November 29, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
203 
THE CHRYSANTHEMUM IN 
TASMANIA.* 
Tasmania is so small a speck upon the surface of the 
globe, and is so remote from the British Islands, that 
it is perhaps not very surprising that a great many 
persons in England know nothing more about it than 
that such a place actually exists, and some have vague 
ileas that the inhabitants thereof are still aboriginals, 
with little or no civilisation. It is a matter for no 
little surprise when such individuals learn that 
Tasmanians keep pace as far as possible with all 
movements which interest their fellow subjects in 
England, and I can safely assert that in no part of the 
Australasian group is the culture of the Chrysanthemum 
carried on with so much zeal and success as it is in the 
colony, one of whose leading horticultural societies I 
have the honour to represent at the Centenary Festival. 
Tasmania possesses a climate which appears to be 
especially favourable to the growth of the Chrysanthe¬ 
mum, being devoid of great extremes of heat and cold, 
and when the knowledge of its culture shall have been 
as completely mastered there as it has been by the 
growers in England, I do not think I am over sanguine 
in predicting that it is there it will yet be seen to the 
greatest perfection. And as it can only be by ex¬ 
perience extending over some years that this knowledge 
can be acquired, it will naturally be some time before 
our happiest results can be achieved. 
You in England are now celebrating the Centenary of 
the Chrysanthemum, whilst we, as a colony, have not 
yet reached so venerable an age. It cannot, therefore, 
be expected that we have arrived very far beyond the 
initiatory stages of Chrysanthemum lore, but that we 
are progressing with rapid strides must be acknowledged 
by anyone who could compare notes between the 
position occupied by the flower in the year 1836, and 
that to which it has attained in 1890. It is only four 
years ago since the first actual Chrysanthemum exhi¬ 
bition was held in Northern Tasmania. It is true that 
for many years previously the flowers had a subordinate 
position in the schedule at the autumn flower shows, 
when very frequently no entries at all were made, for 
there was never any competition in this class among 
amateurs, and our professional gardeners held it so 
little in esteem, that when at length the tide of popular 
favour set in so strongly that they could no longer 
ignore it, the result was that they found themselves 
quite, or nearly as much in the dark as to the best 
method of culture to be adopted in our far-off land as 
were the most inexperienced amateurs. Then recourse 
was had by both professionals and amateurs to the best 
English authorities upon Chrysanthemum culture, and 
although much light was thus obtained, it may easily be 
understood that the rules which apply to the English 
seasons and climate are not applicable to those of 
Tasmania. 
In the year 18S6. a3 I have mentioned, our Chrysan¬ 
themum show was held in Launceston, it having been 
rather hastily improvised by Mr. Ernest 'Whitfield, who 
must be regarded as the founder of our now flourishing 
autumn exhibitions ; this gentleman is now president 
and honorary secretary of the society represented by me 
upon the present occasion. The flowers which were 
exhibited at this initial show were not grown upon the 
principles since followed with exhibition plants, having 
been allowed to grow in the natural way ; but as most 
of those who contributed specimens upon that occasion 
were amateurs who, learning through the English horti¬ 
cultural press of the successful results which rewarded 
the efforts of growers of the Chrysanthemum “at home,” 
as England is always known by us, had imported many 
fine varieties which had until then been quite unknown 
in Tasmania, it was seen that a wide and interesting 
field was open to those who would venture to explore 
it. -The immediate consequence of our first Chrysan¬ 
themum show was an increased desire upon the part of 
amateurs to improve their collections and to learn 
something of the methods which would ensure suc¬ 
cessful culture ; at that time less than 100 varieties 
had found their way to Tasmania, now there is no colony 
in Australasia which grows so many. Quickly succeed¬ 
ing the establishment of Chrysanthemum shows in 
Launceston the kindred associations in all the northern 
provincial towns followed our lead, so that the “queen 
of autumn flowers ” may now be said to have a very 
firm footing in our island. The affiliation of the 
Northern Horticultural Society of Tasmania with the 
National Chrysanthemum Society may be considered as 
marking a new era in its history, and that its future 
*A Paper by Mrs. Marian Thrower, Representative of the 
Northern Horticultural Society of Tasmania, read at the National 
Chrysanthemum Society’s Conference, Royal Aquarium, West¬ 
minster, November 11th, 1890. 
will be a prosperous and eventful one can scarcely be 
doubted. 
