Chrysanthemums for Exhibition 
By Adam Patterson, Connecticut* 
THE successful grower of fine chrysanthemums for 
exhibition purposes is not developed in a day. 
week, or year. He must commence at the bottom 
and learn by experience and practice the fundamental 
principles which underlie the profession. While the good 
derived from listening, or reading what another has to 
say on any subject cannot be overestimated. One must 
first obtain a good deal of practice in this line before he 
is in a position to understand what the other fellow is 
doing. The chrysanthemum grower should take delight 
in the study and cultivation of his plants as well as in the 
admiration of the beaiUy of their form, bloom and 
foliage. 
In order to start right do not leave anything to 
memory, keep a record of your different operations, and 
at the end of the year you will be able to find out the 
good and bad points practiced. Out of the dilTerent 
varieties started set aside a few plants to be experimented 
upon : Here you will have an opportunity to test your 
composts ; fertilizers, the taking of the buds, etc. If 
for any reason you do not succeed there will be no 
serious loss. Experimental work is oi tremendous im- 
portance to the, chrysanthemum grower and when in- 
telligently pursued will not 
fail to repay one for all ef- 
forts put forth in this di- 
rection. 
In regard to taking the 
cuttings I have found it 
best to propagate as near 
as possible the last week in 
February. When selecting 
the cuttings avoid long, 
weak growths, or hard 
woody cuttings, the best 
cuttings are those of a 
moderately soft growth. 
The cuttings should come 
out of the sand when they 
have made roots about half 
an inch long as they only 
deteriorate by being left 
there longer. 
llefore I go any further 
I will take up the ques- 
t i o n of compost. The 
beginning of all success is to a greater or less de- 
gree in having good compost. I always make it a 
point to get my compost made up early in the 
Atitumn. This will give you a chance during good 
weather to get yotir soil and manure together, and yet 
leaving plenty of time to work it up into a desirable 
condition before storing. Compost consisting of two- 
thirds turfy loam to one-third of decomposed cow manure 
put into a pile, and then turned over and chopped up 
at intervals of about every two or three weeks until you 
have it in a good condition. This will make the founda- 
tion for the growing of fine Mums later on. It must 
be remembered that good soil and mamire is the first 
item to be considered under the head of cultural methods. 
Doing things on time and when they need doing ap- 
plies to the growing of nuuns perhajis with more force 
than in growing any other plant. When your cuttings 
have made enough of roots get them out and pot up, 
for the sooner yoii can get them into the light and air 
and the cooler and hardier you can grow the young plants 
* Paper rend before the Stamford Horticultural Society. 
Ten I'arictirs of E.vhihilioii Chrysaiilhcmuins. 
the better flowers they will produce. I always pot them 
lip into 2^4 inch pots and when they are well estab- 
lished place out into a cold frame on sifted ashes, hereby 
keqjmg the frost away. They will appreciate the con- 
dition by showing a dark green foliage and sturdy growth 
not to be had in the house. About the end of March or 
just as soon as they have made a fair amount of roots, 
I shift into 3 inch pots. From the 10th to the ISth of 
April I shift again into 4 inch pots. Always remember 
as the shift becomes larger you will want to use more 
drainage. This is very important so you will secure 
good and effective drainage in every pot. The next shift 
is into the 6 inch pots, and about the 10th of June I shift 
into their last pots, which are 8 inch. When shifting 
iiUo these pots leave as much space as possible for feed- 
ing and top dressing as they may need it. After they 
are potted up into these pots they can be placed where 
they are to grow in your house. ' These pots should be 
[jlaced on a bed of sifted ashes, which will keep the 
worms out and also keep them cool and clean. When 
they have had every care and attention up to this you 
are on a fair way in having success. 
The next thing of importance is staking and tying 
so as to keep your plants 
properly supported, I 
stretch a wire about 4 ft. 
high over the bench so as 
to give the stakes some 
support. During their pe- 
riod of growth they should 
be kept nicely tied up from 
time to time. 
In producing fine chrys- 
anthemums it should al- 
ways be remembered that 
they will need plenty of 
ventilation at all times, but 
the grower must be guided 
entirely by the condition of 
the weather, as two suc- 
cessive days at any season 
of the year may demand a 
difference in the manage- 
ment. It must be remem- 
bered that ventilation that 
causes a direct draft of 
cold, arid air through >our plants is sure to make them 
suff'er, so use judgment at all times with your ventila- 
tion. It is in the Autumn that it recjuires the greater 
care. It is then that the weather conditions will have 
to i)e taken into account. 
When the flowers begin to open a drier atmosphere is 
called for, so it is always better to have a little heat run 
through your pipes during September as we are sure to 
have cool and damp weather, but always keep air on night 
and day. 
Every grower frequently finds it difficult to keep his 
temperature right. It is (juite natural for the inside 
temperature to be affected by the prevailing outside 
temperature, but it is to the grower's advantage to re- 
duce these extremes as much as possible. I generally 
like to keep my house as near 50 degrees at night as the 
conditions will allow. 
During dark and dull weather I let the temperature 
run up to 60° with air on. This helps to dry the atmo- 
sphere of your house, which is important during the 
Fall months. 
45 
