February 14, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
139 
Fertilisation of the Chrysanthemum. 
Allow me a few lines to say that your correspondent, Mr. Chas. E. 
Shea, in his criticism of th3 report of the Scientific Committee of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, pages 78 and 79 of your Journal, 
has missed the point. As to whether the Chrysanthemum is prot- 
androus was not in question, hut whether the Chrysanthemum is by 
Nature self-fertilised or cross-fertilised. My experience is that the 
Chrysanthemum is self-fertilised by Nature, and this the Scientific 
Committee have confirmed. I hope on the first opportunity that arises 
to practically illustrate the experiments to which I resorted that 
warranted my arriving at that conclusion.— Henry Briscoe-Ironside. 
A Plea for Anemone-Flowered Chrysanthemums. 
In answer to “ H. Harris ” (page 120) I may tell him I was not at 
the Crystal Palace show, and that the admiring crowd of ladies round 
the stands of Anemones does not alter in the least what I wrote 
respecting the Anemone as a decorative flower. I gave my experience 
and the experience of other gardeners with whom I have discussed the 
subject. The Anemone and Japanese Anemone will always find a place 
and a host of admirers at our autumn shows, and justly so, and amongst 
them will certainly be—F. G. 
New Chrysanthemums. 
Having taken a deep interest in the election, I should like to see 
the names of the electors who placed their favourites in high position. 
The variety at the head of the poll I have no doubt is good, but what 
opportunity has the general cultivator bad of testing it ? It may be a 
sturdy grower, or it may be a weak grower. The same may be said of 
eighteen or twenty others. No variety should be elected unless it has 
been thoroughly tested by the general cultivator one year. Mrs. E. S. 
Trafford (fourteen votes) is a sport from William Tricker (seven votes), 
and placed with the decorative varieties. This is a strange position for 
the poor parent. In the election for thirty-six Japanese poor Tricker 
only gets one solitary vote, and Hairy Wonder the same ; in the new 
varieties it has thirteen votes. Mrs. R. C. Kingston is placed among the 
new Japanese with one vote. This variety is not yet in commerce; 
besides, it is a Chinese incurved, and should not be placed in the list. 
There are several others with votes not placed in commerce, and some 
of them, I think, never will be. Again, there are varieties two or three 
years in commerce. J. P. Kendall, I think, is four years old, taken out 
of commerce by the raiser, and now brought forward as a new variety. 
Verily, the election has brought out strange results, and some of the 
electors appear to have curious notions.— Spectator. 
Chrysanthemum L. Canning. 
Several varieties of Chrysanthemums have been recommended for 
producing white flowers for the festive season, but this year I have been 
fully convinced that the best of all is L. Canning. Calling on a florist 
on December 15th I saw such a sight that I had never seen before—viz,, 
over 1000 plants of this variety developing their charming blooms. The 
majority had been disbudded, and each plant carried an average of ten 
blooms, of large size and of snowy whiteness. The plants were about 
3 feet high, and clothed with foliage to the pots. They were very clean, 
pictures of health, and as arranged on each side of the paths of four 
long span-roofad houses, they looked like beds of snow. Cutting had 
just commenced, and the demand for flowers kept the packers busy, and 
the stock was soon cleared off at a good price. 
L. Canning has been grown for three seasons in the establishment 
with equally good results. Before that time Pelican, Miss Marchaux, 
and Mrs. H. Cannell were found useful, but now only a few of these are 
grown by way of comparison, and the superiority of the favourite is at 
once apparent. The shape, build, and pureness of the flower is just 
what is wanted in the market. Another point in its favour is its 
freedom in producing cuttings, so much so, that already over 10,000 
cuttings have been disposed of from these plants, and still they come, 
so do orders for them, and by the time these lines are printed thousands 
more of the cuttings will be sent away. 
I see that Mr, O. Thomas of Windsor obtained an award of merit for 
L. Canning at the Royal Horticultural Society’s meeting on January 15th, 
so probably its merits will soon be appreciated. My advice to all who 
desire white Chrysanthemums later in the season is to try this useful 
variety.—H. Harris, Dome Ganlem, Horsham. 
Looking Ahead. 
In Chrysanthemum culture, as with everything else nowadays, the 
successful growers and exhibitors are those who look some distance 
ahead in the matter of cultural details. Now is the period when many 
arrangements for the future development of the plants and blooms 
should be made, and one of the most important is the final selection of 
varieties and the number of each to be grown for the present year’s 
requirements. 
