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The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



November 18, 1909. 



MUMS FOR EXHIBITION. 



[A paper by Thomas Proctor, superintendent 

 of Blantyre Gardens, Lenox, Mass., presented to 

 the Chrysanthemum Society of America at New 

 Xwk, November 10.] 



The cultivation of the chrysanthemum 

 for the production of exhibition blooms 

 is accomplished by several different 

 methods. For years some of our most 

 prominent growers have demonstrated 

 that good eSiibition blooms can be pro- 

 duced by what we term the bench sys- 

 tem of culture, and others have equally 

 good results growing their plants in 

 boxes. I venture to say, however, that 

 the cultivator who has the time at his 

 disposal to give his plants the necessary 

 care and attention will produce a larger 

 percentage of exhibition blooms by grow- 

 ing his plants in pots against an equal 

 number in either bench or boxes. 



As far as my own experience goes, 

 relative to the above three systems, I 

 have giT*en each what I consider a fair 

 trial by devoting an equal space in the 

 chrysanthemum house to each system, and 

 with the exception of two varieties I 

 have invariably found that the plants 

 grown in pots produced by far the bet- 

 ter blooms. The reason is obvious; the 

 plants are under control. The exceptions 

 referred to above are Beatrice May and 

 Merza, which with me do better in boxes. 



And, as each cultivator has his own 

 particular way in growing his plants, I 

 will endeavor to state briefly our method 

 of culture in pots for the production of 

 exhibition blooms, and will commence 

 with the treatment of plants after flower- 

 ing. 



As soon as the plants have finished 

 flowering, the stems are cut back to 

 within a few inches of the top of the 

 pots. Selecting the required number of 

 the different varieties for the future pro- 

 duction of cuttings, we prepare one of 

 the side benches in the chrysanthemum 

 house by filling in to the depth of about 

 five inches with a mixture of the follow- 

 ing: Two parts loam, one part each 

 leaf -mold and sand, and a sprinkling of 

 soil is shaken from the roots and they 

 are planted firmly in this, and afterwards 

 given a good watering to settle the com- 

 post. The plants respond well to this 

 treatment by giving us a plentiful supply 

 of cuttings. 



Treatment of the Cuttinet. 



Most of the cuttings vnll be in the sand 

 by the middle of January. They are 

 rooted, without the aid of bottom heat, 

 in a night temperature of about 45 de- 

 grees, when in from three to four weeks 

 a majority of the varieties will be rooted 

 and ready for a shift into 2 1^ -inch pots, 

 the compost consisting of leaf-mold and 

 sand with a little fine loam added. They 

 are still retained in the above tempera- 

 ture until they have filled their pots with 

 roots, when they are shifted into 4-inch 

 pots. . 



The compost for this is two parts 

 loam, half a part each old mushroom bed 

 manure and leaf -mold and a sprinkling 

 of Clay's fertilizer and hard wood ashes, 

 all passed through a %-inch screen. 

 When potted they are transferred to one 



of the side benches in the chrysanthemiun 

 house, where they receive plenty of light 

 and air with a night temperature of 

 about 40 degrees. After again filling 

 their pots with roots they are shifted into 

 6-inch pots. 



The compost for this is three parts 

 good fibrous loam, half a part each old 

 mushroom bed manure, lime rubble and 

 half-decayed leaves, with a handful of 

 Clay's fertilizer and soot added, passed 

 through a 1-inch screen. "Along about 

 the first or second week in May the plants 

 will be ready for their final shift into 

 8-inch pots. 



The Final Shift. 



The compost for this is four parts 

 good, rough, fibrous loam, one part each 

 of charcoal, lime rubble and half-decayed 

 leaves, half a part of crushed bone with a 

 few handfuls of Ichthemic guano and 

 soot added. When thoroughly mixed the 

 plants are firmly potted in this, leaving 

 about two inches for top-dressing. 



Sometime in June the plants will 

 make their first break. The bud is 

 rubbed off and one of the best shoots 

 selected to continue the growth. Most 

 of the plants will again break in July, 

 when the bud is rubbed off and the best 

 shoot selected, as before, to continue. 

 The first bud that appears in August is 

 secured. Buds taken from August 5 to 

 15 give us the best results. 



fading commences as soon as the pots 



[Continued on pasre 44.] 



TVO OF THE NEW MUMS. 



Wells' Late Pink is a large, handsome 

 flower, with fine foliage. Lady Hopetoun 

 shade, but the stem is easily able to 

 carry the flower erect. It is too late for 

 the early shows, but fine for later ones, 

 or for the commercial grower. 



W. Mease is a rosy pink flower, large 

 and spreading. This is a splendid addi- 

 tion to the section to grow for exhibi- 

 tion in the collections of twenty-four or 

 more varieties; a dwarf grower with 

 fine foliage. This will be a popular 

 variety. C. H. Totty. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY. 



Work of Committees. 



At Philadelphia, October 30, Elmer D. 

 Smith & Co., Adrian, Mich., exhibited No. 

 227-1, deep golden yellow, shaded bronze, 

 Japanese reflexed. It scored as follows: 

 On the commercial scale — Color, 18; 

 form, 13; fullness, 9; stem, 12; foliage, 

 13; substance, 13; size, 9; total, 87. On 

 the exhibition scale — Color, 9; stem, 3; 

 foliage, 4; fullness, 14; form, 13; depth, 

 12; size, 30; total, 85. 



At Cincinnati, November 6, Elmer D. 

 Smith & Co., Adrian, Mich., exhibited the 

 following chrysanthemums : Clorinda, 

 bronze pompon, scored 89 points; Bed 

 Light, single, scarlet maroon, scored 77 

 points; Arlee, single, three to four inches, 

 terra cotta, scored 87 points. 



At New York, November 6, Heck Bros., 

 Wyomissing, Pa., exhibited Hawthorne, 

 light pink, Japanese incurved. On the 

 commercial scale it scored as follows: 

 Color, 17; form, 13; fullness, 7; stem, 

 14; foliage, 14; substance, 13; size, 7; 

 total, 85. 



At Philadelphia, November 6, Heck 

 Bros., Wyomissing, Pa., exhibited Haw- 

 thorne, light pink, Japanese incurved. It 

 scored as follows: On the commercial 



Quysanthemttm W, Mease. 



