EARLY CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 



UMMER is the time of the rose, 

 and the chrysanthemum is the 

 leader among autumn flowers, 

 scarcely less popular than the 

 "queen" herself. Some varie- 

 ties produce flowers so regular 

 that it is not in the power of art 

 to i m prove their symmetry ; 

 while others, again, have flowers that appear to be 

 so ragged, torn and twisted that we are amazed 

 when we behold them, and the eye is dazzled when 

 it tries to take in the glorious tints and colors that 

 are produced when a number of the plants are 

 grouped together. Many people cannot spare the 

 room for the tall plants that are generally seen at 

 the shows, and others who would like to try their 

 hands are at once deterred by the amount of skill, 

 as well as room, that the plants apparently require 

 to attain perfection. Yet the chrysanthemum is 

 is one of the easiest plants to grow, and it requires 

 only the same amount of care that is bestowed upon 

 a geranium or a fuchsia to produce creditable spec- 

 imens. For those who have only a very small 

 greenhouse, or no greenhouse at all, the early flow- 

 ering varieties are the best to take up, as these will 

 be the most likely to reward them for their trouble 

 and to induce them to continue to grow these ex- 

 quisite gems. The plants should be obtained about 

 the latter part of May or early in June, when all 

 danger of frost is passed, and if they have been 

 hardened by the salesman they may be placed out- 

 of-doors at once. They may now be obtained from 

 nurserymen and florists at trifling cost. No gar- 

 dener who delights in a beautiful conservatory can 

 afford to be without a few of the early flowering 

 section, as they have a charming effect when placed 

 among other plants, and where large quantities of 

 cut flowers, and especially the white kinds, are re- 

 quired during' September and October, the early - 

 flowering chrysanthemums become indispensable. 



Those who have the means to house the plants 

 and to grow them on during the winter months 

 should select their cuttings in December or Jan- 

 uary, if large plants are required. I have grown 

 fine decorative plants from cuttings taken in March. 

 They should be stuck in small pots containing a 

 rather sandy loam ; a quarter of an inch of sand 

 should be put on top of the soil and the cutting be 

 set in it. When the plants are nicely rooted, they 



should bo p(jtted singly intu three-inch pots and 

 then set on a shelf near the glass to pre\ ent them 

 from being drawn. In March, or the beginning of 

 April, they should be shifted into six-inch pots, 

 w here they can remain until potted into their bloom- 

 ing pots about the first part or middle of June. 

 They will thrive in a soil composed of loam and de- 

 cayed manure. To every five barrowfuls of loam 

 add one of manure, one of leaf mold, and sufficient 

 sand to render the compost porous. To every bar- 

 rowful add a nine-inch pot of bone-dust. For the 

 final shift, nine-inch pots will be large enough ; 

 they must be well drained, as the plants will require 

 large supplies of water. When potted, stand them 

 on a bed of ashes in a sunny position. In and 

 around the pots stakes should be inserted, to which 

 the limbs are to be tied as they grow. If the plants 

 are syringed every sunny afternoon there will not 

 be much trouble with the green fly. 



To secure a good, bushy plant, it is necessary to 

 pinch the young plant when it has attained the 

 height of about six inches ; this will cause four or 

 five shoots to break, which must be pinched when 

 tliev have grown about four inches, and pinching 

 should continue until the end of May or the first 

 week in June, when the plants should be stopped 

 for the last time. They may be planted out in the 

 garden during the sunnner, and potted up and taken 

 in before frost comes. All potted plants must be 

 under cover by the end of September. In the 

 Southern States the early-flowering varieties will 

 succeed out of doors to perfection, but the large- 

 flowered and later kinds will need protection. The 

 chrysanthemum requires abundant supplies of water, 

 and if it is allowed to suffer from drought the leaves 

 will turn yellow and the flowers will be deformed. 

 As soon as the roots reach the sides of the bloom- 

 ing pots weak liquid stimulants may be used ; but 

 too much must not be given. After the flower buds 

 are formed, the liquid manure may be given more 

 frequently. It is well to have several kinds on 

 hand and to change them occasionally. The flow- 

 ers will be much improved if the buds are thinned 

 a little. The early-flowering varieties often produce 

 buds in great quantities, so that one need not feel 

 at all loath to remove a few. 



The following list contains, I believe, the cream 

 of the early-flowering section. It will be observed 

 that many of them are pompones. La Vierge, pure 



