13 ^ 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 16,1888. 
Liverpool is mainly due to top-dressing and keeping the roots in full 
activity, so that they can take up what nourishment the cultivator feels 
disposed to give them. Healthy foliage down to the base and 
active roots insure large flowers with depth and breadth of floret. 
Last season was just a little too warm, and ripened the wood too 
much even about Liverpool. When the blooms were developing at 
Wyncote the roots were like hundreds of small tiny worms in the top¬ 
dressing. Plants that are too ripe never root into these top-dressings, 
even if they are applied, and if such plants are turned out when the 
flowers are half-developed, it will be found that they have practically 
ceased to Work. 
_ Over-feeding, or stimulants too strong in their latter stages, will 
bring about similar conditions as takes place when the woocl is too ripe. 
The roots are poisoned and brought to a standstill: supplies are eut off, 
and the flowers only develope under difficulties. I have seen the hopes 
and prospects of more than one grower blighted by this cause just in the 
last stages. Under-feeding is safer than over-feeding, but if the roots 
can be kept in full swing, and feeding carefully and judiciously practised 
to the last, fine flowers are almost certain to be the result, provided the 
plants are strong enough and the buds have been taken at the right 
tioae.—W. B. 
THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 
[The following essav has been adjudged the best in the competition 
for the prize given by Mr. E. Kay, Holbeck Moor Pottery, Leeds, open 
to under gardeners residing in the West Riding of i'ork. It was sent in 
by Mr. Geo. Anderson, The Gardens, Ferniehurst, Shipley, and was read 
by him at a recent meeting of the Leeds Paxton Society.] 
After J^some introductory remarks respecting the history of the 
Chrysanthemum the culture is thus described :— 
PROPAGATION. 
The usual method of propagating is by cuttings ; thos^ intended for 
large-flowered specimens should be struck in December under handlights 
near the glass in a house with a temperature of from 40° to 50°. Some 
growers prefer to strike in heat in February and March ; this is not 
advisable for two or three reasons. The early suckers become drawn 
and weakly before they are wanted for cuttings, and the time for the 
proper development of the plant is considerably shortened, and although 
rowth is slow at the turn of the year, the advantage of having stocky 
p lants in 3-inch potslagainst cuttings to be rooted in February is obvious. 
Not that striking at the latter date is to be condemned, as many varieties 
that are tardy in throwing up suckers in the autumn may then be 
struck and make plants producing flowers to be by no means despised. 
Another reason for early rooting is to have the old plants cleared off in 
good time. 
StriMng Cuttings. —At whatever time they are struck select from the 
base of the plant cuttings about 3 inches long, a medium between the 
sveakly and the thick sappy ones being the best. Avoid stem cuttings, as 
they are liable to set flower buds early in the summer to the exclusion 
of shoots, and thus have blooms of very inferior quality many weeks 
before they are required. Side shoots of scarce varieties may, however, 
be struck in May and June with the object of making plants to propagate 
from the following season. 
Suelcers. —Rooted suckers may be taken with every prospect of doing 
as well as cuttings, the only objection to them being in the case of scarce 
varieties, for it is obvious that when cut off at the surface it may break 
below and produce more cuttings, which possibility is precluded when 
lifted with a root. It is preferable to strike the cuttings singly in thumb 
pots, the best soil for the purpose being equal parts loam and leaf mould 
with a free use of silver sand ; sprinkle a little of the latter on the 
surface after filling the pot, and make the soil firm round them. 
Treatment ef the Cuttings. —After insertion the cuttings should be 
watered with a fine rose ami placed on a bed of ashes under handlights 
as above described, and kept close until roots are formed, with the 
exception of an hour or so in the morning to evaporate excessive 
moisture and give what water is required. When two or more cuttings 
are struck in the same pot—3 or 4-inch sizes are the best for this purpose 
—repot them before the roots are entangled, thus reducing the check 
they receive, and keep them in the same conditions as when striking 
until they have hold of the fresh soil, when air may be admitted more 
freely until they have all the light and air possible, subject, of course, 
to modification according to the weather. The best structure for the 
purpose is a low house provided with hot-water pipes, as they are less 
liable to be affected by damp and mildew than when in a frame, not 
to mention the better facilities afforded for protection from frost. 
Damp and Mildew. —Damp and mildew are the greatest enemies of 
the Chrysanthemum at this period, and as the former is the precursor of 
the latter, keeping the plants airy and carefully attending to their 
watering will tend to check it. Should mildew appear, the affected 
parts should immediately be dusted with flowers of sulphur. 
POTTING. 
