December 20, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
559 
reflexed or the Japanese. An exhibitor might be disqualified at one 
exhibition where the National Society’s Catalogue was not recognised for 
including a certain variety in his Japanese blooms, and again at the 
next for placing it among the reflexed. (Cheers). 
The toast of the “Affiliated and Kindred Societies” was proposed by 
Mr. Blake and responded to by Mr. R. Dean, the latter remarking that 
he took every opportunity of pointing out the advantages of affiliation 
with the National Chrysanthemum Society. When he was asked what 
advantages would be derived from such a proceeding, he replied that 
they would come in contact with one of the best Presidents in the 
country. If he was asked who that was he replied, the “ Grand Old 
Mum,” and they joined at once. (Loud laughter). With the toast of 
the “ Stewards,” proposed by Mr. Payne and responded to by Mr. Long, 
and that of the “ Press,” proposed by Mr. Addison and responded to by 
Mr. W. P. Wright, in the absence of his senior, a most pleasant and 
enjoyable meeting terminated. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE AND VARIETIES. 
[Head by Mr.ChailesE. Pe-rson of Chilwell, at the Horticultural Club, on Pecemter lltb.] 
I DO not propose to open my paper in the usual way, with a disquisi¬ 
tion on the history of the Chrysanthemum, the exact date of its intro¬ 
duction, its use in and influence on Japanese art, and similar matters, 
partly because I think these things of very secondary interest to a 
horticultural association, and partly because I must confess to a blissful 
ignorance concerning them. I will therefore pass at once to cultural 
details, but before doing so must ask your kind indulgence if a great 
part of what I have to say appears stale news to you, the subject having 
been thrashed out so thoroughly that it is very difficult to extract any¬ 
thing fresh from it, though there is still need to keep reiterating the first 
principles of culture, as no easily grown plant is, leaving out special 
districts, more often seen in a miserable half-neglected state than the 
Chrysanthemum. Because the plant will exist with very little care it is 
often left until everything else in the garden has received attention, and 
s then attempted to be rushed with stimulants just at the end of the 
season. The fact is that to obtain any measure of success in Chrysan¬ 
themum growing, the plants should never stand still from the time the 
cutting is struck until the flower is in perfection ; the successive pottings 
should not be delayed a day after the plants are ready, nor should they 
ever suffer by want of water through the season. 
Leaving the question of seed-raising, the first step in cultivation is of 
course taking the cuttings. This may be done from November to April 
and even May, but I think the best time is the beginning of December— 
that is, if one has all the conveniences for growing the plants properly 
after being struck. Many amateurs and people whose accommodation is 
limited strike the cuttings, and then allow them to become drawn and 
spoilt for want of room to pot them at the proper time. Those in this 
case would do better to preserve the stumps of their Chrysanthemums in 
a cold frame until the spring, and then insert the cuttings when there 
is more chance of their receiving proper attention. In choosing cuttings 
preference should be given to the stout suckers which push from the 
roots when these can be obtained; but it is, however, not always possible 
to get these, especially from the Japanese kinds, many of which rarely 
throw up a sucker and only produce stem cuttings sparingly. Care 
should be taken in cutting these last down not to cut too low, but to 
leave a foot or so of the old stem, for want of which precaution we 
lost all our stock of Marguerite Marrouch some two or three years ago> 
not one of the stumps producing a cutting. Thousands of cuttings are 
spoilt annually by too much heat, becoming thin, spindly, and often 
mildewed, after which no amount of care can coax them into first-class 
plants. Putting them into perfectly cold frames is, I think, going to the 
other extreme, at least in our cold district, though much preferable to 
too much heat. 
After several exoeriments I have settled upon one of our small 
houses as the best place for the purpose. It is about 30 feet by 10, has a 
path down the centre with a bed on each side, in which the cuttings are 
plunged. One 4-inch pipe runs down each side of the house and returns 
under the beds, and as these pipes cannot be made really hot the heat 
is just sufficient to keep the frost out. Though Chrysanthemums will 
strike in a cold frame, I am convinced that much time is lost during 
severe frosts, when for a month at a time they just exist under coverings 
of mats, &c., which of course exclude light as well as frost. 
