smaller flowered sorts as often as three 

 times. The first pinching back of these 

 should take place as early as April, by tak- 

 ing out the point to cause a break of side 

 liranches. Those to receive only a second 

 pinching back, .should have this done in 

 June, while the kinds suitable for a second 

 and a third pinching, may receive these in 

 the end of May and the end of June, respect- 

 ively. Fig. 2 shows a plant just after being 

 stopped a second time. The pinching back, 

 should, as a rule, be done about one week in 

 advance of a needed shift. 



Forms of Pl.\nts and Staking. No 

 matter what form of plant is grown, stakes are 

 necessary to properly support the heavy 

 growth and crop of bloom. The simplest 

 form of plants, and that requiring the least 

 attention, is the biish form. By this we re- 

 fer to plants grown bj- bedding-out in the 

 latter part of May or in June, stopped all over 

 about the middle of the latter month, and 

 to receive no other attention until the fall 

 lifting, theu an occasional watering if the 

 soil is dry, and a stake to keep the top from 

 being swayed by wind. By the end of Sep- 

 tember these ought to lie compact bushes, 

 budded all over, and which, with going into 

 large-sized pots now, will give a great show 

 (if bloom such as it is, in the window or the 

 (■(inservatory, all for a very little trouble. 



The round-headed form shown by fig. 4 

 is one that calls for greater painstaking than 

 the last, as regards the following points: 

 First it is to be grown in pots throughout 



the season, reaching a seven-inch or eight- 

 inch size by June, and a ten-inch or an eleven- 

 inch size by the end of July, the last shift. 

 Then it is to be kept carefully staked and 

 handled, spreading the branches properly by 

 tying them outward to hidden stakes, that 

 are thrust into the soil near the edge of the 

 pots. At all times the plants must be per- 

 fectly watered, and frequently syringed, 

 with some help occasionally given in liquid 

 manure, after the last shift. Finally, the 

 buds must be thinned out to some such [ 

 an extent as is shown in the engraving, for 

 large flowering sorts, and some less for small 

 bloomers, all about the end of summer. 



The standard or tree form shown in fig. 3, 

 is an attractive one. To raise these, select 

 of the strongest plants in March, and treat 

 specially as follows, giving the general care, 

 prescribed in the foregoing: Shift into five- 

 inch pots in March or April; favor the 

 growth of the plant uprightly all you can, by 

 keeping it tied to a light stake, and by pinch- 

 ing back all side shoots as they appear. But 

 these must not be stopped closely to the 

 main stem; sufficient growth must be allowed 

 to each, for carrying the one or two leaves 

 needed for aiding the growth of the stem 

 itself. When this is high enough, pinch 

 out the tip; then tie the upper side-shoots as 

 they appear, carefully, to tall, light stakes 

 set in the pot. After four or five inches of 

 growth shows on these, pinch to cause 

 branching. This should bring us up to 

 June, after which, pinch once more, and for 

 the last time about July first, save the side 

 spurs along the stem, which should finally 

 all come away just before flowering time. 



Flowering. During the interval between 

 the last shift, or in case of summer bedding, 

 the lifting time, and the time of bloom, 

 the plants must be kept freely watered, 

 or you may whistle foi' fine flowers. An 

 occasional dose of liquid manure, say once 

 a week, is also needed, up to the burst- 



to succeed in raising some fine Chrysanthe- 

 mum plants. Where there are to be autumn 

 shows, efforts should be made by many 

 to raise exhibition plants that will capture 

 prizes. Chiysanthemum growing is an 

 employrhent that, with judicious action and 

 the use of good sorts, alwaj's brings gratify- 

 ing returns to the grower, whether prizes 

 are worked for and secured, or not. 



The Window Box, Now. 



Where space in which to grow plants is 

 limited, a window box comes in play as well 

 al this season indoors, as the same does 

 in the summer on the outside window ledge. 

 The advantage of the window box is, that a 

 number of plants subsists on one and the 

 same mass of earth, instead of each on a sep- 

 erate lot, as in pots. 



Take a dozen plants for example, and they 

 will thrive on less soil, if that soil is in one 

 mass, than if the same be divided into twelve 

 masses, for in the former case the roots of 

 different plants go over the same ground, 

 each absorliing the food best adapted to it- 

 self, without, in any great degree, impover- 

 ishing it for others. This really is the secret 

 why plants seem often to get along so much 

 better in window boxes, than in pots. 



A Fine Orchid for the Greenhouse. 



The recent sale of a large private collec- 

 tion of Orchids at auction, in New York 

 city, amounting to some $23,000 for these 

 plants alone, has attracted wide attention. 

 Some buyers from as far away as Europe 

 came to it. As high as a thousand dollars 

 apiece was realized for some of the plants. 

 Single specimens in other collections have 

 been known to bring as much as $3,300. 



The space at our command at present, 

 does not permit of going deep into a consid- 

 eration of Orchids and their culture now. 

 This must be deferred to some future time. 



FIG. 4. ROUND-HEADE 



ing of the first flowers, only. The plants 

 must, besides, be uncrowded, and receive 

 both plenty of aid and light, but not much 

 direct sunshine, right up to flowering. The 

 thinning out of the buds as alluded to, is 

 also a very important operation as effecting 

 fine results. 

 Now, we think any of our readers ought 



D CHRYSANTHEMUM. 



But we are strong believers in the principle, 

 that the way to begin any branch of garden- 

 ing is to begin, and with none more so than 

 that of Orchid culture. The kind of begin- 

 ning, however, which we advise, is one on 

 a very moderate scale. The acquaintance 

 with one subject, or a few subjects taken in 

 hand, the wants of such and how to meet 



