214 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 6, 1890. 
noises resulting from the shouting of touts for minor 
exhibitions. Now it does seem to me that it the 
Aquarium directors are really anxious to improve the 
status and tone of the Aquarium through the in¬ 
strumentality of flower shows, they should absolutely 
stop all tout shouting and unseemly noises, and check 
the practice of smoking in the building on those days. 
The shouting might be stopped altogether with 
advantage, as it is an intolerable nuisance at all times. 
The smoking might be restricted on flower show days 
to the evening—say from 8 p.m. or 8.30 p.m.—as then 
the bulk of those who come to see the flowers specially 
would have departed. The directors do not seem to 
realise that flower lovers are a very diverse lot of 
peoplefromtheordinary Aquarium habitues, and dislike 
associations which are coarse, vulgar or unseemly. 
To numbers of people, ladies especially, the smell of 
tobacco smoke is intolerably annoying, and what is 
worse, it permeates the clothing, leaving its nauseou s 
perfume behind for days. Now, if the Royal Aquarium 
Company, in promoting flower shows on its own 
account, and finding accommodation for those of the 
National Chrysanthemum Society, has a sincere desire 
to secure a superior clientele, surely the associations of 
the building should be made of a superior nature also. 
The directors may well remember that they exist under 
the London County Council under very diverse 
conditions, as to the retention of their license to 
what existed under the Middlesex justices, and it should 
be their aim to show that every effort was being made 
to purge the building of some of its more objectionable 
features through the aid of flower shows, and also to 
make as many friends as possible amongst the more 
respectable part of the community by affording special 
inducement, in the shape of select days, to them to 
patronise the Aquarium. It is evident that great 
pressure seems likely to be brought to bear on the 
National Chrysanthemum Society to find fresh quarters. 
The result will probably rest with the Aquarium 
directors more than with any other body of persons. 
— Non-Smoker. 
-•*$<—-- 
EXPERIMENTS in the CULTURE 
OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
By Me. H. Briscoe-Ironside.* 
The text of my paper affords, as you will observe, 
considerable latitude, of which I propose to take full 
advantage. There exists amongst us a considerable 
divergence of opinion as to the cultivation of our 
favourite flower, and it seems to me that on this point 
we are never likely to agree fully. The varied con¬ 
ditions under which we work, such as those of aspect, 
soil, water, &c., must so considerably affect the growth 
as to render results, attributed to the culture, incon¬ 
clusive ; moreover we adopt many and dissimilar 
methods, and nevertheless attain fairly equal achieve¬ 
ments—one grower being successful one season, and 
his opponent the next. Hence, with the view of 
improving our plants we resort to experiments, and 
some of my own experiments in this direction I shall 
now have the honour of briefly describing. • 
I have pursued various systems of cultivating the 
Chrysanthemum, such as striking in cold and heated 
frames, and have obtained more satisfactory results 
when the cuttings have been struck in frames placed 
in a moderately heated glass house, and removed 
when rooted, to cold frames. I have found deep pots 
preferable for blooming in, as better drainage can be 
secured, the plants are safer against saturation during 
heavy rains, and are more easily top-dressed. 
Last year I experimented with fifty small plants 
flowered in 32-size pots. They were fed with various 
chemicals and manures, both singly and in combination. 
To express an opinion on the result is a most difficult 
task, as I found it impossible to adhere strictly to one 
chemical or one manure, except in the case of horse- 
manure. I came to the conclusion, however, that 
half-a-dozen plants which were successively given 
liquid horse-manure, soot-water, Peruvian Guano, and 
fish-manure, and occasionally carbonate of ammonia, 
showed the most satisfactory results. I would here 
mention, more as a curious circumstance than of any 
practical importance, that in the case of two plants 
which had occasional waterings of dissolved sugar, 
greatly diluted, a portion of the sugar re-appeared upon 
the foliage. This I collected and dried, and on tasting 
it I could detect no alteration. At the same time, the 
leaves on which the sugar appeared changed to a deep 
red, resembling in colour the foliage of an Ampelopsis 
Veitchii in autumn. 
* A paper read at the National Chrysanthemum Society’s 
Centenary Exhibition, 13th November, 1890. 
