February 26, 1896.] 



Garden and Forest. 



85 



Seasonable Notes on Chrysanthemums. 



YX 7TTH the distribution of new Chrysanthemums we may 

 * * say the season of these flowers for 1896 has commenced. 

 With the watchful cultivator it has never ended. When the 

 last flowers are cut we gather our stock for the coming season, 

 study notes, and secure what we can of the new varieties 

 which have impressed us favorably when visiting our neigh- 

 bors and at the exhibitions. As often happens, the stock of 

 some varieties, much sought after, is limited, and so we are 

 propagating and growing all winter long. The bulk of our 

 stock plants are yet in cold frames. They have not been 

 frozen during this uncommonly mild winter, so that cuttings 

 have been taken as needed. It is only during recent years that 

 we have come to pay due attention to our stock during what 



the season before for specimen blooms. I have tried this plan, 

 but with indifferent success. Young plants taken as cuttings, 

 when old plants were started, outgrew them in four months, 

 which is only about half a season's growth. I am told that 

 one gardener, following the English practice, grew some plants 

 all last season for the sole purpose of making specimens of 

 them this. It is to be hoped that these plants will be exhibited, 

 so that we can have an opportunity of judging between the 

 English and American methods. 



Experience shows that cuttings root better during the month 

 of March than at any other time. Later, as the sun gains 

 power, the air grows drier and closer attention must be given 

 to the work of propagation. Indeed, I am acquainted with 

 good gardeners who have been unable to understand why 

 they lost a large percentage of cuttings during the late spring 



Viburnum erosum. — See page 84. 



may be termed the resting season. It has been too much the 

 custom to shove the plants under benches and pay little or no 

 attention to them until they were needed. We were certain 

 in this way of some sort of cuttings, but experience has proved 

 that it is advantageous to have our stock hardy, healthy and 

 exposed to air and sunshine on every available opportunity. 

 Some growers now even take the trouble to grow plants in the 

 open garden exclusively for stock. 



As stated in previous" notes, our plants intended for speci- 

 mens were started a month earlier than usual, and we have 

 lately moved them into six-inch pots. Ordinarily we should 

 now have them in four-inch pots. In this stage they would be 

 early enough for all practical purposes and would make quite 

 large specimens. Some English growers start plants in De- 

 cember and grow on old plants which have been cultivated 



months. During the months of May and June a close, well- 

 shaded propagating frame is essential, and complete satura- 

 tion for the first four or five days. It is hard to remedy the 

 results of exposure even for a few hours, except in moist 

 weather, or evening and early morning. The value of new 

 varieties has almost invariably been estimated with a view to 

 specimen blooms, and judges'have never required that exhibi- 

 tors of such varieties should show growing plants. It has, there- 

 fore, been with difficulty that those interested in specimen plants 

 have been able to select such as are useful for their purpose 

 among novelties. But, so strong is the desire to he abreast 

 of the times, that in nine out of ten places one visits he will 

 find growers relying on untested novelties and discarding many 

 available varieties which have been tried and found suitable. 

 I have done this myself. Due credit, however, is always given 



