190 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 8, 18801 
Making up fires at a particular time regardless of their condition 
at that time, of the temperature of the structures, heat in the 
pipes, also of the present and prospective state of the weather, is 
wrong. All these things have to be considered, and are considered 
by men who acquit themselves the best in the work in hand. One 
person will wait an hour or more to have his fires in the best state 
for making up, while another fails to see the use of being so par¬ 
ticular, and acts accordingly, trusting to chance that all will be 
right. In all cases of doubt as to the temperatures in the morning 
the man who intends to gain a reputation for trustfulness will 
prefer being out an hour or two too soon to half an hour too late. 
In the former case the man is master of the position, in the latter 
the position is master of the man. 
It would be amusing if it were not painful to see the frantic 
efforts a man will make late in the morning to atone for his negli¬ 
gence on the preceding night. It is true he succeeds in raising the 
temperature and having the pipes hot by the time the sun is hot too. 
That is exactly what should be as far as possible avoided, for fuel 
then is worse than wasted, as the heat generated in the pipes is 
harmful rather than beneficial. Under the combined influence 
of fire and sun the temperature increases so rapidly that a 
choice of evils or dangers has soon to be made—namely, over¬ 
heating on one hand, or excessive ventilation on the other. The 
less of this that is needed the better during winter weather in the 
forcing season. Widely opening the sashes for admitting a great 
inrush of cold, and consequently displacing an equal volume of 
warm moist air, is distinctly injurious to tender growth. 
Much has been said for and against what are known as fixed 
temperatures at fixed times. As all experienced gardeners know, 
absolutely fixed temperatures—that is, no deviation from those 
prescribed—are not necessary for purposes of cultivation, and, 
moreover, cannot be insured ; but for purposes of discipline rules 
are essential, and the more closely they are adhered to, subject do 
intelligent departures in accordance with verbal instructions, the 
more competent a workman becomes in the important duties with 
which he is entrusted in providing the conditions for healthy growth 
in fruit and plant houses during sharp frosty nights and bright 
sunny days in spring. No pretence is made of giving details for 
action, general principles only being considered, and these are con¬ 
ceived after several years of practice to be sound by— An Old 
Hand. 
FLOWER CULTURE FOR PROFIT. 
Chrysanthemums. 
(^Contiiwel frcm page 147.) 
To succeed well with these the plants ought to be raised early 
and otherwise treated very much as are the plants that produce the 
prizewinning blooms. It is not yet too late to root a quantity of 
cuttings in boxes as being the least trouble, or pricked out in hand- 
lights or singly in small pots, gentle heat being desirable in order 
to expedite matters. Directly the plants are well rooted place them 
singly into 3-inch pots, keep them growing steadily on greenhouse 
shelves or other light positions, shift into 6-inch pots before they 
become badly root-bound, and harden off by the end of May. The 
final shift into 10 inch pots must not long be delayed, the plants 
being then set on a bed of ashes in double rows where they can be 
eventually supported by wires or longitudinal stakes in addition to 
a single upright stake placed early to each plant. From first to 
last no pinching back or stopping should be resorted to, the single 
stem as it lengthens and strengthens branching naturally. Select 
from six to a dozen of the side shoots, according to the vigour of 
the plants, remembering also the fewer shoots retained the finer 
the blooms eventually obtained, and loosely attach these to the 
stake. Some of the forwardest may, perhaps, show a bud in July 
or very early in August, but these may well be allowed to disappear 
again. 
The crown buds showing from the middle of August onwards 
are what must be taken good care of, all the embryo side shoots 
but one surrounding these being carefully removed as early as 
possible. If this timely removal results in the swelling of the 
flower bud, also remove the other side shoot, otherwise the latter 
must be allowed to extend and form buds which this time will be 
easily preserved. Whether these late buds are surrounded by wood 
buds or flower buds, all but the central one must be early picked; 
out, and the plants being assisted with liquid manure will soon; 
plump up those reserved. All must be housed before severe frc^ts 
are experienced. The plants may be arranged somewhat thickly 
in Peach house, vineries, or other high airy structures, a good cir¬ 
culation of air being maintained, in dull damp weather especially,, 
with the aid of fire heat, the front and top ventilators being opened; 
little or much, night and day, according to the external tempera¬ 
tures. 
