350 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 6, 1886. 
with others, to which additional notes will be devoted another 
time. Mr. W. Bull, Chelsea, has a house of Queensland 
plants, which include some beautiful and valuable rarities, 
of which only a few can be mentioned. The curious Cjcad 
with bipinnate leaves, Bowenia spectahilis, is notable; the 
majestic DoryantheB Palmeri, the Moreton Bay Chestnut, 
Castanospermum auatrale, Davidsonia pruriens, several 
Palms, the elegant Alsophila Rebecca; and the fragrant¬ 
leaved Eucalyptus citriodora, reminding us of the well-known 
Aloysia, are some of the principal features. There is also 
an extensive rockery and aviary constructed by Messrs. Dick 
Radclyffe & Co. for Australian plants and birds, which, when 
completed, will constitute an attractive portion of the exhibits 
in this department. There are also in several of the courts 
large numbers of coloured plates representing the flowers of 
the different Colonies, wax models of the fruits cultivated, and 
an important series of Australian woods cut like volumes of 
books and arranged in a case. 
The largest house of all is that intended for New Zealand 
vegetation, which has been constructed by Mr. S. Deards. It 
is 140 feet long, 35 feet wide, and very lofty, with curved 
lean-to roof, and will require an extensive collection of plants 
to fill it. These are to come chiefly from Chiswick, and will 
consist largely of Ferns, with Dracaenas, the native Flax, 
(Phormium tenax), and others. When furnished it will have 
a particularly handsome appearance, as a steep bank rising 
to the back will form a diversified rockery that can be well 
seen from the path below. At the western side of the Exhibi¬ 
tion is situated the Cape of Good Hope house, which has been 
filled by Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son, MaidaVale, London. 
At the present time this has the brightest appearance of any, 
owing to the number of flowering plants employed, such as 
Ericas, Pelargoniums, Oxalises, and Richardias, to which 
are added, for ornament only, Hydrangeas and Musk. 
Some large examples of the Elephant’s Foot, Testudinaria 
elephantipes, are remarkable, one weighing 12 cwt. During 
the season we may expect a bright succession of flowers in 
this house, which will be one of the most attractive to general 
visitors. The Natal house is furnished by the same firm, 
including chiefly foliage plants and some of economic value, 
such as the Sugar Cane, Tea, Coffee, and others that have 
been found to succeed in the Colony. 
To the right of the main entrance Messrs. Sander & Co., 
St. Albans, have a house that is to be devoted to the Orchids 
from India and the Colonies, and provision is being made for 
a most effective floral display. Suitable pockets and nooks 
have been constructed on the walls, and in the centre, of 
rustic woodwork, in which the plants will be arranged as 
naturally and informally as possible. 
In other departments, as in the West Indian galleries, 
coloured plates of plants are numerous. In several there are 
enlarged representations of the most important native plants 
painted on the walls, while in the Canadian Court is a mas¬ 
sive trophy showing all the principal vegetable productions 
of the Dominion, either dried or preserved in spirit. These 
are a few of the features that horticulturists will find most 
interesting, but the attraction will be greatly increased when 
the arrangements are more nearly completed, for at present 
there is much to be done. Popular as the other exhibitions 
proved, it is very probable that with a fine season this will 
obtain still greater patronage, and it should enable the Com¬ 
missioners to conclude the series with a substantial balance. 
At the opening ceremony on Tuesday, which was one of 
the grandest of its kind seen in London for some years, the 
floral decorations were very effective. In the entrance-hall 
this was particularly noticeable, brilliant groups of Azaleas 
and Cinerarias being arranged with a due proportion of 
Palms and Ferns, very tastefully disposed, and much less 
formally than is usually the case with such groups. In other 
portions of the Exhibition Palms were freely employed, 
imparting quite a tropical appearance to the avenues and 
galleries, while Mr. Ware’s beautiful collections of Daffodils, 
Tulips, Primulas, and other hardy flowers in the conserva¬ 
tory were greatly admired. Around the Prince Consort 
statue, above the large fountain, were wreaths of scarlet 
Zonal Pelargoniums and white Hyacinths, with a background 
of Box shoote. As regards the general Exhibition wonderful 
progress has been made in the past few days, and apparently 
little now remains to complete it. The weather was exceed¬ 
ingly fine, and the season was commenced with a large 
attendance of visitors. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND THEIR CULTURE. 