I particularly observed the effects of the following 
forms of ammonia given to plants—viz., sulphate, 
phosphate, nitrate, muriate, and carbonate—and it 
seemed to me that although the colour of the foliage 
was considerably deepened, especially by carbonate of 
ammonia, the blooms did not last so long, and the 
petals were not so crisp or firm, a state of things 
greatly militating against successful exhibition. The 
last result was most noticeable when the plants were 
liberally supplied with ammonia during the flowering 
period. I have found, however, when the buds are 
fixed, and rainy weather sets in, thus preventing the 
usual waterings for some time, that carbonate of 
ammonia, at the rate of 1 oz. to 3 gallons of water, 
giving half-a-pint of the mixture to each pot, main¬ 
tains a healthy tone in the foliage ; nevertheless, at 
such a time, when the air is moist and the light 
limited, I venture to think that it is advisable to avoid 
as much as possible forcing the growth. The appli¬ 
cation of carbonate of ammonia produces an almost 
instantaneous result, which may be readily observed in 
the following manner A plant (say Golden Dragon), 
the foliage of which has a tendency to turn yellow, is 
selected, one or two leaves removed, and placed in 
water to keep fresh ; carbonate of ammonia is now 
given to the plant, and the leaves thereon compared a 
few hours afterwards with those which were previously 
cut off, when there will be found a conspicuous 
difference in their colour. 
My experience has not led me to consider top- 
dressings of dry manures advantageous, as it has 
seemed to me that the surface roots are damaged 
thereby, and the manurial contents not evenly dis¬ 
tributed. As witness of this, I daresay that some of 
you have noticed that after top-dressings of artificial 
manures have been applied, the suckers immediately 
under the soil have become soft and pulpy, which in 
conjunction with the constant pinching of the suckers 
up to the blooming period, has resulted in the formation 
of a compact, unnatural mass at the most vulnerable 
part of the plant. I suspect this is a cause for a 
scarcity of root-cuttings later on. We are, doubtless, 
all alive to the fact that it is advisable to feed 
moderately, plants having small and thin leaves, and 
it is a safe guide to generally consider all such plants 
as belonging to the category of weak varieties. I have 
observed that the life of the leaves of this section when 
fully exposed to the sun’s rays has been of comparatively 
short duration, and that the blooms have been con¬ 
siderably improved when these plants have been placed 
in a partially shaded position. 
Continually watching the foliage has been the most 
useful guide to me in the cultivation of the Chry¬ 
santhemum. We know that when the cuttings are 
rooted a yellow appearance invariably denotes in¬ 
sufficient pot room, and after the plants have been 
finally potted that a similar condition betokens in¬ 
sufficient nourishment; also that when the midrib of 
the leaves becomes contracted and the foliage curls a too 
generous treatment has probably been the cause. This 
last feature I have frequently observed in cut-back 
plants, which, as might'be expected, will not stand the 
same amount of feeding as those naturally grown. 
One of the most difficult problems in the culture of 
the Chrysanthemum, and that which requires a vast 
amount of experience, is, I suppose, “the timing of the 
blooms’’ for exhibition. The following system has 
enabled me to exhibit blooms in fairly fresh condition 
three, and in some cases four, weeks after they have 
fully developed. Take a plant, the flowers on which 
are three-fourths expanded, remove it to a dark room or 
shed, and when a bloom has fully opened cut it off 
with, say, about 18 ins. of a stem; immerse im¬ 
mediately in a jar or tumbler of water, and cut off 
underneath the water - about 2 ins. of the stem. I 
imagine that in this way the air is prevented from 
penetrating the stem, and hence the access of the water 
to the bloom is unimpeded. A small quantity of 
charcoal placed in the water obviates the necessity of 
continually changing the same. I should mention that 
I afterwards take off a small piece of the stem 
occasionally, this operation being likewise performed 
underneath the water. 
With regard to mildew, I have found that sulphide 
of potassium, at the rate of 2 ozs. to 1 gallon of water, 
syringed on the plants, has been the most effectual 
remedy, but when housed I consider dry flowers of 
sulphur dusted on the foliage preferable. Mildew 
generally begins during the months of August and 
September, sometimes in the latter part of July, and I 
have reasons for concluding that it originates from the 
varying temperatures for which these months are con¬ 
spicuous, the days frequently being extremely hot and 
the nights cold and misty. To confirm, in my own 
mind, my conjecture on this point, I housed half the 
plants of A r al d’Andorre, Triomphe de la Rue des 
Chalets, Meg Merrilies, and Mr. Ralph Brocklebank, 
which are notoriously subject to this disease, at the 
end of July, the other half being housed at the end of 
September. No trace of mildew appeared on those 
first housed, while the others suffered in the usual 
manner. It will be found on taking two leaves o 
equal length (they can of course be cut to weigh the 
same), the one being healthy and the other showing 
signs of mildew, and burning them separately, that the 
ash of the former is heavy. This, I imagine, proves 
that the mildewed leaf contained more liquid matter 
than the other. It is not inconsistent, therefore, to 
conclude that defective or checked transpiration is the 
cause of mildew. 
