6 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ January 4, lm. 
PROPAGATION AND CULTURE. 
The first thing to commence with is sturdy cuttings and offshoots 
laken from the base of the old plant at any time up to March. 
Insert the strongest singly in thumb pots, the weaker ones four or 
five round the edge of a large CO-size pot. Some writers have recom¬ 
mended autumn, others spring, as the best time to insert the cuttings ; 
but I think that it matters little at what time this is done so long as 
they are well rooted by the end of March or early in April. It is the 
tieatment and attention they receive after this time that is of the 
most importance. I have proved beyond dispute that as good plants 
with foliage to the rim of the pot, and producing as good flowers, 
may be grown from cuttings taken in March as from cuttings taken 
in November. I take all the cuttings I can about the first week in 
December for this reason, that it is not convenient to keep the old 
plants of, say, 150 varieties until March. I place the cuttings in a 
cold frame, keeping them moderately moist, and except giving air 
when the weather is favourable no further attention is required until 
the end of March, by which time all should be well rooted; they 
should then be potted in large 00-size pots, and again transferred to 
a cold frame, ventilating freely. About the first week in May they 
should be ready for a shift into 32-pots, after which they should be 
placed in an open airy position. The second week in June they will 
require their final shift into 8 or 9-inch pots (specimens into 10 or 
12-inch pots), which are of ample size to suit all their requirements ; 
they should again be placed in a similar position, a row on one or 
both sides of a path. A few stakes are driven into the ground about 
30 feet apart, and a wire or cord passed from one to the other answers 
well to tie the plants to during the growing season. Here they may 
remain until the first week in October, when they should be trans¬ 
ferred to an ordinary greenhouse, Peach or orchard house, or vinery, 
where they may obtain plenty of light and air to develops their 
flowers. A little heat in dull wet weather, so as to keep as dry an 
atmosphere as possible, is beneficial to them. 
COMPOST. 
The compost I use for the first potting is one-half loam, the other 
well-decayed manure and leaf soil, with a little sand added; a similar 
soil when shifting into 32’s. When putting them into their flowering 
pots I have used and found two-thirds fibrous loam, one-third fresh 
horse droppings, with a few half-inch bones over the crocks, suit them 
admirably, but I do not place soil as a matter of first importance. It 
is the time the buds are taken and the feeding they afterwards get 
upon which results depend. When the bud is set the plants should 
be supplied regularly with liquid manure, not too strong at first, but 
gradually increasing it in strength until the flowers are well expanded, 
when the use of stimulants should cease. I believe plants, like human 
beings, are benefited by a change of food ; therefore do not always 
water them with the same manure if a change can be procured. I 
have no faith in many of the artificial manures. Doubtless they are 
useful to many, but where cow, horse, sheep, or fowl manure can be 
procured, or the drainage of a manure yard, stables, &c., nothing else 
is required. Should green fly attack the plants in the spring dipping 
them into a pail of tobacco water will soon destroy the pest. With 
specimens it is a good plan to dust the under sides of the leaves with 
sulphur before housing to kill or prevent mildew. 
DISBUDDING. 
The foregoing remarks apply equally to the incurved, Japanese, 
Anemone, and reflexed varieties. I am pleased to see the latter 
two sections worthily becoming greater favourites every year. Early 
in April the question will arise, For what purpose are the plants 
required ? whether for specimens or grown on what is termed the 
natural system, to produce fine flowers fit for exhibition. Having 
cultivated the Chrysanthemum for some years I do not know of any 
one system which you may lay down as a hard-and-fast line to 
follow, and guarantee results. What is termed the natural system 
is to let the plants grow as they will until they show the summer 
bud, which will generally be from the middle of June to the end of 
July. This bud is useless. Several shoots are produced below it, 
when as many may be left as the cultivator deems fit—from three to 
eight, variety and strength of plant to be considered. These shoots, 
being left to grow, will each show another bud, which is termed the 
crown bud, and that i3 the bud to produce fine flowers, providing 
it comes at the proper time. When first seen it is very small, and 
has three vigorous shoots around it. These should be at once 
pinched off, likewise all after growths, to direct the whole resources 
of the plant to the flower. The difficulty is to induce the plants 
to show this bud at the proper time, for upon this (providing the 
plants are healthy and vigorous) depend the future results. Take 
three plants of any one variety, treat them alike in every respect; 
the probabilities are one will show the crown bud in the middle of 
July, another in the middle of August, the third not until September. 
My opinion is, the time for them to show this bud is between the 
10th of August and the 7th of September. Seasons vary, but from 
several years’ experience I have no hesitation in saying a great per¬ 
centage of buds taken between the above-named dates will prove 
satisfactory. If taken before, they are apt to become hard and not 
open properly. The incurved varieties will have narrow petals, and 
go more like a reflexed flower, whereas the Japanese will resemble 
a hen-and-chicken Daisy—that is, a number of small imperfect buds 
will form around the main one. This season I saw one bud of 
Madame B. Rendatler with twenty-eight smaller ones around it, 
some of them having stalks 4 inches in length, but should the buds 
not come sufficiently early for them to develope fine flowers will 
never be produced. 
