134 



The Garden Magazine, November, 1921 



WITH ALL THE SOFT AIRINESS 



OF UNCURLED OSTRICH PLUMES 



This type of Chrysanthemum seems eminently Japanesque in quality 



China sprang up the custom of drinking chrysanthemum sake 

 on a high mountain on the fatal date in September. 



SO MUCH for legend and custom. Now let me give an 

 exact description of our method of raising the flower — a 

 method handed down to us from generation to generation. 



Just as there are different types of Chrysanthemums, so there 

 are different ways of cultivating them; but here I 

 will describe how to rear the "kiku" which is the 

 typical Chrysanthemum of Japan. 



As the Chrysanthemum is averse to being 

 planted on the old soil, you must either change it 

 or plough it under, first practising " solar disinfec- 

 tion " and then adding straw ashes to the ploughed 

 soil, if you want to sow seed on the same flowerbed 

 as last year. 



According to the nature of the soil, the following 

 process must not be omitted so that the flowerbed 

 may be fitted for Chrysanthemum culture. 



Sandy soil is easily heated and cooled owing to 

 lack of organic substance. To adapt this for hor- 

 ticultural purposes you must add 30 per cent, of 

 good soil, 10 per cent, of clay or peat, and 10 per 

 cent, of manure. If you want to prepare this mix- 

 ture a year ahead, add besides 30 per cent, of night 

 soil. When the next year comes, you have only 

 to sift the mixture after turning it up with some 

 straw ashes. This latter process makes a really 

 good soil. 



Clay is so strongly cohesive that the admixture 

 is essential to render it suitably loose for cultiva- 

 tion. Ordinary soil is the most productive, if 10 



per cent, of sand soil, loam, and manure be added to it to 

 make it sufficiently loose. This kind of soil needs no human 

 manure, but straw ashes may be used. 



Ordinary loam with rotten organic rubbish in it is too loose, 

 so 10 per cent, of clay, 20 per cent of good soil, 10 per cent, of 

 sand soil from a river bed, 10 per cent, of manure, 30 per cent 

 of night soil are added — all this should be done just a year 

 before. 



Peat needs heating, first of all. Add to this 20 per cent of 

 good soil, 10 per cent, of sand soil, 10 per cent, of old manure, 

 and much new night soil. Leave this mixture alone in a heap for 

 a year; next spring it can be used after adding some straw ashes. 



THE big kiku is adapted to a somewhat moist soil, while 

 the small kiku grows well on clayish soil. 



For pot cultivation more manure is used. In detail: 10 per 

 cent, of sand soil is added to the above mentioned artificial soil 

 in addition to a mixture, 30 per cent, of rake cake, 30 per cent, 

 of rice chaff, 30 per cent, of superphosphate of lime. 



This compost is kept untouched in a straw bale about 2 ft. 

 deep underground. After sufficient putrefaction, it is taken 

 out of the ground and passed through a fine sieve. Keeping 

 the straw bale wet hastens the process, so that it is ready for use 

 in two weeks. 



The flowerbed must be located in a sunny and elevated place 

 in the garden. The area of the bed may be large or small ac- 

 cording to circumstances, but the most common size is 18x9 ft. 

 Young sprouts of Chrysanthemums must be obtained. Often 

 these can be had from friends who are expert cultivators 

 of the flower; but they sometimes begrudge you their best 

 specimens, however kindly they may be in other respects. But 

 good young plants are to be had at the seed shop either as cut- 

 tings or grafts. If one's taste is for the big kiku, it is better to 

 get the plants in the former way. 



The big kiku must be transplanted when still young and is 

 done generally from the middle of May through the first ten 

 days of June. When young green grass begins to clothe the 

 banks of rivers, the time has come for Chrysanthemums to be 

 started. This preliminary work must be done in a "trial 

 ground," and is of utmost necessity, although some would-be 

 experts omit this process as troublesome, only to be rewarded 

 for their negligence by poor flowers. Whether you are a be- 

 liever in "safety first" or not, you had better be cautious enough 

 to put out your young cutting Chrysanthemum plants in a 

 "trial" or nursery ground. 



The nursery must be in a cool place where no afternoon sun- 



UNIQUE BUT HARDLY FAIR TO THE CHRYSANTHEMUM 



These dramatically posed full-sized figures are clad in living flowers, 

 an odd and — from our point of view — an ineffectual method of display 