In taking cuttings begin if possible with the late flowering kinds, as 
Cherub, Mrs. Heale, Meg Merrilies, Princess Teclc, E e, &c., which 
require a long season of growth ; insert them, that is all the incurved 
and Japanese, singly in small thumb pots. The Pompons and sing.es may 
be put seven or eight round a 4-inch pot. The reason for this is that 
some cuttings will strike much before the others put in at the same 
time, and so become drawn before being taken from the be’, the 
singles and Pompons may be kept in order by pinching the points out 
as soon as they begin to grow, which cannot be done with the others if 
they are intended for specimen blooms. No glass or other covering need 
be placed over the bed except for the latest cuttings in spring, which 
may require a newspaper laid over the beds for shade in the brightest 
part of the day. As soon as the cuttings are rooted they should be at 
once removed to a bench nearer the glass to prevent drawing, one 
covered with ashes or cocoa fibre being preferable to bare wood, as it is 
easier to keep them in an equable state as regards moisture. 
At this stage the grower should make up his mind if not done 
before what style of plants he intends to grow, whether the object is 
exhibition, cut blooms, or conservatory decoration. 
Some people are utterly blind to the beauty of a flower which will 
not at least figure creditably on the front row of a showboard, while 
others never attempt to develope a bloom to the extent of which it is- 
capable. I think myself that perfection as in most things lies between 
the extremes, and is best attained by endeavouring to bring each* 
variety to perfection on its own lines— i.e., in the way best suited to its- 
natural character. There are many varieties, as for instance Bouquet Fai V 
W. Robinson, Source d'Or, L’Or du Rhin, Chevalier Domage, Tendress'', 
&c., which naturally form dense, bushy plants smothered with bloom, 
forming beautiful objects for the conservatory and providing'abundance 
of flowers for cutting. The only effect of disbudding these is to destroy 
the natural grace of the plant and throw away nine-tenths of the 
flowers, as the blooms are very little larger on a disbudded plant than 
when grown naturally. These remarks of course apply still more 
forcibly to the Pompons and singles. On the other hand, those who 
never disbud make almost as great a mistake, as it is only by limiting 
the bloom that the proper form of the incurved and the splendid size 
and colour of the Japanese varieties can be properly brought out. The 
waste is also not so great as it appears at first sight, as I have often 
notice 1 that perfect flowers, I suppose from their greater substance of 
petal, last much longer than ordinary ones. 
The varieties which specially require disbudding are the large 
incurved kinds, as the Queen, Beverley, and Bundle families, and the 
largest Japanese, a list which may be got from the first prize lot at any 
good show. There is a further class, which is utterly useless unless 
well grown and disbudded to the crown bud, and which should be 
avoided by the ordinary gardener who does not make Chrysanthemums 
a speciality and study the peculiarities of each variety ; of these are 
Comte de Germiny, Boule d'Or, Grandifiorum, Thunberg, Baronne de- 
Prailly, &c. 
An advantage of the mixed system of growing is the possibility of 
making more artistic groups when the plants are of varying size and 
habit, which give more light and shade in grouping and avoid the 
appearance of a gaudy carpet, which is attained when all the flowers 
are brought into one plane. It follows that to do this each variety must 
be studied separately and notes made of its habit, size of bloom, &C-: 
It is not a bad plan with a new variety, if the plant be received early 
enough, to take off the top, strike it and run up without stopping for 
one or two good blooms, growing the decapitated plant into a bush, thus 
getting a good idea of its capabilities the first season. Going back to 
our cuttings, which were just struck, after being taken from the bed and 
placed in a lighter position for a few days, they should be transferred 
into small pots, about 2 inches will do, the soil used being decayed turf 
lightened with sand and leaf soil; this should not be made too firm the 
first potting, as the young plants recover and begin to grow again much 
more quickly if rather lightly potted. 
Between now and the end of May is a very critical time with 
Chrysanthemums, during which numbers are wholly or partiallw 
ruined, many people having their frames filled with bedding plants, &e.. 
During spring the Chrysanthemums have to put up with a position fra. 
the greenhouse, yards from the glass, and probably 10° or 15° too hot. 
They may remain in the greenhouse if cool and airy until the second 
move into 5-inch pots, after which they should certainly go into the 
cold frame, where, as soon as they have recovered from the potting, all’ 
the air possible should be given by tilting the lights, and, if possible, 
removing them altogether on warm days. The object is to secure a slow, 
sturdy growth as a good foundation for the future specimen. If groan 
too quickly the plants are ready for the final potting before the cultivator 
is, as this cannot be done until it is safe to place them outside, at least 
by anyone with ordinary accommodation. 
This brings us to the most important operation of the series, the final 
nottin°\ The principal points in this are the size of pot used and the 
character of the soil. The first depends upon the cla s of plant required. 
I use three sizcs-7 inches for the plants to be run up with single stem* , 
