November 8, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
419 
A t a time when the thoughts of so many gardeners are largely 
occupied with the duties connected with Chrysanthemum 
culture, and when the rich feasts of the “ golden flower ” which 
surround them seem to throw bright gleams of sunshine across their 
path, it is well for them sometimes to spend a few moments in 
considering their work in other departments to see if they can 
anticipate, and by so doing avoid, “rocks ahead.” Those who are in 
the habit of housing large numbers of Chrysanthemums in vineries 
and Peach houses having inside borders must of necessity place their 
plants rather thickly upon, or on a temporary stage above, the soil 
in which the Vines or other fruit trees are growing. When the 
plants are watered the surplus water of course finds its way to the 
soil below, and as the light and air are to a great extent excluded 
from this soil it usually gets into rather a sodden condition before 
the Chrysanthemums are removed. 
This wet condition of the soil would not perhaps be productive 
of any conspicuously evil results if the water used for the Chrys¬ 
anthemums had been clear, but seeing how highly the plants are 
fed with chemical and natural fertilisers, the surface soil over a 
great part of the border must sometimes become so impregnated 
with powerful manurial constituents as to render it inimical to the 
multiplication, or, indeed, the preservation, of healthy rootlets. The 
result of this combination of circumstances is this: many of the 
fibrous surface roots are destroyed, and the stronger roots near the 
surface, which under more favourable conditions would send out a 
multitude of fibres to permeate the upper strata of soil, instead 
take a downward course, and develop long undesirable roots, which 
are destitute of those minute feeders which healthy and profitable 
fruit trees possess. If this sort of thing goes on for a year or two 
without remedial measures being resorted to, matters become 
worse—some of these strong roots turn black, and appear quite 
lifeless on the outside, but if cut through show signs of life in the 
centre; others become knotted ani clubbed, and are quickly 
attacked by a host of minute insects, which always abound in sour, 
pasty soil, which cannot be aerated by annual digging or trenching. 
The effect of this unsacisfactory state of the roots manifests 
itself in the top growth. In the case of Peaches or Nectarines, 
stray shoots, which fail to ripen or set good crops of fruit, are 
often the first indication of the unsatisfactory state of the roots. 
After a time the leaves look unhealthy and pale in colour, and 
some of the lower branches die. Vines also show this unhealthi¬ 
ness in the leaf sometimes, but more often the indications are loner- 
shouldered bunches, which set and colour badly, and frequently 
ihank as well. 
I do not mean by the foregoing to infer that it is only when 
Chrysanthemums have been placed in fruit houses that the unsatis¬ 
factory state of affairs above described are apparent, as there comes 
a time when it is necessary to renovate borders which have received 
the best of attention, and have been kept entirely free of plants. 
Under such conditions, however, renovation is less frequently 
necessary. Since Chrysanthemum growing on an extensive scale 
has become general many good fruit growers have been consider¬ 
ably puzzled as to the cause of their Vinos and Peach trees giving 
less satisfactory results than formerly, seeing that their general 
management is precisely the same, but if they consider the sugges¬ 
tions above given, I think in many instances the key to unravel the 
No. 750.— VoL. XXIX., Third Series. 
mystery will be found. Several years ago the Vines in a house 
under my charge behaved in the way described, and a neighbouring 
gardener a few days ago gave me a striking illustration of the effect 
of the same cause upon his Peach trees. 
In dealing with the matter of remedial measures I am not going 
to suggest that Chrysanthemums ought not to be placed on fruit 
borders, as I am well aware that in so many gardens no other 
suitable place can be found for them, and to hint that their 
culture should therefore be discontinued would arouse the ire of 
both employer and gardener alike, as both must, and will, have 
their treasured Chrysanthemums. The matter must be made one 
of compromise, and there is no doubt that much may be done to 
remedy the present conditions where they are unsatisfactory, 
and also to prevent—in a great measure—an occurrence in the future. 
If head room for the plants can possibly be found, the practice of 
erecting a temporary stage to arrange the Chrysanthemums upon 
should always be adopted. This, by allowing a constant circula¬ 
tion of air between the stage and border, does much towards 
drying and sweetening the surface soil, and moreover is of great 
benefit to the Chrysanthemums as W’ell. It frequently happens, 
however, that vineries are low and plants tall, but the general 
tendency of new varieties to be of dwarf habit is lessening this 
difficulty every year, and even if the stage can only be raised a few 
inches above the soil it is “vastly better than placing the boards in 
direct contact with it. 
The next point to consider is the best method of sweetening 
the surface soil and rendering it suitable for the promotion of 
healthy root action. Much may be done toward the attainment of 
this object. When the Chrysanthemums are removed an inch or 
two of the surface soil of the border should then be cleared off 
and a thin coating of lime (which has been slaked a few days) 
spread upon it and lightly forked in. This will have the effect 
of liberating the superabundant gases in the soil, and though a 
certain amount of plant food will be thus lost, the end in view will 
be attained ; then if a thin coating of fresh loam is placed upon 
the border, active surface roots may be anticipated the following 
season, provided of course that the border operated upon was 
satisfactory, except in regard to the temporary soddening of the 
surface soil from the causes enumerated. Such measures as these 
should be taken annually with a view to maintain both borders and 
roots in good condition. When, however, it is found that the 
Vines and fruit trees are becoming unsatisfactory, a trench should 
be cut across the border at the farthest point from where the 
Vines or fruit trees are planted ; then if the soil is pasty and 
decaying roots are found, nothing short of lifting and relaying 
them in fresh soil will put the matter right. This should be 
attended to as soon as it is possible to remove the plants. Many 
of these when in flower are usually taken to the conservatory, and 
others are cut for daily use. This will soon lessen the bulk of the 
plants, and give the opportunity for clearing any house in which 
the border requires such thorough renovation. Look to it, ye 
Chrysanthemum growers, that while you are growing your pet 
flowers to perfection they do not prove a stumbling-block in the 
way of high-class fruit culture.— Vitis. 
CABNATION DISEASES. 
I READ all I can on this subject, so I was particularly interested 
in Mr. Bardney’s communication on page 288. Carnations are 
great favourites here, but unfortunately, of late years, I have had 
my share of trouble with various diseases, causing me much dis¬ 
appointment. “ Bust ” in Mrs. Reynolds Hole and Germania, 
“spot” in Crimson Clove and other varieties, the “ brown fungus ’’ 
in Souvenir de la Malmaisons have all been in evidence. A few 
years since my plants of the last named were as clean and healthy 
as possible, and produced blooms as fine as I wish to see, but since 
the appearance of the fungus known as Uromyces I have not had 
No. riOG.—VoL. XCL, Old Series. 
