124 
CULTIVATION OF THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 
corolla ; and Fowle's Exquisite, deep pink or red tube and sepals, 
and scarlet corolla. The remarkably free habit of blooming 
which this variety possesses will ensure it a permanent position 
in collections. 
WEST KENT PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETY OF 
GARDENERS. 
CULTIVATION OF THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. BY MR. BIDDELL. 
There are several species and numberless varieties of these 
beautiful and highly valuable autumnal flowers, some of them 
natives of our own as well as other lands ; but those which claim 
our particular attention, and repay best for our labour, are prin¬ 
cipally derived from China, where they are seldom subject to the 
action of frost, and hence the necessity, with us, of resorting to 
the protection of glass structures to flower them in perfection. 
Their time of blooming is from October to February; which ren¬ 
ders them the more valuable, as at that dreary season almost all 
the beauties of Flora are dormant. 
There are several methods of propagation—either by dividing 
the roots, by layers, or by cuttings. To the latter method I give 
preference. I take off the cuttings about the middle of May, 
and pot them singly into small sixties, and place them on a slight 
bottom heat, with shade, of course ; they will strike root in about 
a fortnight. The soil used for cuttings is sandy loam and leaf- 
mould. I then shift them into forty-eights, and place them in 
rather a shady situation, and, as they require it, are shifted into 
thirty-twos, using a stronger compost for each shifting, say about 
two parts turfy loam, and the rest well rotted dung and sand, 
with a little leaf-mould. After this they are placed in a situation 
fully exposed to the sun, never allowing them to get dry, and 
taking care to guard against saturation by the use of plenty of 
drainage. It is a good plan to plunge them up to the rims in 
coal ashes, to prevent too great an evaporation from the pots, 
which is very inimical to such luxuriant growing plants as the 
Chrysanthemum. Frequent waterings with manure water will 
greatly assist them. I never stop them, as I think it spoils their 
shape. They will form with their leader beautiful conical-shaped 
