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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



blooms, is undoubtedly most general, and it is only by this means 

 that the full beauty and true character of the flower can be 

 brought to perfection. 



Trained specimen plants, grand as they are, do not often re- 

 pay the labour bestowed upon them, and to me there is always a 

 stiffness in them not natural to the plant. A well-grown bush, 

 each branch in itself a nosegay, I consider more beautiful, in- 

 teresting, and certainly more useful in every way. 



III. Eespecting the Form op Culture for Large Blooms, 



much could be written on details connected with it which cannot 

 be included in this paper. Suffice it to say that the best results 

 are obtained from generous treatment and watchful care, and 

 though some persons may succeed better than others, it is not 

 because there are any hidden secrets, but because they do the 

 right thing at the proper time and leave the rest to nature. 

 Some persons, in their anxiety to succeed, appear to think that 

 the more they can force into a plant the greater will be the 

 return, forgetting that a plant, like a human being, requires only 

 a sufficient quantity of food of the right description to build up 

 health and vigour, all over and above this sufficiency being excess, 

 and consequently injurious. Either the wood becomes too gross 

 to be fruitful, or the soil is made repulsive to the roots, collapse 

 following sooner or later. If there is one thing more than 

 another which tends to bring about those ills peculiar to Chrys- 

 anthemums, I think it is the haphazard way the plants are often 

 gorged with rank manures. I have been often asked, when 

 exhibiting in different parts of the country, what I feed my 

 plants with, the inquirers evidently thinking that if that was 

 known success would be easy and certain. This is quite a mis- 

 take. I have come to the conclusion long ago that it is not one 

 manure that is more potent than all others, but much more 

 important is the proper application of those that we know to be 

 good, only using them with a view to assist nature, rather than 

 forcing unnatural growth. When a plant is making satisfactory 

 progress — viz. firm, short-jointed wood, with moderately green 

 foliage — all is well. Why endeavour to obtain wood and 

 foliage twice the size, and the latter more black than green ? 

 Years ago I used to look to such growth for my best blooms, 

 especially in the Queen section, but in every instance I was dis- 



