THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. 43 



0\ 



(^consequent injury to the young roots. They may be watered withpU 



much advantage at this stas-e of their growth with weak manure wa- 



I ter. It is very essential that the water be well aired for a day or two \ 

 before using it, as thousands of plants in pots are yearly destroyed by j 

 employing water at a low temperature from wells, tanks, and ponds, 

 from which the sun's rays are excluded. Their rapid growth and vi- 

 gorous health will amply repay the little attention they require; and 

 although Epacris impressa and its varieties may not be elevated into 

 distinction by their display at our great exhibitions, yet they will be 

 not the less appreciated by all admirers of pretty flowers. Tassel." 



THE CHRYSANTHEMUM : 



ITS HABITS AND CULTIVATION. 



BY F. NORTON, NEW YORK. 



The Chrysanthemum forms the principal attraction of the conser- 

 vatory in the Fall, w T hen the prolusion of flowers produced throughout 

 the Spring and Summer seem exhausted, and the walks are strewed 

 with the dead and dying. Then the Chrysanthemum comes to cheer 

 us on, and gives hope of the early Spring flowers closely following in 

 the wake of Winter. November and December then have their Chrys- 

 anthemum or Golden flower, white, yellow, lilac, marone, crimson, 

 laced pink, dusky purple, and dingy brown. Their Tom Thumbs, or 

 Pompons and Minervas or Giants, the old sinensis and its crowd of 

 varieties. The Daisy Chrysanthemum, what is it 1 A Chrysanthe- 

 mum like a daisy in form and size, in color and form almost as various 

 as the Dahlia itself. Having had last winter about forty varieties in 

 flower, I felt proud in the centre of this great city to have to exhibit 

 to the visitors a profusion of bloom — and their admiration of them was 

 boundless. I wish now to tell your readers that there is no difficulty 

 in cultivating the Chrysanthemum; most of them about Philadelphia 

 know this already, but you must tell them something at times which 

 they already know, for the benefit of your less experienced supporters. 

 An obstinacy, however, attends the Chrysanthemum, with regard to 

 its season and style of blooming ; it is a good time-keeper, does not 

 want to herd with ever-blooming Rose, or Fuchsias, or Azaleas — it 

 wants all the conservatory to itself, as it cannot compete with its more 

 showy and sweet-scented brethren of the spring and summer. The 

 reason it is an autumnal flowering plant is, that requiring the great 

 heat of summer to perfect and develop its growth, it cannot by forc- 

 ing be brought into luxuriant bloom at any other than its own season; 

 or if it can, the advantage gained is not worth the trouble and expense 

 i of changing its season. [Our correspondent, I fear, is ignorant of the <?P 

 (^experiments in this department, communicated to the Penna. Hort. ^) 



; bs- , ^v'^JM 