C Continued from paqe 335.) 
PLANTS AND BLOOMS FOR MARKET. 
The demand for flowers has increased among all classes greatly 
during the last few years, and none excels Chrysanthemums either 
in a cut state or as dwarf plants for the market during the months 
of October, November, and December. They are grown in large 
numbers to meet the increasing demand, so suitable are they found 
to be as vase plants in towns where other plants at that time of 
the year are scarce, and those producing white flowers are most in 
favour. Madame Desgrange is an excellent variety for an early 
supply, followed by James Salter, deep lilac, and its white sport, 
Lady Selborne, which is much appreciated. Next comes Elaine, 
which in my opinion is the finest of all Chrysanthemums in purity 
of colour, substance, floriferousness, and duration of the blooms. 
Sceur Melanie is another grand variety, producing its white flowers 
freely. The best of the incurved section for cutting in large 
numbers is Mrs. G. Rundle, which, owing to the blooms being of 
medium size, can be used more conveniently for bouquets. George 
Glenny, pale primrose, is the same habit of growth as the former, 
and excellent for the same purpose where flowers other than white 
are required. White Cedo Nulli produces flowers in abundance, 
and being of good shape renders it extremely useful for cutting. 
The above are some of the best for producing flowers in quantities. 
Various methods are adopted in their culture, but the following 
is one of the best Strike the cuttings in the usual way in Feb¬ 
ruary, top them when 4 inches high, and transfer them into 4-inch 
pots. The best position at this stage is in a cold frame, taking 
care to prevent their being drawn weakly ; top the shoots again 
when they reach the same length. About the middle of May plant 
them out 3 feet apart on an open piece of ground, and if the soil 
is poor use Some well-decayed manure. Should the weather be dry 
and hot during summer water the plants freely. Continue to top 
the branches till the middle of June : do not stake the branches 
upright, but allow them to lie on the ground. The last week in 
September cut around the plants with a spade, and in about a week 
lift them with a good ball of soil and plant as thickly as their size 
will allow in houses usually occupied in the summer with Cucum¬ 
bers. The soil in which the latter had been growing will suit the 
Chrysanthemums, and save further trouble of preparing other 
compost. The advantage of not staking the branches upright will 
now be obvious, as houses like those named are generally deficient 
of head room ; the branches will better lie on the beds, and will 
be near the glass also. When planted give a good soaking of water 
to the roots, and syringe the plants in the afternoon for a few days, 
and if they show signs of flagging apply a light shade until they 
have recovered from the check occasioned by the removal. It will 
be well to disbud to one flower on each stem on some of the plants, 
and by allowing all the flower buds to remain on others flowers of 
different sizes are obtained, which are very useful in making up 
wreaths or bouquets. When the roots commence penetrating the 
new soil give liquid manure freely to the plants, and ventilate on 
fine days. Plants grown in this manner yield abundance of flowers 
with but a minimum of labour as compared with the method of 
keeping them in pots all the summer, and the houses which are 
devoted to Cucumbers during the summer are generally available 
for the Chrysanthemums just about the time they are required. 
Mrs. G. Rundle is particularly well adapted for this method of 
cultivation, its habit of growth being moderately strong and 
branching freely. Elaine is not so suited for this form of culture as 
the preceding, its habit of growth being too tall and upright, but 
for the production of blooms it is a charming variety. The following 
course of treatment answers the purpose well. Strike the cuttings 
in January, top them when 4 inches high, and continue to do so 
until about the 12th of June ; early in the same month give them 
their final shift, placing two or three plants in an 11-inch pot. Each 
plant will have from twenty to thirty branches, from which remove 
all lateral growths as fast as they are produced, retain the first bud 
formed at the point of each branch, removing all other side buds. 
If the flower buds are not thinned the blooms will be poor in sub¬ 
stance and “ hollow eyed,” and in cutting the centre flower which 
opens first many side buds will have to be sacrificed, as they do not 
