i8 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



November, 



well as of boards, may be laid over the manure 

 for retaining the warmth from fermentation. 

 One wide board laid over the opening that 

 is formed between the manure lines, in severe 

 weather, will also help matters much. 



Strawberries or Asparagus may be had 

 three or four weeks earlier than is natural, 

 in another way. Set some low hot-bed 

 frames upon the beds, sinking them a trifle, 

 and banking up to their tops on the outside. 

 In December fill in the frame over the plants 

 with straw or other clean litter that has no 

 weed seeds in it. Some boards or shutters 

 may go on top of this to advantage. In 

 March simply remove the covering and put 

 glass sashes upon the frames. 

 Give air freely on sunny and 

 warm days, and keep down 

 the weeds; then you may have 

 Strawberries by the time those 

 of your neighbors are fairly 

 out in bloom. 



Florists will find this latter 

 course an excellent one for ^ 



bringing on Lily of the Valley ; 

 and similar flowers very early 

 in the spring season. 



show in our engraving herewith, as could 

 pos.sibly be imagined. 



What is now known as the Chinese group 

 of Chrysanthemums is quite distinct in ap- 

 pearance from the Japanese and some otlier 

 groups of the present day. The varieties of 

 the former are smootli in outline and of 

 regular shape, being shown by the flowers 

 in the vase and partly back of it in the en- 

 graving. The class is divided into two forms: 

 the Incurved, in which the "petals" are 

 somewhat curved upwards and towards the 

 center, partly showing their backs, as seen 

 by those in the vase, and the Reflexed, in 

 which these lay more flatly and overlap each 



The Queen of Autumn— 

 The Chrysanthemum. 



As if to compensate for the 

 increasing gloom of these 

 going-out months of the year 

 Nature offers in this, her 

 latest flower of the season, a 

 great measure of brightness 

 and of bloom. Whether this 

 fact, or else the readiness of 

 the plant to respond to com- 

 mon culture has the most to 

 do with its popularit3',il would 

 be hard to tell. Certainly no 

 flower leans more lightly on 

 the purse, none demands less 

 skill to produce satisfactory 

 results to the grower than 

 this noble late bloomer. And 

 we may add that no other, as 

 an exhibition flower, is capable 

 of calling forth such a degree 

 of enthusiasm from Ameri- 

 cans as this one invariably 

 does at the flower shows of 

 the present month. 



For this fine flower the 

 world is indebted, as it is for 

 many another, to the rich 

 flora of the East — China and Japan. To 

 the gardeners of Europe and America, also, 

 great credit is due for the improvements they 

 have wrouglit on the original types by selec- 

 tion and crossing.. It is now well Imown 

 tliat notwithstanding the skill of the Japs 

 and the Chinese in the culture of Chrysan- 

 themums, through many centuries, our own 

 gardeners have achieved a much higher 

 standard in its culture than tliey have. 



The Chinese Chrysanthemum was brought 

 to England in 1764, flowering there for the 

 first time in the year following. Its name, 

 meaning Golden Flower, was bestowed by 

 the botanist Liiniitus, for at that time only 

 those possessing yellow flowers were known. 

 They were distinguished as two species, the 

 one having the largest flowers being called 

 0. ninens-iii; the otlier, witli small flowers, 

 O. indie iiiii. Those early Clir3'santheniums 

 were about as far inferior in quality, size and 

 color to the fine representatives of this genus, 

 which we have in this day and which we 



varieties represent much diversity of color. 



Some of the newer classes of Chrys- 

 anthemums are the "single" Anemone- 

 flowered, with a conspicuous cushion-like 

 center of small tubular florets, and other 

 so-called single and semi-double varieties. 

 Among the latter are some of great size and 

 beauty, reaching as much as six or seven 

 inches in diameter. To the .skill and per- 

 severance of Hallock, Son & Thorpe, East 

 Hinsdale, N. Y., is due, in a large measure, 

 the marked improvements now met in this 

 last-named class. These gentlemen by their 

 enterprise have done a large amount of good 

 work in giving to the Chrysanthemum the 

 prominence it now enjoys in 



■SI^^^W all parts of this country. 



GROUPS OF VARIOUS TYPES OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS 



other; this form in the engraving being to 

 the rear of the vase. 



The Japanese group is more variable in its 

 character than is the former. To describe 

 this, beyond saying that the flowers are 

 decidedly irregular in form, some showing 

 " petals" much curled or fringed, others re- 

 flexed, and still others with these arranged in 

 a whorl in the center, would be difficult. 

 In our engraving this group is shown in the 

 flowers on the table to tlie front of the vase. 

 Wliile this group with its fantastic forms 

 may be the most admired in the show room, 

 it is not as popular as are some others, be- 

 cause not so easily grown or so free of bloom. 



The Pompon group (so named by the 

 French from the resemblance of the flowers 

 to the tuft or pompon on a soldier's cap) is 

 a .great favorite, for what they lack in size 

 is made up by quantity. Single plants of 

 this group have been grown to carry over 

 3,000 flowei's to perfection. The flowers are 

 about one inch across, and in the different 



How to Grow the Per- 

 petual Carnation. 



BY JOSEPH TAILBY,\VELLESI,EY,MASS. 



We will begin with the prop- 

 agation ; the best time for this 

 is about the last week in Feb- 

 mary to the middle of March. 

 I use B-inch pans, three and one- 

 half inches deep; but boxes will 

 answer. Place crocks in the 

 bottom, then about one inch of 

 coal ashes and fill up with clean 

 sand made firm. 



Choose short- joi nted tolerably 

 firm cuttings, but not too hard 

 and with one pair of fully 

 developed leaves on each. 



Keep them in water, as they 

 should not be allowed to get 

 dry; then dibble firm in the 

 pans, give a good watering, 

 place in a cool, shady position 

 and sprinkle often; when well 

 caUoused give a little air. As 

 soon as they are rooted shift to 

 a more exposed position, so as 

 to harden them off. 



I plant these in boxes three 

 inches deep, at about one and 

 one-half inches apart. For 

 compost take two parts 

 of loam to one of well- 

 rotted manure ; if the loam is 

 stiff add a little sand. After 

 this give more air and not too 

 much bright sun. If they are 

 allowed to become ch-y or get 

 scorched the rust or canker is 

 sure to attack them. Keep from 

 green fly and red spider. When 

 established give all the air 

 possible, but do not at any time 

 let them freeze. 

 As soon as the weather and soil are fit plant 

 out in rows 1.5 inches apart and 10 inches in 

 the rows. The best soil is good yellow loam, 

 rather light ; they will make more fibrous roots, 

 but not so much growth as in heavy soil. It is 

 not robust growth we want but good, firm 

 wood. For manure I find horse manure the 

 best. If the soil is old give a good dressing of 

 lime; too much manure and a deficiency of 

 lime will produce an abundance of coarse 

 gi'owth and disease. New land is the best. 

 The plants must be stopped during the season, 

 so as to make them stocky. 



Get the plants inside before the cold weather 

 sets in, so as to have them well started before 

 using fii'e heat. For compost use three or 

 four parts of good maiden loam to one of rotten 

 manure; plant about ten mches apart and give 

 a good watering. Sprinkle two or three times 

 a day until they begin to make new roots; 

 check the green fly as soon as it appears. Keep 

 the house not lower than 4.5° at night and 

 from 55° to 65° by day. Give plenty of air, 

 even at the expense of a bit of coal. Do not 

 give too much water. Unless airing and 



