8 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
Apri f, 1903 
and given proper treatment should make 
a fine display. When the plants are 
about 6 in. high take out the point of the 
growth. Keep the plants rather dry at 
the roots for a few days to assist in the 
development of new shoots in the axils of 
the leaves. From the several new shoots 
select two or three of the stronger, grow- 
ing these on, and rub out the weaker ones. 
Pot on the young plants into larger pots 
from time to time, using tuose 9 in. in 
diameter in which to flower them. Never 
pot on a plant until it has filled its pot 
with roots, and never pinch a plant at the 
same time that it is being repotted. At 
least a week should elapse vetween the two 
operations. After the first stopping, al- 
ready described in detail, you should pinch 
out the point of each succeeding 6 in. to 8 
in. of growth, giving the final pinching 
about the third week in June. This must 
necessarily develop plants of a bushy cha- 
racter. We would advise you to partially 
disbud your plants, and if you prefer to 
have flowers of medium size on stiff, erect 
stems, retain only one bud on each shoot. 
Throughout the summer and early 
autumn give the plants a good open sunny 
position, standing them on boards, slates. 
tiles, or anything of this kind to prevent 
the ingress of worms. Insert strong 
stakes or Bamboo canes for the support of 
the branching growths, lightly looping 
these to the stakes with raffia. Do not 
feed the plants until the flowering pots 
are well filled with roots. House the 
plants during the last week in September. 
Greenfly if present may be eradicated 
by dusting with tobacco powder.—W. V. 
T., in “Gardening.” 
1eSSseesee 
Chrysanthemum Blooms in Vases 
——— 
What is wanted at exhibitions in con- 
nection with vase classes for cut Chrysan- 
themumsismore of that free-and-easy style 
of setting up the flowers seen in our own 
homes. When it is required that so many 
blooms only be shown in a vase to be 
Judged chiefly das exhibition flowers and 
without any other foliage, then it is ine- 
vitable that the classe or classes will be- 
come as monotonous and objectionable as 
are the board classes. I could but notice 
in our own show here in Kingston last 
November, that by far the prettiest vases 
of blooms were those of amateurs and cot- 
tagers, who had not only a free hand as to 
flowers and arrangements, but also 
brought their own vases, all being more 
or less diverse. These were far more pleas- 
ing than were the large show bloom 
classes. It seems to be very evident, 
judging by what has been written, that 
the public or amateur taste, so far as 
Chrysanthemum showsars concerned, is re- 
belling against the big or fat flowers in 
vases, and is asking for something much 
more pleasing, decorative, and artistic. 
The fat flower classes are the fond children 
of those whose highest aim in flower cul- 
ture is to win good prizes. These exhi- 
_bitors must be given to understand that 
. the exhibitors’ favorites. 
such ideas in relation to flowers are becom- 
ing repulsive. There is now, in relation to 
Carnations, a great rebellion against dres- 
sing the flowers and showing them with 
paper collars. The same thing is crop- 
ping up in connection with the showing of 
Roses—still so terribly formal in their 
boxes. So also with Dahlias, even the 
beautiful Cactus forms being shown in 
rigid wire frames in the most unnatural 
way, so that people are getting tired. of 
seeing them so displayed, and are calling 
for more natural methods of showing 
them. But of all Lowers none seem natur- 
ally better suited for vase display than 
Chrysanthemums do, as they have long, 
stiff stems, and can be set up in almost 
any lengths, thus admitting, especially in 
conjunction with draping foliage, most 
pleasing and _ graceful arrangements. 
Show committees cannot too readily lend 
their attention to what the public ask, 
and cater less for the old stereotyped 
lumpy blooms which for so long have been 
One unpleasant 
feature of the big bloom competitions is 
that the trade make it their business to 
knock out varieties that have been favo- 
rites after a couple of years or so of show- 
ing, because old varieties have become 
plentiful and cheap. That is done by fore- 
ing on growers new varieties that can 
hardly be said now to show advance or di- 
versity on the old ones, and if some will 
not foolishly purchase them others will. 
Chrysanthemum showing has been a fine 
trade bloom, but it has seen its best days, 
happily. A correspondent, Essex,” sneers 
at market blooms. He is welcome to do so, 
but his sneer will only help stay the 
growth of public taste for more beauty 
and less bigness in Chrysanthemums.—A. 
Dean, in “Gardening.” — 
ee otots 
Chrysanthemums Deteriorating. 
The haste which in the past has charac- 
terised all operations in the culture of 
exhibition Chrysanthemums is largely re- 
sponsible for the weakened constitution of 
many of the varieties, which from time to 
time have taken a high position at the 
leading exhibitions. A new variety is in 
the first season grown to its fullest extent. 
As most exhibitors know full well, a pro- 
mising novelty, no matter whether it be a 
seedling or a plant of a few years’ stand- 
ing, is grown for “all it is worth,” in the 
language of the grower. From the very 
outset a strain is put upon the energies 
of the plant, and all through the growing 
season the same course of treatment is 
observed. This, being followed by a 
period of some six to eight weeks’ treat- 
ment in a glasshouse, often overcrowded 
with plants, weakens the plant. For 
some months the plants are highly fed, 
so that when the time comes round for 
procuring stock, cuttings of a most unde- 
sirable kind are the only ones obtainable. 
But the feverish haste to commence an- 
other season’s work, plants grown in the 
manner just described could be treated in 
a way to restore, to some extent, at least, 
their lost constitution. Some of the lead- 
ing growers plant out stock of the better 
sorts, but with the novelties they have 
no chance of doing so. When the few 
stock plants come into their possession, 
the Chrysanthemum specialists, to meet 
the demand for novelties made upon 
them, put in every cutting, and in the 
succeeding flowering season growers won- 
der why the new sorts fail to reach the 
standard seen during the previous season, 
and also so faithfully described in the gar- 
dening journals. The process of deteriora- 
tion which begins so early in the life of the 
plants is continued in the two or three 
succeeding seasons, and unless the consti- 
tution of each one is exceptionally robust 
and vigorous, the variety, so to speak, 
goes to the wall. What else can we ex- 
pect, after giving the plants so severe a 
system of culture? It is unreasonable to 
expect anything else than failure, and so 
long as the present system of early propa- 
gation. is followed, so long will results be 
unsatisfactory. 
It is not possible for every grower to 
plant out in his garden a batch of exhi- 
bition sorts, and many are not jprepared 
to take that trouble. It cannot be de- 
nied, however, that it is a wise course to 
adopt, and it brings its own reward. If 
it is not possible to grow stock plants in 
the open border as suggested, other means, 
though not so good, may be taken to 
achieve somewhat similar results. Plants 
which have been subjected to high culture 
should, after flowering, be cut down and 
either have the ball of earth and roots 
reduced, and be potted up into 6-in. or 
other smaller pots, using good soil for the 
purpose, or they should be plunged in soil 
in frames, or, better still, in soil of a fairly 
light character on the side benches of the 
glasshouses. The latter position is the 
better one, and so long as the plants are 
not excited into quick growth by a high 
temperature, the resulting growths, 
which should develop in the early days of 
the year and just as the days begin to 
lengthen, should be all the grower desires. 
Cuttings from such plants may be put in 
with the reasonable prospect of producing 
satisfactory results. Instead of lanky and 
unsightly plants developing, those of dwarf 
to medium growth should be the result. 
These latter, too, are easier to handle, and 
also retain their foliage much better. I 
have just seen a batch of piants treated 
in the,manner described, and these are 
now freely developing growths of a sturdy 
kind. A January and February propa- 
gation is quite early enough for all pur- 
poses—C. H. N., in “Gardening.” 
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