FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 



255 



"broken up small and the dust sifted from it — is useful 

 as tending to make the soil porous and keeping it 

 sweet. Failing this, coarse river sand or silver sand 

 can be employed. 



Yv^hen the plants are finally placed in the flowering- 

 pots, they should be stood out of doors in the open, 

 fully exposed to the sun and air, and they do best 

 when placed in lines with an opening between each. 

 A bed of cinder-ashes makes the best bottom to stand 

 the plants on, or they can be stood in shallow 

 saucers of water ; the latter plan has many ad- 

 vantages, as it prevents the roots from penetrating 

 the soil, and saves watering, as no amount of water 

 in the saucers will harm the roots, provided it be not 

 raised above the level of the drainage in the pots. 

 It also prevents worms from entering the pots. 

 The best drainage for the pots is a good-sized oyster- 

 shell at the bottom, then an inch of broken jDotsherds, 

 and over this a layer of lime rubbish. 



As most specimen plants require a centre stake to 

 support them, this should be placed at the time of 

 potting, and by fastening the main stem to this, the 

 plants are kept from being blown about by the wind. 

 During July and August strict attention must be 

 paid to watering, and if a layer of soot be placed 

 over the surface of the pots, and watered into the 

 soil, it will greatly assist to keep the foliage in fine 

 condition, and retain the leaves. ]\Iany amateur 

 cultivators are frequently much concerned by reason 

 of their plants losing their leaves — a condition com- 

 mon to the Chrysanthemums ; and it is only by high 

 cultivation, and constant attention to watering, that 

 the foliage can be retained. Stopping must be 

 done as required, but a plant should never be re- 

 potted and stopped at the same time. It is very 

 difficult indeed to lay down anything like general 

 rules for stopping, sis so much depends upon the 

 variety. It is a matter depending a great deal on 

 experience. During August the leading shoots 

 require regulating, and the lower ones should be 

 kept as near the pot as possible. About the middle 

 of September the plants should be trained to the 

 requisite shape by placing a stake to each leading 

 shoot, leaving the stake longer than the shoot, as it 

 continues to lengthen until it comes into flower. As 

 soon as the flower -buds appear, some disbudding 

 will be necessary. This is done by remo\'ing all 

 buds except the one in the centre of each branch, 

 for if the plant be vigorous, these will be quite 

 enough to insure a fine head of bloom. But if 

 a quantity of bloom is preferred to large flowers, 

 little, if any, disbudding need be done. The plants 

 should be housed about the middle of October, but 

 much depends on the character of the weather. 

 They are better outside so long as the weather is 

 open and the buds do not show colour ; the foliage 



also remains in better condition in the open air. 

 When housed, fire-heat should be given onlv wnen 

 absolutely necessary, but the plants should have as 

 much air as possible. When the plants have gone 

 out of flower, they should be placed on one side, but 

 looked after in order to furnish young wood for 

 cuttings. 



It may be that some of our readers have a desire 

 to grow a few cut blooms of Chrysanthemums for 

 exhibition, seeing how many Chrysanthemum shows 

 are held now-a-days. It is a very pleasant occupation, 

 and a most agreeable recreation. Now, in order to 

 have a few fine blooms, the late Mr. Samuel Broome, 

 of the Middle Temple, recommended that cnttings be 

 taken in the beginning of November from the suckers, 

 or from the laterals of the flow^ering stems. These 

 should be rooted in small pots, and placed in a cold 

 frame for protection through the winter ; shifted as 

 soon as the roots are fairly formed into larger pots, 

 say eight or ten inches in diameter, drained with 

 potsherds or broken oyster-shells. Care should be 

 taken not to allow the fibrous roots to rise round the 

 pots too much before shifting, as this injures the 

 plants, and thus progress will be materially retarded 

 if they are not re -potted at the proper time ; more- 

 over, the fibres must be as little disarranged as pos- 

 sible in the operation. 



In April and IMay a south aspect is desirable for 

 the plants, but from the middle of June to the middle 

 of August they should be removed to a shady spot, 

 where they will only get the morning sun until 

 eleven or twelve o'clock. Manure-water of a weak, 

 cooling nature may be used in the former months, 

 but its strength should be afterwards increased until 

 the flower-bud begins to give indications of colour ; 

 in no case, however, should it be given until the 

 plant has been soaked with clear water. When the 

 crown of the plant divides itself, remove all lateral 

 growths ; and when the flower-buds are well grown, 

 disbud or cut out aU but the most shining, leaving 

 but one to each stem. Should any of the blooms, on 

 breaking, show an eye, it is a sign that the plant has 

 been overdone with kindness. If the early blooms 

 are too soon for any that may be later in flowering, 

 and it is desirable to retain the former for exhibition 

 purposes, they may be retarded for a week or nine 

 days, and their back petals be preserved from decay, 

 by gathering them into a ball and tying them up 

 with some wadding, and then putting them into a 

 bag made up like a sugar-paper. Another plan is to 

 pass the bloom through a flower-pot, of which the 

 bottom has been previously chipped out, and to cover 

 it with a piece of glass. This has the effect of not 

 only preserving the back petals, but of bringing the 

 centre ones up to the light. In fact, it will make an 

 incurved flower of a reflexed one. 



