218 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 6, 1890. 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
SEASONABLE WORK in the GARDEN. 
Gardenia Cuttings.—If a batch of cuttings are 
put in now, they will be rooted and ready to start 
away vigorously in spring. They can thus be got 
ahead of the main batch and have the wood ripened 
early, forming useful material for an early crop of 
bloom. 
Poinsettias.—Those who desire to prolong the 
season of flowering as much as possible, may now 
select the most forward plants and place them in the 
conservatory, allowing others to come on gradually, 
while a few are kept in a slightly lower temperature. 
The temperature of the greenhouse or conservatory in 
which flowering subjects like the above are kept should 
not be allowed to fall below 50° at night unless during 
the prevalence of very cold weather, when it may be 
allowed to sink below the standard rather than to 
drive the boilers, thereby rendering the atmosphere of 
the house dry and arid. 
Crotons, Ixoras, &e.—During the present quiet 
time, much good service could be done in the houses by 
clearing the above and similar plants from scale, mealy¬ 
bug, and other insects that still continue to increase 
and spread under the influence of the stoveheat, planting 
colonies which will give increased trouble in spring. 
Various insecticides may be used, such as Fir-tree Oil, 
Gishurst Compound and paraffin, being careful not 
to saturate the buds with the latter. 
Roses.—Where pot Eoses intended for forcing are 
now or have been for some time indoors, it will be 
necessary to inspect them at times to see that the roots 
are not suffering through an over-dry state of the soil. 
Should such be the case, plants cannot be expected to 
give satisfaction when placed in heat and then watered, 
because many of the roots are killed, and even the 
main stems suffer by shrivelling. 
Camellias in Pots.—See that young plants are 
not allowed to suffer by overcrowding of the buds, 
because it may cause the whole to be thrown off, 
particularly if the plants are not very vigorous. 
Should any be required to come on early, they may be 
forwarded by placing them in an intermediate house, 
and assist them with weak liquid manure and soot 
water. In the latter case it is best to place some soot 
in a bag, plunging the latter in the tank from which 
the plants are watered. 
Chrysanthemums.—The collection should now 
be gone over to ascertain what varieties have been 
propagated, and what remains of which stock is still 
wanted. Many of those which are late in throwing up 
suckers will now be found to have done so, and cuttings 
should be taken at once, before they get drawn. Back¬ 
ward varieties may be cut down as soon as they go out of 
flower, in order to encourage the development of 
suckers. 
Cinerarias.—Plants intended for flowering in May 
should now receive their final shift. If healthy and of 
good size now, they should be put in 8-in. or 9-in. 
pots. Cinerarias delight in liberal treatment, and 
should therefore be given a rich compost consisting of 
good turfy or fibrous loam, four parts well-rotted cow 
manure, and leaf-soil one part each. In order to get 
the best results, the plants should be staged near the 
glass, and have plenty of room between each, so that 
all parts may be well exposed to light, and therefore 
kept healthy. 
Calceolarias.—Much the same sort of treatment is 
required by these as in the case of Cinerarias, and the 
instructions concerning their exposure to light cannot 
be too strictly enforced. No better place can be had 
for them than a heated frame or low pit where they 
will not only be kept near the glass, but also assisted 
by the moisture arising from a bed of ashes. 
Show and Fancy Pelargoniums.—These 
should now be put in their flowering-pots, and receive 
every attention in the way of exposure to light and 
watering. The longer shoots of the earliest plants may 
now be regularly but gradually tied into position. 
Keep the atmosphere of the house dry and airy, venti¬ 
lating on all favourable occasions. 
Zonal Pelargoniums.—These should now be 
• flowering freely, even if not at their best. What they 
want chiefly is to be kept airy and dry by judicious 
ventilation, and the application of fire heat. They will 
give most satisfaction if the night temperature is kept 
up to 55°. The colour of the flowers comes out very 
plainly at this season of the year. 
