January 7, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
9 
others by the aid of small cups of virgin cork or other sub¬ 
stances, others planted openly in the lower parts of the case, 
while a few may be suspended in small baskets either of virgin 
cork or cocoa-nuts cut in half. When the plants have grown to 
their full size the case will not be too crowded, and the beauty of 
each separate Fern will be maintained. Every third season, or 
oftener if the plants show any signs of failing health, cai'efully 
remove them and renew the soil; thus you will continue the 
beauty of the case without having so often to make purchases. 
Many very pretty varieties of exotic Ferns may be grown in 
the Wardian case, especially among the half-hardy kinds. Most 
Fern vendors show such in their catalogues they send out, 
iving the temperature required by stating their native 
abitat. Bear in mind that it is almost useless to attempt to 
grow Ferns from the tropics in these cases; they require too 
much heat, and never look well long together. Select such as 
you can from America, New Zealand, New South Wales, Tas¬ 
mania, Norfolk Island, and Australia. These are the most likely 
localities, using, of course, care in your choice, selecting only the 
dwarf varieties, not by carelessness planting a Tree Fern in your 
miniature fernery. The inventor of the Wardian case was the 
late Mr. B. M. Ward of London. To him we owe the existence 
of so many beautiful exotic Ferns. Those from the tropics 
could scarcely ever have reached this country had he not con¬ 
trived this mode of bringing them over. In all cases, however, 
they were speedily removed from their prison to the stoves at 
Kew and other suitable houses as soon as they arrived. The 
idea of adopting cases of this description for permanent homes 
for some of the hardier sorts was happily taken advantage of to 
decorate our rooms and to add to our fireside pleasures. 
(To be continued.) 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND THEIR CULTURE. 
(Continued from page 558.) 
PROPAGATION. 
Striking the cuttings of Chrysanthemums is an important 
item in the growth of these plants. There are various methods 
practised, some finding one to answer best and some another. As 
most persons like to know which is not the correct way to do certain 
things as well as they like to understand the proper lines to follow, 
I will first describe the system I have found the best, and state the 
reason it is so. I will also detail a few other methods which are 
faulty, and consequently not to be recommended. 
An idea largely prevails among the inexperienced that bottom 
heat is requisite for striking the cuttings. This is quite a mistake, 
as the application of heat at this stage tends to weaken the after¬ 
growth of the plants. They should be grown as sturdily as possible, 
never exciting them so as to unduly draw them up, particu¬ 
larly in the early stages. This is an important point to bear 
in mind. A great deal depends upon the quality of the growths 
to begin with. A weakly-grown cutting can be made to improve 
very much, but while that is taking place much valuable time is 
lost ; therefore select thoroughly good cuttings. 
Both good and bad cuttings are represented in the annexed 
engravings. No. 1 (fig. 3), as can be seen by the bloom bud in the 
axils of the leaves, is the wrong one. This was taken from the 
stem of a plant. No difficulty would be experienced in striking 
this cutting, but the chances are that before it had grown beyond 
an inch or two other bloom buds would form instead of growth 
shoots, and sometimes no shoots are produced, so stubborn is the 
plant to alter its course ; therefore to take such cuttings as these is 
sheer waste of time. No. 2 (fig. 4) is the cutting to select. It was 
taken at some distance from the stem of the parent plant, and gives 
promise of free uninterrupted growth. They should be about 
3 inches long, not too sappy, and cut square across below a joint. 
Stout suckers find favour with some growers—namely, growths that 
push through the soil and taken off when about 2 inches long with 
bristling roots attached. This is a simple method, and the plants 
may be grown quite as good as from the orthodox cuttings. One 
objection only do I see to the sucker system—if the stock of any 
particular variety is scarce it obviously cannot be increased so 
quickly as if a cutting is severed above the soil, leaving a portion 
of stem to produce further growths. Some growers cut out the 
buds or eyes from the lower part of the cuttings to prevent the 
growth of suckers in the summer. This I do not consider necessary 
nor wise, because the production of suckers in a proper manner 
does not interfere with the well-being of the parent plant, and 
where is the stock of cuttings to come from for another season if 
such strict measures are taken to prevent their growing at all ? 
Having explained the kind of cutting to select, I will endeavour 
to make as clear as possible the best means of striking them. The 
best of all methods is under handlights, or in a propagating frame, 
placed in a house having a temperature of from 40° to 50°. These 
should be on the side stages, and as near the glass of the roof as 
possible, so as to prevent the cuttings becoming drawn. If hand- 
lights are not available boards affixed in the shape of a frame with 
laths across at suitable distances to support loose squares of glass 
will suffice. These home-made appliances answer the purpose well 
as long as they are air-tight or nearly so. Some growers strike 
their cuttings in a cold frame, but my reason for preferring a cool 
house is that much time is often lost in a frame through severe 
weather. I have seen them frozen hard in the pots for a fortnight. 
This will not kill them, but while they are in that condition they 
are not making roots, therefore must be losing time ; and if they 
are protected from frost they must be sometimes covered for seve¬ 
ral days, which renders them liable to suffer from damp. Certainly 
they are more checked in this position than in a house where light 
is not obstructed, and if they are not subjected to frosts they are 
less liable to suffer from damp. Some persons strike them 
in pots on shelves close to the glass in an ordinary green¬ 
house, but in such a position they often flag very much, root¬ 
ing is retarded, and time lost. They ought not to flag at all. 
Five or six cuttings are occasionally inserted round the edge 
of a 4-inch pot. They strike readily enough in this way, but 
when the plants are potted singly they receive too severe a 
check by the loss of soil from the roots during the operation of 
