CHRYSANTHEMUMS IN POTS. 



65 



with good, stiff foliage, which under good cultivation may be preserved 

 almost to the top of the pot even when the plants are in bloom. 



Nearly every gardener, at some time or other in his career, has been 

 fascinated by this large-flowered section ; the amateur also, when 

 taking up plant cultivation as a hobby, invariably selects the Chrysan- 

 themum for the autumn, no matter what other plants occupy his 

 time and attention during the rest of the year. This craze, or perhaps 

 it were better to term it taste, is not to be wondered at ; for, leaving 

 out everything else that may be said in favour of it, there is no plant 

 that responds so readily to good cultivation, and the amateur — 

 in particular — likes to note the difference that a little extra attention 

 or manure makes to his plants. 



Among market-growers the Chrysanthemum in pots is one of the 

 largest, if not the largest pot -culture in this country. Many hundreds 

 of thousands are grown to furnish a crop after the houses have been 

 utilized for tomatos during the summer months. It would be difficult 

 to estimate even the approximate quantities grown, but to give some 

 little idea of the vastness of the industry I may say that I know one 

 firm who cultivates 126,000 in nine-inch pots, 23,000 of these being 

 one variety which is much in demand late in the season, while two 

 other firms cultivate between them about 116,000 in pots. The three 

 firms cultivate in the open ground, with more or less protection, 

 about 590,000 plants, making a total of 822,000 Chrysanthemums, all 

 of which are exceptionally well grown. One firm spends no less than 

 £5,000 in labour on the Chrysanthemum crop alone. 



The number of plants cultivated in pots for cut -flower purposes 

 exceeds by many times those grown as pot plants, or for sale as such, 

 though this side of the industry is by no means a small one, and the 

 perfect specimens one sees in our markets during the season are ocular 

 demonstrations that the market grower thoroughly understands his 

 business. 



The decorative possibilities of cut Chrysanthemums are unlimited, 

 and no matter whether they are grown as huge specimens, as good-sized 

 market samples from four to six inches in diameter, or as sprays, and 

 whether they are Japanese, Incurved, Reflexed, Pompons, Anemones 

 or singles, all have their various uses, and associated as they are at 

 the season of the year with the various autumnal tinted foliage, nothing 

 could give greater satisfaction. 



At the outset I mentioned that one of the plant's qualifications was 

 its ease of cultivation, and to amplify this I should like to say that the 

 Chrysanthemum will put up with treatment such as would kill most 

 other garden plants and still give moderate results ; but this is not 

 the kind of thing to be recommended, and what I really wish to do 

 is to emphasize the various points that are essential to ensure good 

 results. 



With the Chrysanthemum, as with all other plants, no hard-and-fast 

 rules can be laid down as to what are the best methods of cultivation. 

 Different growers may and do employ different systems in their 



VOL. XLI. F 