Vineries.—Where very early forcing is done the 
buds in the earliest vinery will now be pushing. When 
such is the case the temperature should be gradually 
increased to 60° at night, with a corresponding rise by 
day. Syringe the rods several time3 a day in fine 
weather, and attend to the fermenting materials, so as 
to necessitate as little fire-heat as possible. In houses 
where drapes are still hanging, due care will be 
necessary to prevent them from damping. Eemove 
decayed berries as they make their appearance, and use 
fire-heat to keep up a circulation. Give plenty of 
ventilation on fine days, reducing it early in the 
afternoon, but still preserving sufficient to keep up a 
circulation all night. 
Orchard House. — Where very early fruit is 
desired, the house may now be started, but the forcing 
must be very gentle for some time. See that the roots 
are not suffering from want of water, otherwise the trees 
will show it later on. This is more particularly 
necessary in the case of trees in pots than of those 
planted out. Before the house is closed for starting, 
see that the trees are perfectly clear of insect pests, 
such as scale or mealy-bug. 
Forcing Pits.—Owing to the scarcity of Apples 
and Pear3, a greater quantity of forced Ehubarb will 
be required than on average years in private establish¬ 
ments. He is fortunate, therefore, who made a good 
sowing last spring, as young plants are the best for 
forcing purposes. Lift the plants during open weather, 
and place them in a shed secure from frost for a week 
or ten days before introducing them to heat, and they 
will start all the better. Put in fresh batches of Sea 
Kale and Asparagus to furnish a supply after the older 
batches are worn out. 
-- - - 
WINTERING CARNATIONS. 
The florists are constantly being lectured for growing 
their Carnations under glass, and injuriously affecting 
their constitutional vigour in consequence. The 
critics notwithstanding, I am wintering all my potted- 
off plants under glass, but in a cold house, where the 
soil in the pots is frozen quite as hard as if the pots 
were in the open. Those of us who grow the choicer 
varieties of Carnations and Picotees know something of 
the dangers of leaving the plants in the open, exposed 
to all the rigours of the wintry weather, storm, rain, 
snow, hail, fog, &c. Nothing can be more dis¬ 
appointing than to see the strong leading shoot of a 
choice variety die away through rot from exposure to 
heavy rain, because there comes with it the certain 
knowledge that good blooms of the variety cannot be 
had if the main blooming shoot be destroyed. It is 
true side shoots may lengthen and produce flowers, but 
they are pretty certain to be late—too late for the 
show—and they are rarely so fine. Excessive rain 
falling upon plants in a soil already soddened is certain 
to result in rot, and no sane grower would expose his 
plants to such a trial. Where no artificial heat is 
applied, the conditions under which the plants are 
kept differ but little from those in the open in reference 
to cold, but they have the great advantage of being 
protected from rain and fog, the foliage can be kept 
dry, and the plants receive more attention than when 
in the open. 
If the side-shoots of Carnations wore, in consequence 
of the coldness of the summer weather, of as dwarf and 
more contracted growth than usual, we have gained 
some compensation in that—as far, at least, as my own 
stock is concerned—the layers are stout and stocky, 
having the promise of making excellent stuff for potting 
by-and-by. Layers appear to be well rooted, and if 
carefully potted soon make strong plants. All that are 
well rooted are placed singly in large 60-size pots, any 
imperfectly so are placed in the pots in pairs, one at 
each side, and a little fine sandy soil placed about the 
roots to encourage action. These make good stuff by 
March, and if the protection of glass affords the 
advantage of assisting the plants to make a little 
growth they would not in the open it is a decided 
gain. 
Mr. J. Lakin has sent me a pair each of his white seifs, 
Annie and Emma Lakin. That they are strong and 
free growers there can be no doubt, and I shall 
anticipate with much pleasure the blooming season. 
Let growers take all possible care of their plants during 
the winter; on no account, however, giving them 
artificial heat, and though critics may storm, there will 
be no loss of constitutional vigour, while the safety of 
the plants will be largely ensured.— R. D. 
THE CHRYSANTHEMUM IN 
ART.* 
By Me. G. C. Haite. F.L.S., Bedford Park, W. 