The culture of the Chrysanthemum in Tasmania can 
scarcely be followed upon the lines which obtain in 
England. ‘With us pot-grown plants find little favour, 
except as bush specimens or for decorative purposes ; 
the great interest of our exhibitions always centres 
around the cut specimens. For this purpose we have 
found that culture in the open ground gives the most 
satisfactory results. It may not be altogether unin¬ 
teresting to learn how Tasmanian growers proceed when 
raising plants. Many strike the cuttings which are 
taken from the first young growth which arises from 
the stools of plants which are left in the ground after 
they have been cut down, and these, when the 
certainty of having propagated sufficiently is assured, 
are then removed and thrown away. Some growers 
strike their cuttings in small pots, keeping them in a 
cool, close frame for ten days or a fortnight, w'hile 
others again plant them straight into the open ground, 
where they remain until they bloom ; but the latter 
method is not common, although I know it is adopted 
by one of our most extensive growers, who is a very 
successful exhibitor. As soon as the cuttings are quite 
established, at whatever season they are taken, they are 
generally transplanted to the ground, where they make 
very rapid growth—so rapid, .indeed, that it is always 
necessary to make successional plantings to insure 
having certain varieties at exhibition time. The period 
for the general planting out is the month of October, 
which is early spring with us in Tasmania ; but cuttings 
which are inserted even in November frequently furnish 
flowers for the show which takes place in April. When 
the plants have attained a height of about 10 ins. it is 
usual to top them, and the three branches which are thus 
produced are, as soon as they are of sufficient height, 
tied to separate stakes, the axillary growths being 
removed as they appear. Each plant thus produces 
three large blooms, instead of one, as grown upon the 
single stem mole, and we have found that the blooms 
are quite as fine, while the more dwarf growth is better 
suited for garden culture. The plants do not appear to 
require nearly so long a period for ripening the wood as 
seems to be necessary in England, the latest plants 
being generally quite as mature as those which were 
put out earlier. The rapidity with which the Chry¬ 
santhemum grows in our climate in most instances 
precludes us from taking the crown bud, which 
develops too quickly to be of any use for exhibition 
purposes. The greater heat of our late summer has 
probably something to do with this ; therefore it is the 
custom to select the terminal bud, which gives us far 
more satisfactory results. Much difficulty was ex¬ 
perienced by those who at first adopted the single stem 
plan of growing, for so many of the varieties grew to so 
great a height as to render it almost impracticable 
to give them sufficient support, and to protect them 
from the high winds which often prevail in our autumn 
season ; so that as it was evident that results quite as 
satisfactory were obtained from topping once in the 
early stage, that plan is most generally adopted. 
As our climate is very much drier than that of 
England it goes without saying that a great deal of 
labour is necessary as soon as the summer sets 'in, so 
that the plants may suffer no check, and it is therefore 
indispensable to mulch all the ground upon which 
Chrysanthemums are grown very heavily with well- 
decayed manure before the spring rains have quite 
ceased ; by this means a good stock of moisture is 
stored up to meet future needs. Then, when all 
disbudding is over and the season of bloom is ap¬ 
proaching, all those who are growing for exhibition 
purposes set about giving the plants copious doses of 
liquid manure ; but as each grower in our locality 
seems to have some pet liquid for this purpose it would 
be rather difficult to say which is most in demand. 
Some use chemical manures, others soot water, stable 
manure liquid, bone dust, or guano liquid. 
We have many enemies to contend against during 
the whole period of the growth of our favourite flower. 
To begin with, the mildness of our climate permits 
such midnight marauders as slugs to play deadly havoc 
among the tender foliage of newly rooted cuttings, 
necessitating much watchfulness. Scarcely have these 
foes left the field than many growers who have plants 
and cuttings which have been imported from England 
find that they have imported with them a black fly, 
which haunts the newly unfolded leaves, and is very 
difficult to dislodge. Later we have unwelcome visitors 
in the form of small green worms and caterpillars, 
which do much harm to the bud shoots ; then, when 
all appears to be smooth sailing, mildew makes its 
appearance, and sometimes a small green-fly follows 
this ; but what is more objectionable than any of these 
is the sudden damping of the blooms just when success 
seems most certain. With regard to the latter trouble, 
however, I have seldom seen it affect the Japanese 
varieties, and only certain of the incurved, those which 
generally suffer most being the Empress of India, the 
Queen family, Alfred Salter, and some others—for, 
strange to say, many varieties which grow in the same 
bed, within a few feet of those named, do not suffer 
at all. 
