512 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 12, 1889. 
as an industrious all-round gardener. Thus it will be seen Mr. Parker 
is not above admitting his indebtedness to a good master and a good 
man for the success he has attained in the discharge of his duty. 
PROBLEMS IN CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE. 
[A. Paper read by Mr. J. Wright at Hull, November 21st, 1889.] 
"While exhibitions of Chrysanthemums have done more than all 
else besides to popularise the flower that brightens, as no other flower 
can brighten, the proverbially dull month of November, something more 
appears needed for rendering those exhibitions completely satisfactory 
to those who so laudably and so ably share in producing them. I know 
of nothing more gratifying nor encouraging than the efforts that are 
made in various parts of the kingdom by gentlemen who have not been 
trained as cultivators, devoting a portion of their time, and not a small 
portion either, in producing the floral gatherings which afford delight to 
thousands who inspect and admire them. This action on the part of 
those who engage in it is most praiseworthy, and the business capacity 
thereby brought to bear in the formation and management of Chrysan¬ 
themum societies cannot be over-estimated. The response that is 
made by men who are cultivators is also gratifying—creditable to them¬ 
selves and generally appreciated. I am convinced that nowhere else in 
Europe are Chrysanthemums so well grown as in this country, yet we 
are not satisfied. There is an old adage which says, “ Much wants 
more.” It is true as applied to many engagements of life, and certainly 
in respect to the cultivation of a flower that so well repays for the skill 
that is exercised in its production. The aim is ever for excellence, and 
still greater excellence. In the endeavour to attain an ideal standard 
impediments are met with that can only be removed by a combination 
of effort, each doing what little he can in adding to the common store 
of knowledge ; and we may hope that by the aggregation of ideas we 
shall be able to take a step in advance yearly, and feel that we are 
treading on firm ground, thereby not only maintaining the position we 
occupy as the foremost Chrysanthemum-growing kingdom in Europe; 
but making sure, as far as possible, thaUour well-won supremacy will be 
sustained. 
Under the general heading of Problems I have been requested to 
refer to a few of the difficulties which amateurs encounter in the prose¬ 
cution of the work they so zealously engage in, but in which they some¬ 
times fail to achieve the object of their hopes. In complying with the 
wishes of some good friends and ardent cultivators I find a wide field 
before me. What is a problem ? The dictionary says—and it ought to 
know—that it is “ a question proposed ; a proposition ; any question 
involving doubt and uncertainty.” Now it so happens that I am re¬ 
lieved of the necessity of choosing certain propositions of that nature 
for discussion, because a few have been submitted to me in writing. 
These are—1, Time and methods of raising plants ; 2, Timing of blooms 
in respect to cut-baelc and topped p’ants; 3, Potting, watering, and 
feeding Chrysanthemums ; 4, The cause of damping in blooms ; 5, The 
origin of sports. As dealing exhaustively with each subject would 
require five papers instead of one, each proposition can only be briefly 
stated in a form that will incite discussion, and I shall ask the co-opera¬ 
tion of all—expert cultivators, and earnest, thoughtful amateurs—in 
endeavouring to remove some of the difficulties indicated, or, in other 
words, solving the problems proposed. 
Raising Plants. 
I am convinced that many amateurs err in establishing young plants 
too soon, or say in November. Where the best conveniences exist for 
growing the plants steadily and sturdily the objection to autumn pro¬ 
pagation largely vanishes. It is essential for the formation of the finest 
specimen plants, but not for the production of handsome individual 
blooms, except in the case of a few late varieties which require a long 
period of growth. When amateurs whose glass structures are limited, 
and consequently usually crowded with various kinds of plants, establish 
many young Chrysanthemums early in the autumn, they are extremely 
liable to be either “ drawn ” or “ checked ” during the winter months. 
In the former case they are weak to begin with in spring ; in the latter, 
apt to form buds prematurely, and just when they are not wanted. 
Drawing is the inevitable result of overcrowding, while checks occur 
through the plants remaining too long root-bound in small pots, because 
of the absence of room in the most suitable portions for shifting them at 
the proper time. Most amateurs would do better by a limitation in 
numbers of autumn raised plants, and deferring the propagation till the 
turn of the year, when every succeeding night is shorter and day grows 
longer—conditions that are essentially favourable for steady, substantia- 
growth. 
