46 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
From May and up to the end of August the plants 
should be syringed frequently two or three times a day, 
but always doing the last syringing early enough to have 
the plant dry oiT before nightfall. During September 
you can reduce the syringing to once a day. When they 
begin to show color discontinue alltogether. During all 
their growth mums will require care as to watering. 
When the pots show signs of being dry give them a 
good watering, btit never allow them to become bone 
dry, or on the other hand, excessively wet. Watering 
is one of the most particular points to watch in chry- 
santhemum culture. In pot culture watering ought to 
be attended to two or three times a day, watering only 
those that are dry, using a can if the time permits. 
As the plants become pot bound artificial feeding will 
have to be resorted to. Watch the plants carefully, and 
one will soon be able to judge where to start feeding. 
Aim to have ripe wood and good foliage, and then you 
can feed safely, feeding can continue until the blooms 
are half developed. 
This is the one thing that will require care and study. 
It is very hard to fix dates for bud taking. This will 
have to be governed to a large degree by the climatic 
conditions. Most buds can be taken after the 15th of 
August with fair restilts. 
Chrysanthemums, like all other plants, are subject to 
disease, but this appears most frequently where a wrong 
course of treatment in their culture has been followed, 
or by neglect in any way. Always make it a point to 
start with nothing but healthy stock. If any of them 
show the least sign of having a trace of disease, why, 
discard just as soon as you discover it. The presence of 
some species of fungi is a direct reflection upon the 
skill or care of the grower, as mildew and rust and 
certain other diseases may frequently be traced to the 
lack of suitable cultural conditions, such as proper venti- 
lation, watering, over-feeding, etc. On the other hand 
when such conditions are favorable to their growth, 
fungous diseases will more or less be absent. When 
mildew appears there is nothing better than blowing 
sulphur through your plants. For rust, on its first ap- 
pearance, spray with ammoniacal mixture every ten days, 
this will help to check it : also keep plenty of ventilation 
on and see that the atmosphere is kept dry even if vou 
have to use fire heat. 
In order to keep down the aphis you will have to fumi- 
gate at least once a week. When the flowers begin to 
open there is nothing better than Nico fume paper. 
Before chrysanthemums are exhibited thev should be 
placed in water at least 36 hours in a cool, dark place 
where the temperature stands at about 42°. This will 
help to give substance in every way. 
POT CULTURE OF MAIDENHAIR FERNS. 
'"pHE growing of maidenhair ferns in pots is not very 
■^ extensive. As a pot plant, writes A. V. Main, in 
Canadian Florists, the private gardener will find it an 
admirable subject for many purposes. 
A common objection to the maidenhair fern is that 
it is no good as a house plant. I have never found 
that to be so. Though the Boston fern would easily 
outstrip it as a lasting fern, where it was a ])eriod of 
months, it could not be condemned on that accoimt. 
The requirements of good pots of this beautiful fern 
are few. Cutting down all the fronds, say. twice or 
three times a year, and letting the plants 'Jtart up 
afresh again, is poor policy. To get strong frofids and 
plants fit for house decoration, conservatory or exhi- 
bitions, aim to get one crop of foliage and to'get the 
foundation of this foliage prefeYably in the Sjjring 
months. Shearing the plants down in Summer and 
expecting Fall fronds, worthy of the name of frond, 
was never a success with us. 
After the plants have done justice for the Summer 
and Fall months, rest the plants somewhat. With- 
hold water to about twice a week. Keep the plants 
presentable by removing bad fronds. 
Keeping the plants fairly dry in November and 
December will keep the crowns dormant or the young 
tender fronds from shooting up. 
The potting compost is no secondary consideration. 
One-half decayed sod, broken up with the hand (use 
no sifter for the compost), one-quarter rotted cow 
manure, one-quarter sand and charcoal. We use bone- 
meal freely and find a six-inch potful none too much 
for a barrowful of compost. Bone-meal fertilizer for 
pot plants is our stand-by. 
Clean pots and extra pains for good drainage are 
certainly pointers for maidenhairs. Cut the foliage 
clean over, put vigorous plants in a pot two sizes 
larger. 
For exhibition specimens, we generally put a nine 
or ten-inch pot plant into a twelve-inch pot. Pack the 
compost firmly around it. Finish ofif the new soil and 
the crown of the plant level, two inches below the rim 
of the pot. In preference to top-dressing, split up the 
plants into two pieces or four. 
The ptiint we are strong on is to get new compost 
all around the plant at this annual potting time, as the 
plants are not disturbed in potting for another year. 
Twelve-inch pots will give specimens four feet 
through and fronds twent}' inches long. Severe mu- 
tilation of the plants should be avoided. Best formed 
plants are got b}- rejiotting on into larger pots with- 
out dividing. 
This is not only nature's time for repotting, but 
January and February are the inonths where we can 
get steady bottom heat. This gets the ferns on the 
move. 
■Wash out a clean place for thetn on a bench, have 
th'em all together, where you know there is no 
draught. If the ashes or gravel where the pots are 
placed closely together is kept warm by piping under- 
neath, so much the better. Keeping this moist and 
confining the spraying between the pots, will lie as- 
sisting nature. 
The first two months of the year they can stand all 
the sunshine. Early in March shade with cheesecloth, 
and for the Summer provide a heavier shade. As the 
season advances, they will require ample space, and 
the increasing ventilation will bring them into hardi- 
ness. 
As a Summer and Fall plant it is not by any means 
a delicate subject in the greenhouse. \'igorous plants 
respond to liquid cow manure once a week when ap- 
proaching the end of Summer. 
The best varieties in use are Adiantum cuneatum, A. 
crowcanum, A. hybridum. A. farleyense. All are good 
growers with useful fronds for cutting. Adiantum 
farlevense gloriosa is a particularly fine variety-, but 
not inclined to grow so well. A favorite here is A. gra- 
cillimum. as light and graceful as Gypsophila panicu- 
lata. 
Where drainage, is defective, the plants soon show it, 
as they do not assimilate the watering. Cover the 
drainage with spaghnum moss. This prevents the soil 
from mixing up through time with the drainage. 
Maidenhair ferns are worthy greenhouse subjects, 
and no establishment, public, private or commercial, 
should be without them. 