I think it is the accepted method of all cultivators to insert many 
more cuttings than are really required for final growth, and then to 
make a selection of the most promising plants. Although I am now 
alluding mainly to plants cultivated for large blooms for exhibition and 
home use, it is necessary to use the same discretion when dealing with 
plants grown for decoration only. It is a mistake to give space to 
varieties of indifferent merit, or to those that are difiScult of cultivation, 
In the case of exhibition blooms, cultivators would do well to include 
all those possessing high merit combined with peculiarities of consti¬ 
tution, because in competition such points weigh heavily with qualified 
judges. Not only are these of considerable importance in the matter of 
prizewinning, but the fact of one cultivator being able to produce 
blooms of varieties that others fail with, stamps the former as possessing 
superior knowledge of the details required. With the vast array of 
names embraced in nearly all Chrysanthemum catalogues there can bo 
no reasonable excuse for the inclusion of inferior varieties. I would 
impress on all, especially those who have had but a limited experience, 
the necessity of rigidly excluding all doubtful varieties, bearing in mind 
that variety may have charms but not always use. It Is also a mistake 
to overcrowd the number of plants. All are more or less spoilt for 
want of the desirable space. Far better grow 100 really well than 
spoil double that number. 
The bulk of the early rooted plants are now well furnished with 
roots and awaiting their first transfer, and this affords a good oppor¬ 
tunity to make the final selection, rejecting those that exhibit the 
slightest sign of weakly growth, premature bud formation, insect pests, 
mildew, or other parasites, in favour of those free from the ills named. 
A stocky habit of growth ought to be encouraged ; a good foundation is 
most desirable, and abundant space is the chief necessity for obtaining 
these. As long as the leaves of one plant do not overlap those of its 
neighbour no complaint in this direction can be made. Directly the 
plants are a few inches high and the weather favourable the best posi¬ 
tion is in cold frames or pits, choosing a position where any advantage 
from the sun is gained, sheltered also from north and east winds. The 
glass must be well cleaned, and the frame made watertight. A thick 
bed of coal ashes should be provided, as too much moisture at the roots 
is certain to create a paleness in the colour of the leaves. 
Some thought must shortly be paid to the manner in which the bush 
or purely decorative plants are to be trained. Many persons prefer the 
continual topping of the plants as fast as 2 or 3 inches of growth are. 
made with a view to obtaining large plants. No doubt that aim is 
readily accomplished, but I venture to assert that plants grown under 
the method I will name will be much more satisfactory. The larger 
plants will occupy more space, but not give better results. Plants of 
this kind produce blooms with weak peduncles and generally short 
stems, therefore are not nearly so useful for the decoration of vases. 
Top the plants twice—once when 4 inches high and again when 6 more 
inches of growth has been made, afterwards allowing them to grow 
uninterruptedly. From such plants spikes of bloom from 1 to 2 feet 
can be obtained, and which, furnished with numerous side shoots, 
will be distinctly useful and meritorious. 
After writing so much and so long in favour of the extension of 
single flowering varieties, it is pleasing to me to note there is a greater 
tendency to favour this section. Cultivators have come to realise the 
value of these flowers for decorative purposes. At the time I write, 
February 8th, I have just been enabled to cut charming blooms of this 
type, and which are distinctly useful at this season of the year. No com¬ 
plaint can now be fairly lodged against the want of colour or variety in 
single flowering Chrysanthemums ; most brilliant in colouring are many 
now obtainable. For instance. Souvenir de Londr^4 and Mdme. Le 
Mouet. Then we have almost all neutral shades of colouring, and what 
is more, the blooms possess a fragrance not obtainable in any other 
section. 
Cultivators, I find, appreciate much more than formerly the early 
flowering type of Japanese for outdoor growth. For providing a dis¬ 
play of cut bloom in September and October before the regular indoor 
Chrysanthemum season commences, I can strongly recommend the 
early flowering race of Japanese varieties, like Ryecroft Glory and Comte 
Fouchier de Caria, the former yellow with a slight trace of bronze, 
and the latter distinctly bronze. Specimen trained plants, such as 
pyramids, standards, and those of convex form must have unstinted 
attention to space, cleansing from insect pests, and otherwise encouraging 
a free and vigorous growth. 
The preparation of the compost for potting the plants, no matter for 
what purpose they are grown, must receive early attention. Where the 
necessity arises of employing chemical manures the preparation of 
the soil is too long deferred. It is useless to mix the compost on the 
same day it is required, with the idea of obtaining full benefit from the 
manures thus employed. All phosphatic manures—such as bones, horn, 
and hoofs—require a longer period for assimilixtion of their virtuei by 
the soil before the plants derive benefit. Basic slag is much thought of 
by some cultivators for Chrysanthemums, and should be mixed with 
the loam for at least a couple of months before required. In preparing 
the compost for the final potting, and this is the most Important, the 
loam, which is the chief ingredient, should be stacked with layers of 
manure between, so that the whole will be thoroughly incorporated 
when used at potting time. 
Stakes of various sizes, posts and rails for making the framework to 