To a similar cause I venture to attribute damping in 
blooms, as a like result is obtained from the last 
experiment if blooms be substituted for leaves. The 
fact of the petals giving off water in the same way as 
leaves, though, of course, in a smaller degree, must not 
be overlooked. Damping, I have observed, is generally 
confined to blooms grown for size, on plants which have 
lost a great deal of their foliage from a too early 
ripening. I am inclined to think that overfeeding has 
little or nothing to do with damping, inasmuch as I 
have experienced from overfeeding exactly the opposite 
result—viz., the bud displaying a dry rot, and refusing 
to develop at all. I suppose a too early ripening of the 
plants is due to an exposed position, where they have 
practically no shade and no shelter from the summer 
sun. I placed some plants so as to be shaded from the 
sun between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. during 
the months of June and July, arid I fed them twice as 
liberally as those fully exposed. The former when 
housed were ripened about half-way up the stem, and 
the result appeared to afford weighty testimony to the 
validity of my conjecture. This was especially notice¬ 
able amongst the weak varieties. Bearing on this 
point, in conclusion, 1 would draw your attention to 
the fact that whereas warmer countries easily ripen 
seed, in which we practically fail, they cannot produce 
blooms such as those exhibited by the National Chrysan¬ 
themum Society. 
-- 
CHRYSANTHEMU M NOTES PROM 
MIDLOTHIAN. 
A VERY fine display of the queen of the autumn has 
been had this year at Beeslack, Midlothian, the 
residence of John Cowan, Esq. Mr. Dougall, the 
gardener, although professing to be only a novice at 
Chrysanthemum culture, has been exceedingly suc¬ 
cessful with the collection under his care, as may be 
judged by the excellent blooms to be seen in the 
conservatory. About 400 plants (if I remember rightly) 
are grown, including all the newest and the cream of 
the older varieties. The Japanese varieties seem to be 
the favourites, and largely predominate. Amongst those 
we noted as being especially good were Mrs. E. Jameson, 
excellent from the first break (this variety succeeds 
best when treated thus); Etoile de Lyon, large and 
fine ; Sunflower, a grand showy flower ; Boule d’Or, 
very good, but surpassed by Golden Dragon ; Mdlle. 
Melanie Fabre, a beautiful full bloom ; Edwin 
Molyneux, very fine ; M. Lacroix ; Peter the Great, 
extra fine ; Baronne de Prailly ; AV. Holmes, a very 
useful variety ; Stanstead AYhite and Stanstead Sur¬ 
prise, both grand exhibition sorts ; Avalanche, Jeanne 
Dc'laux, Comte de Germiny, Florence Percy, and Ralph 
Brocklebank, all in excellent form. 
Amongst the incurved sorts we observed Miss 
M. A. Haggas, H. Shoesmith, Prince of AVales, Nil 
Desperandum, A r enus, Lord AA r olseley, Jeanne d’Arc, &c., 
very well represented. A good many were past their 
best at the time of our visit (November 26th), but the 
above-named, and a number of others little inferior, 
made a very fine display. A number of bush plants of 
Sceur Melanie, grown for cut bloom, made a nice show. 
This variety is greatly in favour at Beeslack for cutting. 
Talcing it all in all, Mr. Dougall is to be highly 
complimented on the very successful result of his year’s 
labours. 
Although too late to see the fine collection of Chry¬ 
santhemums grown at Valley field, the seat of Charles 
Cowan, Esq., at its best, still we were highly gratified 
with what we did see of it. 
Mr. Thorburn, who is an enthusiastic cultivator of 
the “ Mum,” informed us that he had over 500 plants 
this year ; about 100 or so were still in bloom 
containing a number of the finest exhibition and 
decorative varieties, such as Meg Merrilies and Ralph 
