72 



FLOWEES AKD THE FLOWEE GAEDE^'. 



tion of chrysanthemums in the Temple Gardens, in the 

 very heart of London, will give this plant due praise for 

 this its especial merit ; and all seers owning little gar- 

 dens at home, struggling through the disadvantage of a 

 smoke-laden atmosphere, and looking miserable from an 

 attempt to cultivate plants that object to smoke and 

 soot, should at once make chrysanthemums their especial 

 gardening specialty. A flower which is of every shade, 

 of almost every colour, and varying in size from one 

 inch to four inches across, is not like one flower ; it is a 

 host in itself. It grows freely in a light rich soil, and 

 flowers most abundantly from October to December. 

 Our old favourites, the large flowered kind, than which 

 nothing is handsomer in appearance, are the progeny of 

 C. Sinense; and the later favourites, the pretty pom- 

 pons, have sprung from the Chinese daisy, sent home 

 by Mr. Portune. 



Chrysanthemums may be increased by all modes of 

 propagation. Take cuttings in February ; young shoots, 

 three inches long, cut with a sharp knife, and plant 

 them round a medium-sized pot, filled with sandy loam, 

 with a layer of pure sand on the surface. "Water the 

 cuttings to settle the earth to them, place the pot on 

 coal ashes or river sand, in a warm place, and cover it 

 with a hand glass. When they have grown they may 

 be potted ofi" separately, and put under hand glasses 

 again, for a time. Ee-pot whenever the roots reach the 

 pot, and keep them where they will be safe from frost 

 and damp. They will bloom the same year. 



To procure low dwarf plants, plant out in the open 

 ground some old plants, as soon as the frost is fairly gone, 

 and peg down some of the branches. Then when these 

 have formed flower buds, sink small pots filled with light 

 rich earth, peg down one of the branches into each pot, 

 giving it at the same time a little twist, cover with half 

 an inch of soil, and it will root. When the layers are 

 well rooted they may be divided from the parent plant, 

 and placed in the shade until they are established, and 

 they will be nice showy little plants for the front row in 

 a stage of chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums may also be 



