Gardening for Amateurs 



169 



Pyrethrum. The beautiful single and 

 double Pyrethrums have been appropriately 

 styled the Spring-flowering Chrysanthemums, 

 for they are closely allied to the border 

 Chrysanthemums ; in fact, some botanists 

 give the name of Chrysanthemum coccineum 

 to the parent kind, though Pyrethrum 

 roseum or coccineum is generally accepted. 

 For our purpose the name matters little, as 

 we are concerned with their value as garden 

 flowers. The long stalks, richly -coloured and 

 elegant flowtrs, particularly of the single 

 sorts, render the Pyrethrums immensely 

 popular for cutting, and the blooms last in 

 water for fully a fortnight. The Pyrethrum 

 is one of the showiest perennials available 

 for the mixed border, for a bed on the lawn, 

 or for planting along the front of the 

 shrubbery border ; it blooms during May 

 and June. If, after the early summer 

 blooms are past, the flower stalks are cut 

 off, and the plants fed liberally with manure 

 water, they will flower again during August 

 and September. 



Pyrethrums are propagated from seeds 

 and division of the crowns or roots. The 

 seeds of the double and single kinds may be 

 obtained in separate packets. Sow in a 

 heated greenhouse during February or March, 

 and in a cold frame during April and May. 

 Prick off the seedlings when large enough 

 into shallow boxes 1 to 1J inches apart, and 

 transfer during the summer to a border out 

 of doors. It is, of course, necessary to pro- 

 pagate the named sorts by division, but a 

 very pleasing selection of colours may be 

 raised from seeds ; the best seedlings may 

 then be chosen, and in future years increased 

 by division. 



The grower has the choice of two or even 

 three seasons at which to lift and divide 

 the plants. Small growers will probably 

 tir nl October the best month, and this is the 

 turn- when a good deal of work is done in 

 connection with rearranging the flower 

 border. Those who care only for the May 

 and June display should lift and divide the 



plants immediately after blooming. As, 

 however, we usually get hot, dry weather 

 at this time, replant the divided pieces on 

 the north side of a wall or hedge. Growers 

 of Pyrethrums often practise spring pro- 

 pagation. This, of course, occasions the 

 loss of flowers the first season, but when a 

 large stock is required early April is un- 

 doubtedly the best time to do the work. 

 The clumps are broken up into single crowns 

 (rooted portions), each one is potted up 

 separately in a small pot, and the young 

 plants are grown in cold frames until well 

 rooted. They may then be plunged in 

 ashes out of doors, or, if a border is vacant, 

 planted out. 



Pyrethrums will grow in most well-tilled 

 garden soils that have been freely manured. 

 Plant in autumn or spring. Slugs and snails 

 are very troublesome to Pyrethrums in some 

 gardens ; to keep them off soot or lime 

 should be dusted round the plants occasion- 

 ally from October to March. In spring 

 mulch with decayed manure. 



The following selection of sorts comprises 

 flowers varying from pure white to deep 

 crimson : 



Double Varieties : Aphrodite, white ; Cap- 

 tain Nares, crimson ; Empress Queen, blush - 

 pink ; J. N. Tweedy, velvety crimson, tipped 

 yellow ; LA Vestale, blush- white ; Lord 

 Rosebery, scarlet ; M. Barral, crimson- 

 rose ; Pericles, yellow and fawn ; Princesse 

 de Metternich, pure white ; Queen Mary, 

 satin - pink ; Solfatara, primrose - yellow ; 

 White Aster, one of the best for cutting. 



Single Varieties: Agnes Mary Kelway. 

 rose-pink ; Albert Victor, crimson ; Hamlet, 

 pink ; James Kelway, scarlet ; Margery 

 Moore, soft pink ; Merry Hampton, crimson ; 

 Mrs. Bateman Brown, glowing crimson ; 

 Mrs. Bruce Findlay, rose-pink ; Mrs. Langtry, 

 flesh ; Princess Marie, pure white ; Tasso, 

 crimson ; Juliette, blush- white. 



Many other useful hardy flowers, though 

 less commonly grown than those already 

 described, will be dealt with on later pages. 



