January 23 , 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
325 
ON THE CULTIVATION OP THE 
CHRYSANTHEMUM. -IV. 
This week I propose to give a few Lints to assist 
amateurs in training Chrysanthemums. The form 
usually adopted for training the large-flowering varieties 
is shown in the accompanying illustration, and to be 
successful the grower should commence operations early 
in the season, so that he can have plenty of time in 
which to get a sufficient quantity of “ breaks ” or shoots 
for tying out. 
These specimen plants can be grown either from 
cuttings or from old plants. If the grower commences 
with cuttings, they should be inserted during the 
month of November, in the manner described on p. 
216, or they can be inserted singly in small pots 
(thumbs). The pots should then be stood in a frame, 
or if the grower is possessed of a greenhouse they may 
be placed on a shelf close to the .glass. By February 
they should be well rooted, and should then have their 
first stopping, i.e., the extreme top of the plant should 
be pinched off. 
The plants should then be kept close for a week and 
lightly syringed once a day. This will induce them to 
throw out side-shoots. As soon as the plants are seen 
to be “breaking,” i.e., commencing to throw out shoots 
up the stem, they should be potted singly into 3 in. 
pots, in soil recommended at p. 246, and be again 
returned to the frame or house. Sprinkle them with 
water from a fine rose, and keep them shut up close for 
a few days ; the plants will soon make fresh roots and 
theshoots will strengthen. "When the shoots are about 
4 ins. long again stop them, and treat as above directed ; 
this will induce them to break again and form more 
shoots. As soon as they are seen to break they should 
be again potted, this time into 6 in. pots. This should 
be done early in April. 
The plants should now be stood out of doors in a sunny 
position, and should receive a dusting with tobacco 
powder, to prevent the attacks of Green Fly. Do not 
over water and they will soon make nice plants. 
About the third week in May the plants should be gone 
over again, and any that have not a sufficient number 
of shoots may be again stopped, although it is better 
not to stop them after the end of May or the first week 
in June. Attend carefully to watering them so that 
they do not become dry. Get all pots and crocks 
washed and ready for use, and commence the first week 
in June to pot the plants into their blooming pots, 
according to the directions given on p. 296. The 
plants should then have a stake put to them, in the 
centre of the pot, to which a good shoot should be tied. 
If any shoots are seen to require support, further stakes 
can be inserted, but very few stakes will be required 
until later in the season, and the less that are used, 
until the final tying in September, the better, as the 
more air and sun the plants can get the better the wood 
ripens. 
During hot and dry weather, the plants should be 
syringed overhead, at least, twice a day, and watering 
must not be neglected, for if the plants are allowed to 
become dry, loss of the foliage will follow, and un¬ 
sightly plants be the result. About the end of July 
commence to give the plants a little clear soot water 
once a week. The plants will require to be disbudded 
as directed on p. 296. About the end of September 
the plants should be trained into shape, and to do this, 
see that the centre shoot is securely tied to the stake 
that was inserted in the centre of the pot. "When this 
is done, put four more stakes at equal distances around 
the centre stake, and tie a shoot to each stake. Four 
more stakes should now be placed between these last, 
and so continue (gradually nearing the rim of the pot 
as the work proceeds), until the shoots have each a 
stake to them. In tying, care should be taken to bring 
the end of each shoot to the top of the stake, and in 
finishing the last row, the shoots should be brought to 
the rim of the pot. If the tying is carefully and evenly 
done, the plants will appear in the form of the 
accompanying illustration. 
If the cultivation is commenced with old plants, 
those that have been grown for the purposes of cut 
bloom should be used, and should be treated as follows: 
After the plants have done blooming cut them down, 
and leave about 12 in. of the stem remaining. Keep 
the plants in a cool house during the winter, and they 
will by February have made some breaks up the stems, 
when they should be shaken out of their pots and be 
repotted into 6-in. pots. Place them in a frame or 
house, syringe and treat them as above directed. The 
after directions as to stopping and repotting should be 
attended to as above directed, but for final potting they 
will require 12-in. pots. 
The following are a few good varieties for the amateur 
to make a commencement with : — Incurved—Mrs. 
