September 19.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
377 
1. The plant should be dwarf, shrubby, well covered 
with green foliage to the bottom of the stems ; the leaves 
broad and bright; the flowers well displayed, abundant, 
and well supported by the stems. If the stems are 
more than eighteen inches high they are gawky, and 
show too much green in comparison with the bloom. 
2. The flower should be round, double, high in the 
crown, perfect in the centre, without disk or confusion, 
and of the form of a segment of a ball. 
8. The petals should be thick, smooth, broad, circular 
at the ends, and the point where they meet hardly 
perceptible. They must not show their undersides by 
quilling, and should be of such firm texture as to retain 
themselves well in their places. 
4. The flowers to he large in proportion to the foliage, 
but the size only to bo considered when plants are in 
all other respects equal. 
5. The colour, if a self, is superior in proportion to 
its purity and brightness; if the colours are more than 
one they should be well defined and distinct. The 
worst of all colours are those which are mixed or clouded 
together; and we are inclined to place more than usual 
emphasis upon colour in the case of the Chrysanthemum, 
because many flowers now admitted even into exhibition 
stands are odious in this respect. 
We have given no rules forjudging either the quilled 
or the tasselled varieties, because these should never be 
admitted to be shown except in a separate class as 
“Fancy Chrysanthemums;” and in that class we can 
only say, that those least offensive to the eye should 
receive the prize. 
It is usual to grow the Chrysanthemum so as to have 
flowers only on the tops of the stems, but there is no 
occasion for this, and it is only a consequence of bad 
cultivation. Indeed, so leggy are Chrysanthemums 
usually grown, that various ingenious contrivances are 
required to exhibit them in a state as if clothed with 
leaves throughout their length. We repeat, there is no 
occasion for this, for we have seen the Chrysanthemum 
grown not only hearing leaves naturally along the 
whole length of the stem, hut that stem having laterals 
almost from the ground upwards crowned with flowers. 
So much is the beauty of the plant increased by this, 
that we think it would he judicious to have a rule, that 
other properties being equal, the first piize should be 
awarded to the Chrysanthemums with the greatest 
number of well-placed and well-bloomed laterals. 
THE FRUIT-GARDEN. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Those who live in cold 
situations should now pay the utmost attention to 
both wood and fruit. Where trees have been growing 
strongly, every shoot may now be stopped, and any 
waste laterals or superfluous spray entirely removed : 
we would not have a shoot more than requisite for the 
next year’s crop. Where any leaves cover the fruit, 
they should be pinched in two, so that the sun may 
shine on about one-third of the fruit; for we do not 
think it well to fully expose it, as two or three continu¬ 
ously sunny days, with a high temperature, would ripen 
them prematurely: the consequence of which would be 
a loss of flavour. 
Some of the best and most highly flavoured peaches 
we ever grew were retarded; that is to say, a canvass 
shade was applied just before they were thoroughly ripe. 
Now this was not done on principle, but as an expedient, 
in order to keep up a long succession: the trees being 
in the peach-house, and the ripening taking place in the 
end of June and through July. We thus had peaches 
for five weeks successively, and better fruit were never 
sent to table. Now, what was done on expediency is 
now adopted on principle with us ; nevertheless, the 
practice must be applied out of doors with some caution, 
as gross trees in deep borders would have difficulty in 
ripening their wood in some seasons. 
We would strongly advise that all luxuriant trees be 
root-pruned the moment the last peach is gathered; this 
will check the root action, and bring on the solidifying 
principle, by checking the ascent of watery matters. 
Those who want to plant young peaches, or remove 
larger ones, will find the end of the month a capital 
time for the operation. Let no one fear for the leaves 
flagging a little, which will do little harm. Still, we 
would advise a slight shading, if the weather is very 
bright, during the middle of the day. The trees, too, 
should have a moderate ball of earth, if possible; and 
they may be thickly mulched immediately, as this will 
shut in some ground heat, a consideration of im¬ 
portance ; for it must be remembered, that the earth 
has already commenced repaying to the atmosphere 
the warmth it received during May, June, July, and 
August. We dare say, that fresh sawdust would be a 
good thing—being a powerful non-conductor of heat. 
Figs. —Here we have another late ripener, and one ; 
which requires a little assistance in the north. To be 
sure, figs may be found along the line of our southern 
counties in the character of trees ; and little, if any, 
pains bestowed on them. This, however, merely proves 
the importance of two or three degrees of latitude, in 
the ripening of tender fruits or vegetables, to which the 
ordinary climate of England is not quite equal. We 
must freely confess to an envious feeling—living as we 
do in a northern corner of the kingdom; a county in 
which the atmospheric conditions have eminently fitted 
it for the produce of cheese, for many generations (and 
which conditions, in about a proportionate ratio, unfit it 
for the production of tender fruits)—an envious feeling 
we repeat, when we hear or read of the great figs about 
Arundel, Worthing, and other highly-favoured localities 
An idea irresistibly rises in the mind, as to the amount 
of excellence most of our tender pears, &c., ought to 
attain in such climes, if placed under proper culture; 
and how little impediments lie in the way, as compared 
with our northern counties, the land of tall chimnies, &c. 
No doubt our Sussex friends must either smile or stare 
vastly at our urgent and oft-repeated recommendations 
about ripening the wood, &c.; and, doubtless, frequently 
consider such directions too fussy by half. It ought to 
be remembered, however, that our Devonshire or Sussex 
readers do not require a tithe of the advice that is abso¬ 
lutely requisite for those in the north. 
To return to the tigs. Most good cultivators practise 
stopping about this period, the tendency of which is, to 
cause the embryo fruits of the following year to become 
more decided in character; for we frequently see de¬ 
velopments towards the points of free growing figs— 
especially young trees—which are neither figs nor wood- 
buds, but seem to partake of the character of both. 
This, wo believe, occurs through a too powerful action 
of root, too late continued ; and the best way to stay 
proceedings, next to root-pruning, is to stop the growing 
principle. One squeeze of the finger and thumb will 
suffice to effect this. Still, as there is no more fitting 
subject for root-pruning than a gross fig-tree, in localities 
