September 23, 1893. 
TH£ GARDENING WORLD 
S3 
SEEDLING CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Reference has been made on several occasions in 
The Gardening World anent the raising of 
seedling plants in New South Wales and elsewhere. 
No doubt the climate in that colony is favourable to 
producing such quick results as those achieved by 
your correspondent “ G. H. K.," and noted on p. 17. 
In England, at least, eight months are required to 
perfect the blossoms from the date of sowing the 
seed, although there are instances where some few 
plants have flowered earlier. These have been 
treated, too, for some special object. 
The planting-out method of culture was a few 
years since largely practised by a few growers, but 
mainly for the purpose of economising space and 
labour. At that time the seed was not nearly so 
well prepared for giving the percentage of good 
blooms as at the present time. Now, so good are 
the productions obtained from seed, that hybridising 
is becoming almost a necessity amongst trade culti¬ 
vators to keep pace with 
the craving for novelties, 
which at the present time 
is most fashionable. The 
planting-out method of 
growing the plants was 
managed in this way and 
for the object named— 
saving of space. The seed 
was sown in a gentle 
heat early in March, the 
seedlings pricked out into 
boxes, or pans when 
large enough to handle, 
gradually hardened cff 
and finally planted out in 
beds, where many of them 
bloomed the same year. 
Those that were pro¬ 
mising were marked for 
further trial to be grown 
from cuttings put in that 
autumn in the orthodox 
manner. Instead of re¬ 
stricting the plants to 
one stem and one bloom, 
they were allowed to 
branch out freely; the 
side shoots were restricted 
to one bloom each, and 
that from the centre was 
allowed to carry but one 
flower also. By this 
means a double object 
was gained, viz., the prov¬ 
ing of the manner of 
flowering as well as the 
colour of the blooms. 
It is well known that 
there is a distinct differ¬ 
ence in the blooms from 
the central bud, especially 
if this be “ taken ” early 
and from those developed 
from side shoots, and 
consequently later flowers. 
This is still a capital way 
of testing the colour of 
seedlings. Afterwards the blooms can be developed 
from either crown buds or those from terminals, just 
as desired. 
I have seen hundreds of these seedling Chrysan¬ 
themums raised in the way indicated, and with but 
few instances of success. Sc many failures occurred 
under those conditions of seed buying that the 
raiser of seedlings either abandoned the business 
altogether or adopted fresh tactics. Here two 
seasons are generally required to perfect the blooms 
of any seedlings, so many of the really good kinds 
give but their blooms the first year; the second 
year, under good treatment, a fuller development 
was obtained in the blooms. The sizes given by 
“ G. H. K.” are very good indeed for those named, 
even if not obtained from seedling plants. 
No doubt the climate is all in favour of cultivation. 
The roots from plants in the open ground have so 
much better an opportunity to obtain food supplies; 
there is also such a thing as their becoming dry 
suddenly in the same manner as when growing in 
pots through the carelessness of some youthful 
attendant. 4? a fillip to seedling-raising here hand 
some prizes have been offered for plants in flower, 
but it cannot be said that those staged for the prizes 
have been exceptionally meritorious, which proves, 
I think, that two seasons are necessary to produce, 
the best results from any variety. Raisers of new 
varieties all over the world now appear to have hit 
upon one uniform plan, viz , to save seed from 
deserving kinds as to their habit of growth, with 
the view—and a commendable one it is—to induce 
a dwarf, sturdy habit of growth. Especially are the 
new kinds well clothed with foliage; for instance, 
look at Avalanche, Princess Victoria, Mrs. F. 
Jameson, the Sewards, Shrimptons, Mdlle. Marie 
Hoste, and many others, so different to Mdme. C. 
Audiguiei, Belle Paule, and Balmoreau in this 
respect. 
