September 13,1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
245 
Mr. Calvert’s predecessors had done or left undone. The whole matter 
is such a frivolous one that I am surprised any gardener should take 
offence (which Mr. McKay seems to have done). I am very pleased to 
be able to substantiate what the E litor says with regard to the very 
genial character of " \V. I.,” having known him for some years. I am 
sure were it in his power he would soon find Mr. McKay a new 
appointment. Mr. McKay may depend upon what the Editor has said 
that “ W. I.” had not the slightest intention when writing about the 
Melons at Woburn, of casting a particle of reflection on him.— 
T. Arnold. 
Culture of Chrysanthemums. 
[A Paper by Mr. ArDErie, read at a meeting of the Falkirk and District Gardeners’ 
Mutual Improvement Association.] 
There has been so much written about the cultivation of the Chrys¬ 
anthemum that it is a difficult matter to say anything that is not already 
known. We all know, however, that the Chrysanthemum has in a 
comparatively short time secured a prominent place amongst plants for 
the production of cut flowers during the autumn and winter. When 
November has made everything in the outside garden bleak and bare 
we can admire the opening buds of the glorious Chrysanthemums, 
appropriately called the queen of winter flowers. The few remarks 
given below refer chiefly to plants that are intended for the production 
of specimen blooms. I would like it to be understood that the details 
mentioned are not given as being absolutely the correct mode of cultiva¬ 
tion, but are the results of what I have found to produce the best results. 
I am assuming that those young men, who are fired with ambition to 
shine as first-class gardeners some day, will be taking up the cultivation 
of this grand plant with the laudable object of achieving some feat in the 
way of winning prizes ; but whatever the object in view, keep it steadily 
in front until it is accomplished. It is not so easy to win cups in these 
days. There must be no fits and starts, or happy-go-lucky methods 
adopted if you want to do any good. There are few things men with 
determination cannot accomplish, but it is only by strict attention to 
every detail that success can be attained. 
The grower should not have more plants than he can properly attend 
to during the summer, and be able to accommodate when the stage for 
taking the plants indoors has arrived; I would also advise the beginner 
against growing a large number of varieties. Obtain the best twelve or 
the best twenty-four, thirty-six or forty-eight, if it is for showing 
purposes you are growing for, and grow three or four plants of each 
variety. That is a much safer plan than growing, say, 200 different 
sorts. No doubt one likes as many varieties as possible if they are good, 
but one will do better to adopt the plan of growing four each of the 
very best kinds. When buying new varieties obtain the opinion of some 
good grower if you have not seen flowers. It is very disappointing to 
procure an expensive “ novelty ” and then, after a whole .season’s work 
and care, find it comparatively useless. These things do not often 
happen with our British firms however, but they sometimes occur with 
foreign raised seedlings. If it is intended to grow blooms for exhibition 
purposes the cultivator will be guided by the convenience for housing 
the plants when they have finished their season’s growth outside, and 
the time and space at his command to attend to their wants during 
the summer. It might be as well here to say that 100, 200, 300, or 500 
plants would be necessary to grow in order to compete in classes say for 
twelve, twenty-four, thirty-six, or forty-eight blooms respectively. 
Propagation. 
It is of the highest importance in these days to have your blooms 
on the exhibition boards as near perfection as possible, and 
a good selection is necessary. With the month of November arrives the 
time for propagating. I frequently commence about the 15th with the 
late-flowering and weak varieties, to give them a long season of growth, 
and prefer to take cuttings from plants that have not been overfed. 
Suckers not over-gross make the best plants and produce the best 
blooms. Cuttings that are taken off the main stems throw premature 
flower buds and put the plants out of time, often causing considerable 
annoyance to the cultivator. The compost for starting the cuttings is 
of the utmost importance. It must be borne in mind that the soil has 
to stay round the cutting through the whole season, hence the necessity 
of using good compost to start with. Procure some good fibrous turf cut 
in the previous September, and before using chop it finely, taking 
out all coarse roots and weeds that may happen to be in it. Add some 
leaf mould, lime rubbish, and sand ; the lime mortar keeps the compost 
sweet. I generally root all our best varieties in small pots, smaller than 
the ordinary thumb pots. These I had made specially, as they take up 
less room and answer the purpose admirably. The object in putting 
one cutting in each pot is to save the roots when shifting into larger 
sizes. After the cuttings have been inserted give a good watering 
through a fine rose, and stand them on a bed of sifted ashes in any cool 
house ; I use a small Tomato house for the purpose. Cover the cuttings 
with portable sheets of glass, or a small frame made to suit the place. 
and keep them close for ten days or so, turning the glass upside down 
every morning to let off the condensed moisture. If kept too wet the 
cuttings are sure to damp. After ten days give a little air by tilting 
the glass up about half an inch. If the cuttings have been good they 
will be rooted in about thirty days, when place them in another frame for a 
week, giving abundance of air, and at the end of that time place them on 
shelves near the glass. Avoid all currents of air at this stage, and be 
careful about watering. Do not give water unless they absolutely need it, 
but do not let the soil become too dry. Mildew will follow if kept wet, 
and a hard stunted growth will be the result if allowed to once become 
dry at the roots. 
