June, 19.0 6 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



281 



As a screen to the porch lattice the hardy chrysanthemum serves a dual purpose. In summer its leaves 

 maKe a green background to the earlier flowers : in the late fall it bursts into a sheet of glowing color when 

 all else is dead or dying 



know of no plant which I would exchange 

 for them for this purpose. 



FLOWERS LN A FROST-DESOLATED 

 LANDSCAPE 



The pompon chrysanthemums become 

 really valuable about the time when other 

 plants give up the fight. I have the ill- 

 fortune to live where my flowers get frost 

 earlier and harder than my near neighbors' 

 It is a particular satisfaction, therefore, to 

 have my chrysanthemums come into bloom 

 about the time that everything else is killed. 

 My sneezeweed and sweet alyssum were the 

 only flowers left to me, except some very 

 feeble stocks, when the chrysanthemums 

 were large enough to pick last year, and even 

 those were soon gone. Last fall the first 

 killing frost came September 27th; the frosts 

 came almost nightly after the first week in 

 October; the flowers were in bloom, large 

 enough to pick, on October 12th, and they 

 gave a constant supply from that time on. 

 The last picking was on November 12th, the 

 plants having twice gone through frosts of 

 eighteen degrees; but for some time longer 

 the flowers were effective when seen from a 

 distance, although too much injured to look 

 well at close quarters in the house. 



As cut flowers some of the bunches lasted 

 three weeks; but after they had suffered 

 from many frosts they lasted less than a week. 



HOW TO GET MORE FLOWERS 



The pompon chrysanthemums are easily 

 increased by division of the roots. Each 

 spring the old plant sends out numerous new 

 shoots, called suckers, which, if taken from 

 the old plant with a few roots if possible, will 

 make blooming plants the following fall. 

 Should the suckers not have roots they should 

 be put in a pot or box of sand, and given the 



same treatment which is given to the ordin 

 ary "slip," or cutting. These suckers will 

 produce new roots very quickly. When the 

 plants become large they can be divided in 

 the spring by cutting them with a spade into 

 two or more pieces. 



If young plants are not wanted the suckers 

 should be removed, or else the plants will 

 stand too closely. Grown as ours are for a 

 screen, we let them stand at two to three 

 inches apart, and feed them heavily. Their 

 roots are shallow, therefore they must be 



cultivated carefully. It is a good plan to 

 mulch with lawn clippings. So far, with us, 

 they have had no pests or diseases, a small 

 black plant-louse which comes in the middle 

 of summer always disappearing without 

 doing any harm. They should be watered 

 while in flower, if the ground is at all dry. 



Protection of the plants is a very simple 

 matter, grown as ours are. Twice their buds, 

 while very young, have been killed by un- 

 expected early, heavy frosts, against which we 

 did not guard; but once in bloom, both 

 flowers and buds seem to be able to stand 

 almost anything. However, I cover ours at 

 night with cotton cloths which are attached 

 to the bottom of the piazza railing, and folded 

 back by day. In winter the only protection is 

 their own tops, cut off and laid over the roots. 

 Thinning, fertilizing, mulching, supporting, 

 covering against frosts, and breaking down 

 the tops in fall, is all the care needed for 

 plants that yield us more flowers than any 

 others. 



There are two classes of hardy chrysan- 

 themums which may be had — the Japanese 

 and the pompons. The latter are usually 

 far more satisfactory as they are much 

 hardier, yet it is possible to grow out of 

 doors excellent flowers of the Japanese sorts 

 four, five, and even six inches in diameter. 

 There is nothing else in the garden just like 

 these pompon chrysanthemums. Their 

 colors are very vivid, and harmonise with 

 nothing else, and because of their striking 

 appearance it is better to grow them in 

 masses by themselves. 



The range of color among the pompons is 

 as great as in their larger relatives, the green- 

 house chrysanthemums ; and for one who 

 has not the advantage of a glass structure in 

 which to grow the larger kinds, all the pleas- 

 ure which they bring can be had in these 

 smaller and hardier varieties. 



The garden in October and November is redeemed by the profuse flowering of the bright hardy chrysanthemums 

 Plants may be divided each year, in spring: merely cut the old clump into pieces with a spade 



