November 20, X8S0. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
443 
bulb, making rather small growths the first year. They may be 
potted as soon as convenient, keeping them rather cool and dry for 
a time. 
Cypripeditjm. — This is another useful genus and a general 
favourite with all. The common species, such as C. insigne, 
<3. barbatum, and C. venustum, are very easily managed ; the choicer 
kinds require a little more attention. I find that some of the 
species, such as C. caudatum, C. Stonei, and C. villosum, do well 
potted in crocks and a little moss till they commence growing, 
when they may be surfaced with moss and peat, watering them 
liberally as root action advances.—L. C. 
(To be continued.) 
The following Tapers were read at the National Chrysanthemum 
"Society’s Conference, November 11th and 13th last, at the lloyal 
Aquarium, Westminster. An interesting Paper on “ Chrysanthemums 
in Art,” by Mr. IJaite, is, however, crowded out for the present. Sir 
Edwin Saunders presided on the first day, and Sir Guyer Hunter on 
the second. 
EXPERIMENTS IN CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE. 
By Mr. H. BRISCOE-IRONSIDE. 
The text of my paper affords, as you will observe, considerable 
latitude, of which I propose to take full advantage. There exists 
amongst us a considerable divergence of opinion as to the cultivation of 
our favourite flower, and it seems to me that on this point we are never 
likely to agree fully. The varied conditions under which we work, such 
as those of aspect, soil, water, &c., must so considerably affect the growth 
as to render results, attributed to the culture, inconclusive ; moreover, 
we adopt many and dissimilar methods, and nevertheless attain fairly 
equal achievements—one grower being successful one season, and his 
opponent the next. Hence, with the view of improving our plants we 
resort to experiments, and some of my own experiments in this direction 
I shall now have the honour of briefly describing. 
I have pursued various systems of cultivating the Chrysanthemum, 
such as striking in cold and heated frames, and have obtained more 
satisfactory results when the cuttings have been struck in frames placed 
in a moderately heated glass house, and removed when rooted to cold 
frames. I have found deep pots preferab’e for blooming in, as better 
drainage can be secured, the plants are safer against saturation during 
heavy rains, and are more easily top-dressed. 
Last year I experimented with fifty small plants flowered in 32-size 
pots. They were fed with various chemicals and manures, both singly 
and in combination. To express an opinion on the result is a most 
difficult task, as I found it impossible to adhere strictly to one chemical 
or one manure, except in the case of horse manure. I came to the con¬ 
clusion, however, that half-a-dozen plants which were successively given 
liquid horse manure, soot water, Peruvian guano, and fish manure, and 
occasionally carbonate of ammonia, showed the most satisfactory 
results. I would here mention, more as a curious circumstance than of 
any practical importance, that in the case of two plants which had 
occasional waterings of dissolved sugar, greatly diluted, a portion of the 
sugar reappeared upon the foliage. This I collected aad dried, and on 
tasting it 1 could detect no alteration. At the same time, the leaves on 
which the sugar appeared changed to a deep red, resembling in colour the 
foliage of an Ampelopsis Veitchi in autumn. 
I particularly observed the effects of the following forms of 
ammonia given to plants—viz., sulphate, phosphate, nitrate, muriate, 
and carbonate, and it seemed to me that although the colour of the 
foliage was considerably deepened, especially by carbonate of ammonia, 
the blooms did not last so long, and the petals were not so crisp nor 
firm, a condition of things greatly militating against successful exhibi¬ 
tion. The last result was most noticeable when the plants were 
liberally supplied with ammonia during the flowering period. I have 
found, however, when the buds are fixed, and rainy weather sets in, 
thus preventing the usual waterings for some time, that carbonate of 
ammonia, at the rate of an ounce to 3 gallons of water, giving half a 
pint of the mixture to each pot, has maintained a healthy tone in the 
foliage ; nevertheless, at such a time, when the air is moist and the light 
limited, I venture to think that it is advisable to avoid as much 
as possible forcing the growth. The application of carbonate of 
ammonia produces an almost instantaneous result, which may be 
readily observed in the following manner :—A plant (say Golden 
Dragon), the foliage of which has a tendency to turn yellow, is selected, 
one or two leaves removed, and placed in water to keep fresh ; carbonate 
of ammonia is now given to the plant, and the leaves thereon compared 
a few hours afterwards with those which were previously cut off, when 
there will be found a conspicuous difference in their colour. 
My experience has not led me to consider top-dressings of dry 
manures advantageous, as it has seemed to me that the surface roots are 
damaged thereby, and the manurial contents not evenly distributed. 
