560 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Dec., 1901. 
His system is something as follows: Plant a single pip or sucker in land 
that has been thoroughly dug and heavily manured, well-drained, and thoroughly 
well pulverised. If the soil be clayey, he adds a few barrow-loads of sand or 
coal ashes, or, better still, if procurable, oyster-shells pounded up. Broken 
coral is also beneficial. The additicn of bonedust sets the plants moving. As 
soon as growth commences, manure water is applied twice a week, with liberal 
waterings every day. When the shoots are 6 inches high, the tip is pinched 
off; this makes the plant branch out. Allow three or four of these to grow 
to a length of, say, 8 inches, and then remove the tip to encourage lateral 
growth. On these laterals the flowers will be formed, and if exhibition blooms 
are wanted the buds must be thinned out, leaving the terminal buds to develop. 
Tf medium blooms are desired, take the terminals out and leave the secondary, 
merely removing buds where there are two or more close together. 
A careful eye has to be kept on the general growth of the plant all the 
while, to prevent too much growth of wood. Remove all young shoots that 
may appear anywhere below the flower shoots, being careful to leave sufficient 
foliage to sustain the plant in perfect health, always remembering that the 
leaves of all plants play a very important part in their breathing and evapora- 
tive functions. 
Never allow a chrysanthemum to suffer for want of water, for, if once the 
leaves are allowed to flag, a percentage of the respiratory organs becomes 
impaired and the general system of the plant must suffer. 
The wood of the chrysanthemum being very brittle, a good stout stake 
should be furnished to tie the stems to; tie firmly, with some soft material to 
prevent abrasion of the bark. 
When the flowering season is over, and the plants begin to look shabby, 
they may be cut down level with the ground. Fork around the roots, and add 
a good mulch and let the plants remain till the next planting season, which 
extends from October to January. If the grower has no room to keep his 
plants in the ground where he flowered them, he can lift after flowering and 
plant in a close row in some spare piece of ground, but not under trees. 
It is just 137 years ago since the first plant of Chrysanthemum sinense was 
imported into England by Mr. Fortune, from China. From this importation 
have sprung all the lovely varieties that now embellish our gardens with their 
grotesque beauty of form and their generally attractive hues of colour. 
About the same time, Mr. Fortune imported the Chusan daisy, from which 
the gardener has evolved the many Pompom varieties, with their pretty 
miniature blooms. Every year new varieties of chrysanthemums are being 
added to the already comprehensive list by enthusiasts, who raise seed varia- 
tions by the hundred. 
Chrysanthemums are divided into groups according to their general 
characteristics, as: Incurved—petals turned inwards ; reflexed—petals turned 
outwards; interlaced — petals both inwards, outwards, and _ crosswise ; 
anemone—flowered, petals quilled like an aster, Japanese—petals large and 
irregular in shape, often parti-coloured ; Pompom—petals nearly always erect, 
and many flowered. 
POTTING OF PLANTS. 
Tf new pots are to be used, be sure and soak them for several hours first, 
for unless the pottery has been well moistened it will suck out all moisture from 
the soil. Old pots are as goud and even better than new, but they should be 
well washed inside and out before using again. Warm soapsuds, with a table- 
spoonful of washing soda dissolved in it, will wash the most soiled pot as clean 
as anew one. Fresh soil is the best for plants, and that which is obtained from 
under the stiff, wiry, sharp-looking grass is very fine for use. Such tufts, when 
well rotted, make the best composts to mix with garden loam, leaf mould, &c. 
A little sand is needed for nearly all plants, as it keeps the soil light and lets 