When the pots are well filled with roots it must be decided in what 
size they are to bloom, and be repotted accordingly before they are root- 
bound. Plants to be potted finally into 9-inch pots should first be placed 
into 3^-inch, next into 5 or 6-inch, and from that into 9-inch pots. Plants 
to be grown in 10-inch pots must have a size lar.rer than those men¬ 
tioned at each potting. The soil for this potting should consist of two 
parts fibry loam to one of leaf mould and one of spent Mushroom bed 
with a lilxiral addition of sharp sand and charcoal, the latter especially 
if the soil is heavy. Use clean pots well drained, and pot firmly, after¬ 
wards returning them to their former or a similar situation until the 
roots reach the sides of the pots, when they may be removed to a cold 
frame standing on ashes close lo the glass. Keep them close for a few 
days, after which admit air freely to keep the plants stocky. Imme¬ 
diately after potting and also after removal be specially careful not to 
overwater them. 
Fir.st Break. —While the plants are in the pots named they will make 
their first break about the end of May, caused by the formation of a 
flower bud at the apex of the stem, which induces side shoots to break out 
at the nodes. The bud should be removed and the shoots reduced to the 
required number, the latter to be decided by the purposes for which the 
plants are intended ; if for flowers of the largest size three stems will be 
ample and the three topmost buds must be left, if for flowers of 
secondary size six or eight may be left. 
Finai Potting. —By the first or second week in June, if all has gone 
well with the plants, they will be re.ady for their final potting, which 
should be done before they are rootbound, and done properly, or the 
chances of success are decidedly minimised. One essential is good soil, 
but it is equally important to have a soil capable of taking in a quantity 
of food in addition to what it contains, also to be capable of passing the 
water quickly through it. The best mixture for the purpose is loam, 
with the addition of a portion of spent Mushroom bed, a little leaf 
mould, crushed bones, or horn shavings, coarse silver sand, charcoal, and 
wood ashes, but no hard-and-fast rule can be laid down for the quantity 
and proportion of each ingredient to be used. What the cultivator 
must aim at is to have a good bodied mixture rather light than other¬ 
wise ; not too wet, or it wilt run together and retain water too long, and 
not too dry or the plants cannot te potted properly. Use clean pots 
with 2 or 3 inches of diainage surfaced with moss or rough leaves and 
pot firmly. Too much importance cannot be attached to firm potting, 
for if potted loosely they are likely to develope large leaves on soft 
sappy stems from which it is impossible _to get good substantial flowers. 
Pot sufficiently deep to cover the surface of the ball, and stand them on 
a cool base in their summer quarters. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK.foii™eWEEK.. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Bikds and Fruit Buds. —Alieady the bullfinches have commenced 
destroying the fruit buds. Plums and Damsons being the first to suffer. 
Gooseberries, Pears, Apricots, Peaches, and Apples all will be visited in 
their turn unless something is done to stop the birds. There is a good 
promise of bloom on all kinds of fruits, but in many districts so 
unusually numerous are the bullfinches that these bold marauders may 
soon spoil it all, and that, too, without perhaps being noticed. The 
surest and quickest way of clearing a neighbourhood of these beautiful 
pests is to trap them. Double trap cages with a live h^n bird of the 
same species in a lower division and a little Turnip or bird seed in the 
top will attract and catch all the male birds and most of the hens in 
the district, two or three being sometimes caught in the same day. 
They are also very fond of the seed on Weeping Ash trees, as many as 
fifteen birds having been seen on a tree at one time. The gun has 
altered this somewhat, and what the trap misses will also be shot, at 
least whenever this can be done without injury to fruit trees. A 
reckless use of the gun in a fruit garden must be guarded against, the 
shots proving most injurious to the trees. Sentiment ought not to stand 
in the way in this matter of destroying garden pests, as it simply means 
either death to the bullfinches, netting over the trees, or little or no fruit. 
Pruninu Apricot Trees.—A few warm days will bring these 
rapidly forward, and if not already pruned and nailed, this work 
ought to be completed. Where they are fruited principally on the spurs 
formed to summer stopping the laterals, not much pruning beyond 
reducing the length of these spurs is needed. Supposing the young 
growths stand out about 4 inches from the stems they should be cleanly 
shortened to a length of 2 inches, or otherwise unsightly old spurs will 
be gradually created. When spurs thus become unduly long these lose 
much of the benefit to be derived from a warm wall, and do not 
produce such luscious fruit as do those better situated. It is not 
advisable to clear off these long spurs wholesale, or one season’s crop 
may be lost. Be content rather to thin them out, or gradually get rid 
of them. If cleanly sawn or cut off near their starting point next 
season may see a cluster of young growth around these short stumps, 
and which may be converted into good fruiting spurs. If preferred the 
long spurs may be gradually shortened, each time to a good back 
growth. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest Forced House.—The trees 
must be syringed every morning and afternoon in order to keep red 
spider in check. If, however, the weather be dull the syringing must 
be practised early in the afternoon, so that the trees may become fairly 