To obtain this bud at the proper time much may be done by know¬ 
ing which varieties are early and which late, and stopping them 
accordingly—that is, should one plant of any given variety show the 
summer bud early in June, which at times they will do, the crown 
bud would most likely show itself at the beginning of July,, which is 
too early. Such a plant I should say cut down to about 9 inches or 
a foot from the pot; you thereby dwarf your plant, and will, most 
probably get the crown bud between the dates I have mentionM. 
Again, should another plant show its first bud the end of June I 
should cut it down the same. I do not advise any one day or time 
to cut them down, neither do I say Serve a whole collection the same, 
but anyone knowing the varieties and the time required to develope 
the flower of each variety may by judiciously cutting back his plants 
get much better results than by leaving the plants to grow naturally. 
He will also have them much dwarfer. which is a great consideration 
where they are required for the decoration of a conservatory. 
TRAINING 
I have no great admiration for specimens, therefore have not 
practised the tortuous methods of training that may.often be seen 
at exhibitions—that is, tying the plants to wires in all shapes 
varying from an umbrella or inverted saucer to the model of an 
Egyptian pyramid. Ordinary bushes, with no training except stop¬ 
ping, and sufficient stakes to support their blooms, are more orna¬ 
mental and useful and produce much finer flowers than the mon¬ 
strosities often seen. To obtain bushy specimens the plants should 
be stopped when about 6 inches high, and all after growths likewise 
stopped at the second joint nntil the second week in July, when they 
should be left to grow as they will until the bud appears. They will 
then require disbudding, so as to only leave the terminal bud on 
each shoot. Early in October they may be tied out as required. I 
much prefer Pompons as specimens to either of the large-flowered 
sections. The preceding remarks will equally apply to Pompons, 
only they may be stopped at least ten days later than I have 
advised for the other varieties, though it is an unnatural way. 
Pompons grown as standards if not overtrained are not to be despised 
for decorative purposes. I generally grow a few with stems about 
2 feet high, having heads from 2 to 3 feet in diameter without any 
training whatever except after the stems are of sufficient height, 
stopping them as directed for bush specimens. 
VARIETIES. 
All the varieties of reflexed and Anemone are worthy of cultivation, 
also a great many of the Pompons. As there are so many varieties I 
shall only name the following incurved and Japanese varieties, which 
are amongst the best in cultivation. 
Tncurved. — John Salter, Empress of India, Golden Empress of 
India, Alfred Salter, Queen of England, Golden Queen of England, 
Lady Slade ; Angelina, a light bronze sport from Lady Slade ; 
Princess of Wales, Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred ; Lord Wolseley, a 
bronze sport from Prince Alfred ; Eve, Mabel Ward, Hero of Stoke 
Newington, Princess Teck, Mrs. Heales, Mr. Gladstone, Golden Eagle, 
Lord Derby, Incognita, Mr. Bunn, Nil Desperandum, Princess Bea¬ 
trice, St. Patrick, Refulgence, Baron Beust, Jardin des Plantes, 
Beauty, Empress Eugbnie, Isabella Bott, Mrs. Dixon, Mrs. G. Bundle, 
Mr. G. Glenny, Golden and White Beverley, Barbara, Lady Harding, 
Mrs. W. Shipman, Mr. Corbay, Venus, White Venus, Enamel, Novelty, 
Le Grand, Duchess of Manchester, Mr. Brunlees. 
Japanese .—Meg Merrilees, Bouquet Fait, Elaine, Fair Maid of 
Guernsey, Baron de Prailly, Grandiflorum, Bronze Dragon, Garnet, 
The Darnio, Fanny Boucharlet. Criterion, Lutea Striata, Alba Striata, 
Hiver Fleur, M. Ardene, M. Delaux, Mdlle. Anna Delaux, Guil¬ 
laume Delaux, M. C. Audiguier, L. Incomparable, Mdlle. Moulise, 
Pere Delaux, Thunberg, Comte de Germany, Boule d’Or, Flambeaux, 
Balmoreau, Triomphe de Chatalet, M. R. Larios, Cry Kang, Soliel 
Levant, James Salter, Lady Selborne, Sarnia, Dr. Macary, Peter the 
Great, Sultan, Oracle, Plantagenet, Alba Plena, Mons. Bertie Ren¬ 
datler, Comtesse de Beaureguard, Rubra Striata, Agr^ment de la 
Nature, Apollo, Fleur Parfait, and Arlequin.-—J. Lyne, Belvedere. 
(Bead at a meeting of the Wimbledon Gardeners’ Society ). 
NOTES ON GRAPES—CRITICISM. 
I would trespass farther on your good nature to say that my 
reasons for thinking “ Honi Soit qui Mai y Pense ” excluded the 
Black Hamburgh from early vineries was, that in his “compa¬ 
rative estimate,” not of new kinds only, but of such old sorts as 
the Muscat of Alexandria, Lady Downe’s, and Cannon Hall 
Muscat, &c., he does not so much as mention it, but gives distinct 
general advice, that “For early work I would recommend every¬ 
one to have a house of the Duke of Buccleuch and a house of the 
Madresfield Court.” With late Grapes till April and May now- 
a-days, I would really like to know what this means if it does not 
mean the exclusion of the Black Hamburgh, for in an ordinary 
way so many early Grapes could not be consumed, even in the 
largest places, let alone by “ everyone,” if we are to regard these 