For about a fortnight before Christmas, and for any length of 
time subsequently, there is an exceptionally good demand for' 
Chrysanthemums, red and white ones especially being largely 
used for church decoration. The specimen blooms realise relative^.' 
the best prices, though not more than Gs. per dozen are allowed,, 
while the ordinary, or those obtained from non-disbudded plants,, 
fetch from Is. to 2s. per dozen wholesale in each case. There 
now abundance of good late varieties, as far as light shades, but 
a good red variety would be a boon to market growers. J. D^laux,, 
I believe, is fairly suitable, and this, however, not being strong- 
grower, and only fit for producing large blooms, and Garnet- 
Other varieties suitable for producing late specimen blooms are' 
Meg Merrilies, white ; Ralph Brocklebank, yellow sport from the- 
latter ; Ethel, white ; Yellow Ethel; Fanny Boucharlat, siWery 
white ; Mrs. C. Carey,white ; Carew Underwood,Baronne de Frailly,, 
lilac ; Belle Paule, white edged rose ; Duchess of .Mbany, Grandi— 
florum, yellow ; Moonlight, creamy white ; Gloriosucn, yellow 
Prince of Teck, incurved white ; Lord Eversley, incurved pure- 
white ; Hero of Stoke Newington, incurved purplish blush ; Mrs.. 
Norman Davis, incurved yellow ; Fleur de Mario, white Anemone- 
flowered, and Lady Margaret, white Anemone flowered. The only 
material difference in the treatment of these and the earlier flower¬ 
ing section, just previously alluded to, consists of taking the buds 
from a fortnight to three weeks later. Belle Paule, Meg Merrilies,. 
Ralph Brocklebank, Ethel, Yellow Ethel, Mrs. Carew, Gloriosum, 
J. Delaux, and the “ Teck family ” are naturally late, and if the 
buds of these are taken about the first week in September, and the 
plants not forced in any way, they will rarely be past their best at 
Christmas. The other varieties, as well as many not rnentioned, if 
prevented from swelling buds to the middle or third week in- 
September, this being a comparatively easy matter, would also be at 
their best late in December. Some of our late taken buds of 
Belle Paule, Baronne de Frailly, and several other varieties wep- 
followed by nearly as fine as those which expanded early in- 
November. 
In addition to most of the pre-viously mentioned late varieties,, 
there are others particularly well adapted for growing in the 
ordinary manner. Fair Maid of Guernsey can be had very late, 
but on the whole the best late white for growing in quantity is the 
sturdy growing Boule de Neige, and a very fine companion will be 
found in Golden Gem, a rich bronzy yellow variety, and perhaps- 
the most beautiful of all naturally late Chrysanthemums. These 
may be grown very much as advised in the case of the early 
varieties for bunching purposes, the latest stopping being made 
soon after all are turned out into the open. Golden Gem is 
also of sturdy growth, and if the plants are not stopped in anyway, 
but are allowed to branch naturally, grand sprays of bloom can be 
had from them as late as the end of January, when these are worth 
not less than 6d. each, and are in great demand for ladies to -wear. 
Late Chrysanthemums ought not to be overfed, strong liquid 
manure forcing them on rapidly, nor is it safe to retard in very cold 
or unheated houses. Give them a fair amount of fire heat, or 
sufficient to dispel damp, and abundance of light and fresh air- 
The tall plants that have produced a few rather early specimen, 
hlooms will, if kept in a moderately warm airy house, yield a. 
number of serviceable side blooms down a considerable length of 
the stems, especially if not too closely disbudded, and very ofteir 
many of the suckers thrown up from the roots will also form good 
flowers. 
Any fairly good loamy compost will grow Chrysanthemums, 
but they well repay for liberal treatment in this respect. A mix¬ 
ture of two parts light loam to one of good leaf soil, with 
sharp sand added, is suitable for the cutting pots and boxes, and 
also, though in a somewhat rougher state, for the earlier shifts. For 
the flowering pots, the loam used ought to be of a fibrous and not 
too clayey character, and roughly broken up, the finer portions 
being discarded. To three parts of this add one part of leaf soil 
and partially decayed horse manure, and quarter-inch bones or bone- 
meal, at the rate of an 8-inch potful to every bushel of compost. 
The less fibrous the loam the more leaf soil should be added, and a 
very fibreless loam would be improved by the addition of coarser 
bones, charcoal, or crushed oyster shells. A good layer either of 
the latter or half-inch bones ought to cover the drainage crocks m 
the flowering pots, and the potting should be carefully and firmly 