If short, robust root cuttings or suckers are inserted in February or 
March, the leaves never allowed to flag, yet never needlessly shaded, and 
the young plants kept moving without check of any kind, and in the 
most suitable positions, throughout their whole career, the larger flower¬ 
ing varieties especially will produce blooms quite large enough, and 
what is more the buds will, in all probability, be ssveral days later in 
appearing than on plants raised three months sooner, and thus the 
naturally early sorts that so often come too soon and are “ lost ” before 
the shows, might be kept for them. As years roll round we hear more 
and more regrets about losing the best blooms of the Queen family 
with the “ Alfreds,” the “ Wolseleys,” the Jeanne d’Arc’s, and others 
which have such an imposing effect, and count so heavily when in 
clean and good condition in the stands. I suspect not a few of those 
losses are the outcome of over-anxiety in working for blooms of extra¬ 
ordinary dimensions by early autumn propagation, and the influence this 
exerts on premature bud formation ; and it is the same in respect to> 
the naturally early Japanese. If amateurs were more generally to 
establish the late blooming varieties only in the autumn, and assign 
them the best positions through the winter, they would make the best 
of their space, and by striking the early varieties later than is customary 
the blooming of the two sections would be more equalised ; but by 
treating all alike from the outset, smarting them all together in the race, 
a close finish or simultaniety of expansion cannot be expected. Cut¬ 
tings inserted singly in thumb pots in January for the midseason 
varieties, and a few weeks later for the earlies, will make better plants- 
than if the cuttings were struck several in a pot two months sooner, 
and the growth subsequently checked by the necessary separation and 
breakage of the roots. 
In striking the cuttings needlessly high temperatures should be 
avoided. A close case in a comfortable greenhouse is usually warm 
enough, ranging as it does from about 50° to 55°. Every ray of light 
should be admitted that the leaves will endure without drooping, and 
eventually air, while adequate moisture must be afforded. Every day 
during which cuttings flag may be counted as two days lost in after 
growth, for there is the actual loss by growth cessation, plus the loss 
of energy from the cutting or plant. For this double reason half- 
starving cuttings to death in endeavouring to strike them on dry open- 
stages, or in too cold positions, should be avoided, for the first plan 
means exhaution, the second stagnation. Steady, healthy, progressive- 
movement from the first day to the last is the object to strive for, 
coddling, chilling, and checking being errors to be avoided in the career 
of the plants ; and just in proportion as the right and rational plan is 
adopted, and the wrong evaded, so will the result be—sound, heilthy 
examples of culture, capable of developing substantial blooms. 
Timing Blooms with Cut-back Plants. 
This is a difficult question to deal with, and that is probably the 
reason of its formulation. As may be gathered from the foregoing 
remarks, I am a greater believer in “ timing ” the blooms by the in¬ 
sertion of the cuttings than by cutting back the growths ; that is, 
when the finest exhibition blooms are coveted. No doubt very 
handsome blooms are produced by certain cut-back plants, and 
these plants, by their low stature and rich leafage, are indispensable 
for grouping and various decorative purposes ; but, as a rule, larger 
blooms of the same varieties are produced when cutting the plants- 
down is not resorted to. We have to bear in mind the object in view 
in considering this question. If it is for retarding plants on which 
buds show too soon, then topping the shoots, instead of cutting back 
the stems, is probably the better plan to adopt. Presuming that the 
production of crown buds at the right time is the chief point, and the 
naturally “ early openers ” form their buds towards the end of June, or 
early in July, as many do, the blooms would expand too soon, whereas if 
they were allowed to run on naturally to the next bud, this might be too- 
late. It would be wise, therefore, not to wait till an early July bud 
actually forms, but take off the top of the shoot before the bud is visible, 
then the bud next following would come nearer the right time. When 
bud formation commences, growths push from the axils of the leaves 
q, e ] ow —the natural result of the cessation of extension of the main stem. 
To these the stem may be cut, taking up two or three for bearing the 
coveted blooms. If no bud forms early in July it is a good plan to 
top the plants. This is doing what the bud does—arresting extension, 
and accelerating the growth of bloom-bearing shoots or breaks, which; 
but for this aid, might come too late. 
Some varieties, which are habitually too late, are found to come 
earlier by topping about the middle of May, taking up three shoots 