During the end of January and beginning of February the early- 
rooted cuttings will need shifting to 3-inch pots. The compost used for 
this shift ought to be a trifle heavier without lime rubbish, but a pro¬ 
portion of bone meal or horn turnings added instead, and press the soil 
firmly to insure a sturdy growth. Give abundant air in all favourable 
weather. This shift will carry the plants to the month of March- 
During the latter month, at various times, I look over these late-flowering 
varieties and take out the point of the leader, and thereby causing the 
plant to make fiesh growth. By allowing the plant to go oa 
uninterruptedly till it made its first natural break, it would be of no use 
for showing purposes, so with this month arrives the time foe 
timing the buds to come in on November ; but I will say something oa 
this later on, when I detail the taking of the buds. 
Potting. 
About the last week in March or the first in April shift plants 
that require repotting, but be careful not to use pots too large. By the 
middle of April place the plants in cold frames, resting them on a hard 
bed of ashes. They thrive much better at that season in frames than 
on shelves, where the temperature often rises to over 90° with sudden 
burst of sunshine. If the plants have been well cared for they will be 
from 12 to 30 inches long, and growing vigorously by May. Pick out all 
the strong growing kinds and give them a shift into 6-inch pots, an(i 
place a stake to each to keep them growing straight. If this is 
neglected it sometimes happens that the plants fall over and are broken- 
If the weather has been warm or dry the plants are liable to become 
infested with green fly in the points of the shoots, which must be seen 
to at once. Give the growths a good dusting with tobacco powder, and 
there is no more efficient remedy than fumigating with patent cones. 
I give my plants a slight dusting with powder whether they are infested 
or not. Some varieties are subject to mildew, which must also be 
attended to at once, for if allowed to remain the loss of the lower 
leaves is sure to follow. Violet Rose, Boule d’Or, Lizzie Cartledge, 
Val d’Andorre, and some of the Queen family are notorious for that. 
I frequently spray all infested plants with Murray’s electric mildew- 
destroyer, and if used in aecordance with printed directions it will 
instantly clear it off, I use it a trifle stronger than the prescribed dose 
for the worst affected plants. I also find this preparation good for 
killing thrips that infest the plants during the growing season, but it 
must be employed with extreme caution, for if used too strong it will 
burn the points of the shoots and cause them to go blind. 
By the end of May some varieties will require their final shift; 
9-inch pots are invariably used for the majority of the kinds, but there 
are some that do in even less sizes with better results and a few that 
require a size larger. All the Queen family require 10-inch pots; but 
the Prince of Wales family need smaller, 8-inch being large enough 
for them. Be careful not to shift unless the plants require it, and that 
can easily be ascertained by turning them out, and if the roots are travel¬ 
ling freely round the ball they are then in a fit condition for repotting. 
The compost used must be of the best, I have fibry turf broken in 
pieces the size of a hen’s egg, taking the fine soil out by passing it 
through a coarse riddle. To every barrowload of turf add a 10-inck 
potful of crushed bones, a 4 inch potful of soot, and a third of the 
amount of coarse sand. Drain the pots well, and for some of the 
strong growing kinds put a handful of half-inch bones in the bottom 
of each pot. If the soil is heavy or clayey mix horse droppings 
with it, but do not use too wet or too dry. Procure a stick 1^ inch 
thick, and 15 inches long with one end tapered wedge shaped, 
and ram the soil as tightly as possible with the stick. Slack potting 
means gross wood and large foliage, and wood that is difficult to ripen j 
with flat thin flowers, therefore, it is imperative to pot as firmly as 
possible. There are a few exceptions to this rule, of which Jeanne 
D61aux is the type amongst Japanese, and Prince of Wales amongst 
incurved. For the former I use a good amount of leaf mould and old 
lime mortar and some charcoal, and pot less firmly. For the latter I 
dispense with the lime mortar, but add a few pieces of bones or pounded 
oyster shells. Leave about 2 inches from the rim of the pot to allow of 
future top-dressing, tie each plant to a stake as the potting goes on to 
keep the stem straight. 
Feeding. 
I never give the plants any stimulants until the roots are well .is, 
the soil, as great mischief often arises from too early feeding. I 
frequently use soot water, one part in three, during the growing 
season to give the foliage a good colour. The best plan is to make 
sure that the roots are numerous in the pots before commencing to feed, 
and then start with very weak doses. If the weather is dull and 
wet do not give any in liquid form. There is nothing in my opinion 
better than sheep’s droppings steeped in a tank ; in very hot weather cow 
manure is cooling. Give all manurial watering c ear, and let no 
sediment rest on the pots, as it quickly forms a crust and prevents air 
