SEED-T3M1 ATO HARVEST. 
PRIZE CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
BY SAMUEL C. MOON. 
Chrysanthemum culture is a fashionable “hobby” 
just now, and the splendid exhibitions that were 
made last autumn in various sections of the country, 
show that the “old fashioned” flower has not been 
wholly lost sight of during the years when there was 
but little attention paid to it by the mass of the com¬ 
munity. A great deal of labor and pains have been 
expended in developing new and improved varieties, 
and there are now flowers of size and color almost 
incredible to those who know only the Chrysanthe¬ 
mums of twenty years ago. Their hardiness and 
easy ’culture make them accessible to all; and any 
one who will bestow a moderate amount of attention, 
can produce plants and flowers that will compare 
very favorably with those which take the prize at 
the exhibitions. 
One of the great secrets in successful Chrysanthe¬ 
mum culture is to commence early, and get the 
plants well grown and of handsome shape early in 
the season. This must be done by taking young- 
plants, winter cuttings or layers; plant them in rich 
soil either in pots or in the open ground, and pinching 
the vigorous shoots several times, early in the season, 
until the plants are established in symmetrical habit 
of growth. 
If they are grown in pots they will require re¬ 
potting three or four times during the summer. 
Their roots must not remain crowded in a pot-bound 
condition or the plants will soon become stunted and 
the flower buds will be checked in development, re¬ 
sulting in inferior plants and a meager crop of small 
flowers. 
About midsummer the plants will want staking 
and the branches will need tying out to side stakes, 
go as to form wide symmetrical heads. After they 
commence to show the flower buds or “buttons,” re¬ 
potting must be stopped and liquid manure or guano 
water applied once a week. Plants in pots will re¬ 
quire a liberal supply of water from this time for¬ 
ward, and plants in open ground should be mulched 
with leaves or manure to prevent their drying. It is 
better to mulch the land early in the season as chrys¬ 
anthemum roots prefer a cool soil, with frequent 
and liberal watering, but not to be kept continually 
wet. Too much moisture about the roots or in the 
atmosphere is prejudicial to them - . 
After the flowers commence to open they w-ill last 
much longer in perfection, if they are shaded from 
the intense glare of the sunshine after two or three 
o’clock in the afternoon; but they don’t want a 
dense shade. 
In order to produce flowers of the largest possible 
size, it is necessary to pinch off all the buds except 
three or four on each branch, and allow these to 
appropriate all the sap the plants can furnish, and 
the roots must be regularly and liberally nourished 
with liquid manure. 
It is less trouble to raise chiysanthemums in the 
open ground than in pots, but the early frosts are 
liable to destroy the flowers just about as they are 
in perfection. It is therefore more satisfactory to 
to have them in pots so they can be readily moved 
into a cold frame or other cool, airy, dry situation, 
where they can be protected at nights. This should 
be done before the hoar frost injures the buds; the 
flowers -will then be larger and last longer in per¬ 
fection. 
The pots should be plunged in the ground their 
whole depth or else protected -with leaves, straw or 
sa-wdust or some kind of litter during the hot weath¬ 
er, or else it will be almost impossible to keep them 
from drying out too rapidly. 
After the potted plants are done blooming, cut off 
the tops and store them in a cellar or cold frame for 
the winter; they will not need much water during 
winter, but should not get bone dry; either con¬ 
dition will kill them. Plants which are left in the 
open ground should be protected with a good cov¬ 
ering of long manure, and the coarse straw of this 
loosened up early in the spring so the sprouts can 
get through it. 
VARIETIES. 
There are hundreds of varieties in cultivation 
and described in various catalogues under various 
names so that it is impossible to say which are the 
best. The easiest and most satisfactoy way to 
get a good collection is to send to some reliable 
nurseryman for an assortment of his best and most 
distinct varieties. 
The following are names of a few that were con¬ 
spicuously fine at the Philadelphia Chrysanthemum 
Show last Autumn. 
White.— Lady[Godiva, Lady Talfourd, Mad Martha, 
Elaine, Mrs. Geo. Eundle. 
Yellow. —Temple of Solomon, Souvenir de Jersey, 
Jardin des Plantes and Golden Plieasant. 
Antonella,—buff and yellow; Kalakua,— yellow and 
jronze; Emperor of Japan,-very large, delicate pink: 
Beethoven,—yellow and bronze; Refulgens, and Mrs. 
Gladstone,—maroon; Alphonso.—brown tipped with 