As witness of this I daresay that some of you have noticed that after 
top-dressings of artificial manures have been applied, and suckers 
immediately under the soil have become soft and pulpy, which in 
conjunction with the constant pinching of the suckers up to the bloom¬ 
ing period has resulted in the formation of a compact, unnatural mass 
at the most vulnerable part of the plant. I suspect this is a cause for a 
scarcity of root cuttings later on. We are doubtless all alive to the fact 
that it is advisable to feed moderately plants having small and thin 
leaves, and that is a safe guide to generally consider all such plants a3 
belonging to the category of weak varieties. I' have observed that the 
life of the leaves of this section when fully exposed to the sun’s rays has 
been of comparatively short duration, and that the blooms have been 
considerably improved when these plants have been placed in a partially 
shaded position. 
Continually watching the foliage has been the most useful guide to 
me in the cultivation of ohe Chrysanthemum. We know that when the 
cuttings are rooted a yellow appearance invariably denotes insufficient 
pot room, and after the plants have been finally potted that a similar 
condition betokens insufficient nourishment ; also that when the 
midrib of the leaves becomes contracted and the foliage curls a too 
generous treatment has probably been the cause. This last feature 
I have frequently observed ir. cut-back plants, which, as might be 
expected, will not stand the same amount of feeding as those naturally 
grown. 
One of the most difficult problems in the culture of the Chrys¬ 
anthemum, and that which requires a vast amount of experience, is, 
I suppose, *•'the timing of the blooms” for exhibition. The following 
system has enabled me to exhibit blooms in fairly fresh condition three, 
and in some cases four, weeks after they have fully developed. Take a 
plant, the flowers on which are three-fourths expandefi, remove it to a 
dark room or shed, and when a bloom has fully opened cut it off with, 
say, about IS inches of stem ; immerse immediately in a jar or tumbler 
of water, and cut off underneath the water about 2 inches of the stem. 
I imagine that in this way the air is prevented from penetrating the 
stem, and hence the access of the water to the bloom is unimpeded. A 
small quantity of charcoal placed in the water obviates the necessity 
of continually changing the same. I should mention that I afterwards 
take off a small piece of the stem occasionally, this operation being 
likewise performed underneath the water. 
With regard to mildew, I have found that sulphide of potassium, at 
the rate of two ounces to a gallon of water, syringed on the plants, has 
been the most effectual remedy, but when housed I consider dry flowers 
of sulphur dusted on the foliage preferable. Mildew generally begins 
during the months of August and September, sometimes in the latter 
part of July, and I have reasons for concluding that it originates from 
the varying temperatures for which these months are conspicuous, the 
days frequently being extremely hot and the nights cold and misty. To 
confirm, in my own mind, my conjecture on this point, I housed half 
the plants of Val d’Andorre, Triomphe de la Rue des Chalets, Meg 
Merrilies, and Mr. Ralph Brocklebank, which are notoriously subject to 
this disease, at the end of July, the other half being housed at the end 
of September. No trace of mildew appeared on those first housed, while 
the others suffered in the usual manner. It will be found on taking 
two leaves of eoual length (they can of course be cut to weigh the 
same), the one being healthy and the other showing signs of mildew, and 
burning them separately, that the ash of the former is heavy. This, I 
imagine, proves that the mildewed leaf contained more liquid matter 
than the other. It is not inconsistent, therefore, to conclude that 
defective or checked transpiration is the cause of mildew. 
To a similar cause I venture to attribute damping in blooms, as 
a like result is obtained from the last experiment if blooms be sub¬ 
stituted for leaves. The fact of the petals giving off water in the same 
way as leaves, though, of course, in a smaller degree, must not be over¬ 
looked. Damping, I have observed, is generally confined to blooms 
grown for size, on plants which have lost a great deal of their foliage 
from a too early ripening. I am inclined to think that overfeeding has 
little or nothing to do with damping, inasmuch as I have experienced 
from overfeeding exactly the opposite result—viz., the bud displaying a 
dry rot, and refusing to develop at all I suppose a to) early ripening 
of the plants is due to an exposed position, where they have practically 
no shade and no shelter from the summer sun I placed some plants so 
as to be shaded from the sun between the hours of 11 A.M. and 2 P.M. 
during the months of June and July, and I fed them twice as liberally 
as those fully exposed. The former when housed were ripened about 
halfway up the stem, and the result appeared to afford weighty testi¬ 
mony to the validity of my conjecture. This was especially noticeable 
amongst the weak varieties. Bearing on this point, in conclusion, I 
would draw your attention to the fact that whereas warmer countries 
easily ripen seed, in which we practically fail, they cannot produce 
blooms such as those exhibited by the National Chrysanthemum 
Society. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS FOR EXHIBITION. 
By Mr CIIA.RLES G1B30X. 
Oxe of the first things an intending exhibitor has to do is to ascer¬ 
tain how many plants can be properly housed, and also how many can 
be well grown through the summer. Better results will be secured 
from 300 well attended plants than from double that number partially 
neglected. Selection of varieties is another important matter ; but with 