It has very properly been thought that so important 
a celebration as the Centenary of the introduction of 
the Chrysanthemum would be incomplete without 
some reference to its position in the art expression of 
the country from whence it came, a country remarkable 
for many qualities, but chiefly for the charm of its 
decorative arts and skilled handiwork ; and would also 
be incomplete without some recognition of its intro¬ 
duction in the ornament of our own manufactures. 
Although the introduction of the flower may be 
considered recent, it has of late years become a favourite 
and prominent motif with our art workers, so much so 
that it must of necessity be associated with the gTeat 
art revival of the latter part of the Victorian era. 
The committee of the National Chrysanthemum 
Society, in asking me, as a practical worker in applied 
ornament, to talk to you on this phase of a most 
fascinating subject, paid me a great compliment, and 
as the task was by no means an uncongenial one, I 
ventured to accept the honour, and shall endeavour to 
keep the few remarks I propose making as comprehen¬ 
sive and clear as the time at my disposal will allow. 
I need, therefore, offer no apology for the subject 
matter of my address, or for its introduction here ; I 
can only regret that it was not undertaken by someone 
more competent than myself. 
It must be clearly understood that my remarks upon 
the art aspect and adaptation of the Chrysanthemum 
will be confined exclusively to that branch of art 
known as the applied or decorative ; inasmuch as the 
selection of this flower for purposes of imitative painting 
can offer little, if any, food for reflection, seeing that its 
beauty and variety of form—combined with its richness 
of colour, would alone be sufficient to recommend it for 
such purposes. But a flower, or growth, must possess 
something more than an abstract beauty to take a fore¬ 
most place in the ornament and history of a people. A 
flower may be beautiful in itself, and yet lack the 
qualities necessary for the purposes of applied art. 
As an example of this we may take the cultivated 
rose, beautiful enough to satisfy the most fastidious 
taste, and absolutely unequalled in its exquisite colour 
range and subtleness of perfume, and yet can we call to 
mind a single instance in which it has been successfully 
treated as a decorative motif ? On the contrary, it is 
painful to reflect that the only claim it could possibly 
advance to artistic utility—save the mark !—would be 
its frequent recurrence in the crotchet and wool-worked 
table-mats and antimacassars of the last generation— 
now, let us hope things, I had almost said sins, of the 
past. The rose will of necessity be associated with 
the darkest age in the art history of this country. 
Again, the Dahlia has been developed and cultivated 
to its full pitch of perfection, possibly, but has left no 
record, at least of a creditable kind, upon our every¬ 
day art. 
The Tulip was at one period more than popular. It 
became a fashionable craze—in some cases, almost 
criminal in its consequences—riding foremost in the 
gilded chariot of fashion, and yet, as regards the 
influence upon taste and art, we meet with it chiefly 
in gaudy chintzes or abominable specimens of naturalistic 
wood carving. 
I might give further instances of a like nature, hut 
these will suffice to justify the assertion that a flower 
may be beautiful in itself, but yet totally unfit for the 
purposes of applied art. Something more than culture 
and development, something more than the caprice of 
fashion, something more even than abstract beauty 
gratifying though it be to sight and smell, is necessary 
for a growth to be exalted and to live for all time as a 
characteristic feature in a nation’s ornament. The Lotus, 
the Iris, the Tudor Bose, the Ivy, and the Chrysanthe¬ 
mum not least, illustrate and prove this. Without 
prejudice, I think I am justified in saying that in only 
too many instances, although the selection of a growth 
for cultivation has resulted in finer flower-heads and 
more luxuriant growth to the gain of our gardens—all 
this has only been obtained by the elimination of those 
very points and characteristics which made it acceptable 
to the artistic eye, and possible artistic adaptation. 
But this has not been so in the culture and wonderful 
development of the Chrysanthemum. Never, perhaps, 
in the history of the world—certainly there is no 
parallel in our own memories—has art been so indebted 
Read at the Centenary Conference of the National Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Society, November 11th, 1SO0. 