Bundle, Prince of Wales, Barbara, George Glenny, 
Cassandra, Guernsey Nugget, Kefulgence, Prince 
Alfred, Golden George Glenny, Lady Hardinge, Lord 
Derby, Faust. Japanese—Triomphe du Nord, To Kio, 
Mignon, La Nymphe, M. C. Hubert, Peter the Great, 
Dr.’ Macary, Bouquet Fait, The Cossack, Gloire de 
Toulouse, L’lsle des Plaisirs, Cri Kang. Keflexed—Dr. 
Sharpe, Mrs. Forsyth, King of the Crimsons, Culling- 
fordi, Julie Lagravere, Christine (peach and golden), 
Chevalier Domage. 
In my next I will give a few hints upon growing 
Standards.— JF. E. Boyce, Ycrbury Road, Holloviay. 
-- 
AN ORCHID SOCIETY. 
Ir is a pleasant surprise to hear that “the Orchid 
members of the Floral Committee of the B. H. S.” only 
await “ a more fitting opportunity ” of putting the idea 
of an Orchid Society into definite form ; of course this 
is only Mr. O’Brien’s private opinion, and not an 
official announcement in any way. All I can say is 
that the “Orchid members” did not let their light 
shine very brightly, but it is really instructive to know 
that there was a cat in their bag, and I hope Mr. 
O’Brien will not suffer for having let it escape too soon. 
All I have to say is that I am thoroughly in sympathy 
with the formation of this society under the auspices of 
the B. H. S., but it must be a broadly representative 
society, and not a mere “ring” or “corner” for the 
personal advantage of any particular clique. Some 
members of the “ Onion Club ” object to another special 
society, on the plea that they are half ruined already by 
subscribing to special societies. 
Personally I could not take any active part in an 
“Orchid Society,” but I am none the less anxious that 
in the interest of all Orchid growers, amateurs and 
trade growers alike, that such a society should be 
formed. I claim no credit for the suggestion, and know 
well that ideas or suggestions of this sort (like Fern 
spores or bacteria) grow only if they fall on a receptive 
surface, and perish if they do not. The society I should 
like to see formed would be a broad one for the good of 
all concerned, and not merely a co-operative clique of 
the dissatisfied. If my idea is a good one and there 
exists a want, of course the result will be an “ Orchid 
Society” at some not very far distant date.— F. IF. 
Burbidqe. 
-—-— 
THE “R. H. S.” 
The letter from “A Fellow” (p. 308) “hits the 
nail on the head” pretty fairly, and suggests improve¬ 
ments that most of those having the real interests of 
the above society at heart would like to see carried out. 
Now that a public dinner is announced on the part of 
the society one may expect some further suggestions, 
and, perhaps, a little unofficial expression of opinion 
as to the future operations of the society. At any 
rate, the fact that a dinner is to be held is in itself a 
“new move,” and one that inspires hope in the wavering 
mind. I was told the other day that the South Ken¬ 
sington Gardens would be in the builder’s hands two 
years hence, and I hope sincerely the prophecy may 
come true. Another friend doubted the existence of 
the society at the end of that period ; but fortunately 
useful societies die very hard, and in this case the cry 
would be “The King is dead—long live the King !” 
There is “life in the old dog yet,” and there are 
whispers of a new shepherd in the form of a secretary, 
so that altogether we must hope for a better organisation 
in the future than in the past. "Why not “ appeal to 
the country, ” and let us have a horticultural society 
■worthy of the name. —F. IF. Burbidge. 
“A Fellow'” writing on this subject in last week's 
Gardening World (see p. 308), makes some very good 
suo-gestions about the constitution of this “National 
Society,” if I may so designate it. I am not a fellow of 
the Royal Horticultural Society, but I may say that it 
has my warmest sympathies. One of the suggestions, 
viz., the guinea membership originally brought forward 
by Mr. Wilson, I most heartily endorse. In societies 
of a kindred nature one hears of “associates,” now 
could not this term be applied to guinea members. 
Four guineas is a great deal too much for country 
gardeners to subscribe, and it is on behalf of this class 
that I am writing. I venture to express an opinion 
that by guinea membership in whatever form it is per¬ 
mitted, must we look to eventually raising the society 
into a position more capable of rendering the horti¬ 
cultural body greater assistance than it does as at 
present conducted. 
I do not consider that the society is not doing any¬ 
thing for horticulture, it is no doubt doing a grand 
Specimen Chrysanthemum. 