The best method of raising seedling Chrysanthe¬ 
mums, in England at least, is the following :—Sow 
the seed from the middle to the end of February in 
sandy soil in a gentle bottom heat to enable the seed 
to germinate quickly. Directly the seedlings appear 
above the soil give them a position close to the glass 
to enable the growth to be stocky and as dwarf as 
possible, as is consistent with the natural character 
of individual kinds. When the seedlings are large 
enough to handle, transfer them to small pots and 
shift them on into larger sizes as needed to prevent 
the roots becoming cramped and thus alter the 
character of growth by giving a check which is 
undesirable in so young a stage of growth. Pots 
8 in. in diameter are large enough for the first year, 
except perhaps, in a case of extra strong growth,when 
those an inch wider would be more advantageous. 
The soil should not be extra rich, that which is 
light is preferable to a heavy retentive class. The 
usual precaution as to supplying drainage in a proper 
manner and making the soil firm is advisable. 
Where the growth is fairly strong and early it is a 
good plan to remove the flower bud made at the 
first break and take up three shoots, restricting the 
growth to that number, and allowing one bloom only 
to develop from each shoot. Weakly plants are best 
flowered on the one stem in the case of wishing to 
test the quality of the varieties the same season. 
In fact, both methods of training are the best to get 
a quick return. The usual cool treatment as soon 
as the plants can be hardened gradually from the 
seedling stage, and a sunny position out of doors as 
recommended for the bulk, is preferable for seedlings 
also. Next to shapely blossoms, excellence of habit 
in ■ growth must be the first consideration. For¬ 
tunately, now we get the two combined, — E. 
Molyneux. 
As a raiser of seedling Chrysanthemums, I have 
read with much interest the remarks of •' G. H, K.” 
at p. 17, and I am very pleased to compare notes 
with him on this subject. I most heartily congratu¬ 
late him on his success in this direction, as his 
results are slightly better than my own, 6|in. by 
5jin. being the largest flower I have had on a seedling 
plant carrying three blooms. I have had them 7J in. 
by 5jin. when carrying only one bloom, but I have 
given up growing one bloom on seedlings, as it is im¬ 
possible to judge of their habit, and often when 
grown on for three blooms the second season they 
do not come nearly so 
good. I certainly think 
that Chrysanthemums 
may be classed as an¬ 
nuals, for quite 80 per 
cent, will flower in nine 
to ten months from sow¬ 
ing the seeds, and I have 
had a few early varieties 
bloom fourteen weeks 
after sowing. Perhaps 
it would interest 
“ G. H. K.” and your 
readers if I give my sys¬ 
tem of raising and growing 
seedlings, which differs 
from “G. H. K’s.” in this 
respect, that I do not 
take cuttings, but grow 
the original seedlings 
straight on in pots until 
they flower, though there 
is no doubt that they 
would grow much better 
planted in the ground; 
but here in England we 
often have sharp frosts 
just before their blooming 
time, so that we must 
grow them in such a 
condition that they can 
be housed about the end 
of September, or we may 
have our months of time 
and care spoilt in a night. 
The end of January and 
early in February our first 
lot of seed is ready for 
sowing. This is done in 
some nice, light sweet 
soil, and the pan placed 
in about 70° of heat. In 
five or six days the seed¬ 
lings appear, when they 
are placed as near the 
glass as possible. In 
about twenty days from 
sowing they are carefully 
pricked off, keeping them in the same temperature 
until they get established, when they are moved 
into a house at about 60° in the day and 50° 
at night. When they have made the third pair 
of rough leaves, we pot them off in 3-in pots 
and they remain here until they are thoroughly 
established, when we remove them to a cold house or 
frame as convenient. After this they are potted into 
the various size pots and treated in the same manner 
as ordinary varieties grown from cuttings. They 
throw up a large number of suckers, and these must 
all be kept clear or they speedily spoil the plants. 
About the end of May and through June they will 
make their break, when the best three shoots are 
selected to grow on for bloom. When they flower, 
all that look promising are carefully labelled and 
grown on and thoroughly tested the next season be¬ 
fore being introduced ; for very often the seedling 
plant will give some very fine blooms, but which 
when grown on from cuttings may be very disap¬ 
pointing. Last season I grew 550 seedlings, from 
which I selected seventy-one for trial. These are 
being thoroughly tested this season, and out of the 
George Thomas Miles, 