The drawback to the system we pursue of growing 
exhibition blooms entirely out of doors, is the liability 
to which they are exposed of being injured by frosts 
which occasionally visit us in the autumn, so that it is 
sometimes necessary to have a kind of elevated frame 
over which light canvas may be drawn to avert injury 
to the flowers. In addition to all the best known and 
esteemed varieties of incurved and Japanese, good 
collections of reflexed, Anemone-flowered, Pompons, 
and fimbriated varieties maybe seen at our exhibitions, 
but there is no question that Japanese varieties are 
preferred by the majority of our growers, probably on 
account of the greater difficulty which exists in pro¬ 
ducing perfect types of the incurved varieties, as well 
as the greater adaptability of the former for all decora¬ 
tive purposes. Our exhibitors have yet much to learn 
from the old country in the matter of staging, arrangement 
of colours, and other matters which have to be con¬ 
sidered, as well as the production of flowers which are 
fit for exhibition. Exhibitors, too, are not always 
satisfied with the decision of the judges, who are some¬ 
times not as experienced as could be wished, hut this 
is a difficulty which time will remove, as men of home 
experience find tlieir way to our shores and introduce 
some of their ideas among us. 
The competition among both professional and amateur 
Chrysanthemum growers is very keen, and the contests 
are always very close ones, many of the exhibitors 
travelling as far as from Hobart to Launceston, and 
vicz versd, a distance of 130 miles by train, with their 
exhibits. Tasmania is destined to occupy a premier 
position among the Australians with regard to Chry¬ 
santhemum culture, owing to the great superiority of 
its climate, the scorching hot winds of the summer 
upon the mainland having a most deleterious effect 
upon the plants, while the water supply of the colonies 
adjoining Tasmania is not at that period adequate to 
the demands made upon it. I feel that it is a matter 
for congratulation that our Society is privileged to be 
represented among the affiliated societies of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society upon this most auspicious 
occasion, although I consider it is to be regretted that 
a member no better qualified than myself to speak upon 
Chrysanthemum culture should have undertaken the 
task, but I trust that my endeavours to throw some 
little light upon matters as they exist at the Antipodes 
will be received in a spirit of indulgence and toleration 
of my shortcomings. 
I cannot conclude without expressing a deep regret, 
not only on behalf of the Northern Horticultural 
Society of Tasmania, but also upon my own, at the 
untimely decease of the late honorary secretary of the 
National Chrysanthemum Society, Mr. William Holmes, 
whom I had the pleasure of meeting, and to whom I am 
indebted for many acts of kindness and courtesy. 
- 
THE SINGLE GARDEN 
MARIGOLD. 
In spite of the vicissitudes of the late autumn weather, 
the single forms of the pot or garden Marigold con¬ 
tinue to bloom with me. I have some very pretty 
self-sown seedlings that are prolonged in bloom by 
picking off the seed pods, leaving only one on each 
plant of a good variety to scatter their seeds for another 
season’s service. They come up in spring in all sorts 
of places, and then I transplant the seedlings to the 
border. A few years ago a firm of Italian seedsmen set 
about improving these single forms, and among their 
productions were some straw-coloured varieties, so 
pale in tint as to approach white. I think that if one 
or two of the palest of these had been isolated from 
coming into contact with their fellows of deeper 
colours it might have been possible to have obtained, 
in course of time, a white form. On the other hand,, 
selections from the deepest yellow types could be 
made to approach orange, and even reddish orange. 
I was in a cottage garden in my neighbourhood during 
the summer and saw there a bed of common Marigolds, 
both double and single, which contained some very 
novel varieties. One had a white centre, and the row 
of guard petals were quilled half-way up and then 
flattened out, only the flattened parts being yellow. 
