l)Ef'EMBEB 8, 1888;] 



TffE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



673 



A few years ago we had in the garden a cesspool, the 

 contents of which, liberally diluted with water, I 

 found an invaluable food for the Chrysanthemum. 

 To those who have not used it my advice is give it a 

 trial. At one time we had practically only natural 

 liquids, but nowadays we can make liquid from such 

 a variety of special maures, or dust them on the sur- 

 face of the soil, and most if not all of them are 

 useful for a change. 



Taking the Bud. 

 I have said I am a little later than most growers 

 in securing buds. For the incurved 1 do not care to 

 take them before the last week in August, or the 

 first three weeks in September, though some of the 

 Japanese might be takeu earlier. The aim of the 

 cultivator should be to secure them during the latter 



vator has a slightly different method, and all plans 

 answer the purpose, as long as the plants are not 

 broken, and each shoot is secured separately, so that 

 light and air can reach them on all sides. One other 

 matter of importance is, that we allow all the shoots 

 of our plants to sway loose 18 inches above the 

 tie, which saves many points from breaking. Some 

 say birds will break the shoots if they alight upon 

 them, but in over twenty years I have observed a 

 solitary robin on these plants, and the shoot it rested 

 on did not break. Damage is mostly caused by wind 

 and rain, when the plants are tied too near the top. 



Ripening the Wood. 

 I do not attach much importance to this ; all that 

 I have ever found to be necessary is to stand the 

 plants sufficiently far apart so that light'and air can 



the limit of the pot by placing pieces of turf above 

 the rim. The soil when the flowers are expanding 

 should be full of active roots. This keeps the lower 

 foliage in a healthy condition to the last. Here lies 

 the secret of large flowers possessing depth, solidity, 

 and breadth of petal. 



After Housing. 

 Now begins one of the most critical periods in the 

 plant's life, and many plants go wrong from the day 

 they are housed. Many a young grower has had all 

 that could be desired in the way of plants, and evil 

 results have followed a continuation of the treat- 

 ment the plants received outside. The same strong 

 feeding must not be continued for a time. The 

 plants sulk after losing what they delight in — namely, 

 night dews. If bright weather continues, consider- 



FlO. Dti. — PHILLYREA DEC0EA : FLOWERS WHITE, FRUIT REDDISH-PURPLE. (SEE P. 67-.) 



date?. When plants have been pinched in their 

 earlier stages some of the shoots will show before 

 others, although on the same plant. This can be 

 regulated to a very large extent in July ; for in- 

 stance, if they show early in that month allow 

 them to grow on until the middle of that month. 

 They must then be pushed to make the next growth 

 by clearing out lateral growths from the axils of the 

 leaves. At this stage examine the remaining shoots 

 on the plant, and if small growths have commenced 

 showing in the axils of the leaves rest assured that a 

 bud is forming. My plan is to clear out all growths 

 as in the preceding case, take out the point of the 

 plant, and do for it what it would otherwise do for 

 itself. But if left alone it would come in too late 

 to be of service for showing. 



Staking and Tying. 

 This may be passed over, for nearly every culti- 



play all round them. The ripening of the wood 

 depends largely upon the time the bud is taken. 

 Kipening commences rapidly after bud-formation 

 and the leaves below it have fully expanded. If 

 the buds are taken too early in August the wood 

 in some seasons ripens too much, and the result is a 

 flat flower and a multitude of narrow petals. Over- 

 ripened wood is, in my opinion, the cause of smaller 

 flowers in the South, and narrower petals than we 

 are in the habit of producing. 



Top-dressing. 

 I advised room in the pots for 2 inches of soil, and 

 this space is to be filled up with rich material as a 

 top-dressing for the plants. This is an important 

 matter. It keeps the roots in full activity, and they 

 are therefore capable of taking up food much more 

 freely than they could possibly do if the roots became 

 sluggish. We top-dress to the extent of exceeding 



ably more moisture is evaporated from the foliage, 

 and any failure in making up for these deficiencies 

 will prove detrimental to the plants. Syringe them 

 thoroughly two or three times a day, according to the 

 weather. When they are accustomed to their new 

 quarters we feed again on the same principle as be- 

 fore housing, and continue to do so until the flowers 

 are ready for cutting. We fumigate with tobacco- 

 smoke after housing, for neither plants nor flowers 

 will thrive if fly exist upon them. 



I shall pass over the subject of dressing, for 

 enough has been written about it, — in fact, sufficient 

 to frighten a beginner. My advice is, grow the 

 flower fully out, as, however good the dresser may 

 be, he cannot make a good bloom out of a bad one. 



Keeping the Blooms. 



After they are expanded, put them iuto a dark 



outhouse as dry as possible. Once I had occasion 



