218 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  5,  1901. 
Dwarf  Chrysanthemums. 
Plants  growing  in  4|-inch  pots,  from  9  inches  to  18  inches  high, 
and  carrying  one  lull-sized  bloom,  are  not  so  often  seen  as  their  merits 
deserve,  and  they  are  certainly  well  worthy  of  what  little  attention 
they  require  in  producing  thtm.  They  further  show  how  adaptable 
the  Chrysanthemum  is  for  purposes  of  decoration.  These  miniature 
plants  are  well  suited  for  indoor  vase  decoration,  lor  standing  on  the 
side  stages  of  the  conservatory  where  dwarf  plants  only  are  required, 
and  for  the  marginal  line  of  groups  arranged  for  effect  at  the  autumn 
exhibitions.  From  the  first  to  the  last  week  in  August  is  the  time  to 
take  the  cuttings.  If  they  are  inserted  sooner  the  plants  are  apt  to 
get  too  tall,  and  if  taken  much  later  the  flowers  are  necessarily 
smaller.  [Where  Chrysanthemums  are  grown  for  the  production  of 
large  blocms  some  of  the  points  are  almost  sure  to  be  broken  off  by 
various  causes  about  the  time  stated,  as  for  instance  heavy  rains,  high 
winds,  and  birds  alighting  on  them,  the  shoots  at  this  stage  being  veiy 
brittle.  Such  shoots  should  be  formed  into  cuttings  4  inches  long  ; 
some  may  be  6  inches  long.  Dibble  them  firmly  into  sandy  soil, 
using  pots  inches  in  diameter,  water  well  to  settle  the  soil  securely 
about  the  cuttings,  plunge  them  in  a  gentle  hotbed,  shading  them 
carefully  from  the  sun,  syringe  the  foliage  every  afternoon  of  fine  dayp, 
and  by  keeping  the  frame  nearly  close  roots  will  be  formed  in  about  a 
month,  when  more  air  should  be  afforded,  increasing  the  supply  until 
the  plants  will  bear  full  exposure  without  flagging.  The  best  position 
for  them  at  that  stage  of  their  growth  is  on  a  bed  of  coal  ashes  close 
to  the  glass  in  a  frame  with  a  southern  exposure.  When  the  pots  are 
full  of  roots  shift  the  plants  into  pots  of  the  size  named,  using  rich 
soil  and  potting  firmly.  Another  system  of  producing  cuttings  like 
that  previously  described  may  be  too  haphazard  to  depend  upon. 
Where  plants  are  grown  on  the  “big  bloom”  system  with  thre: 
shoots,  allow  them  to  carry  four  instead,  and  when  the  buds  form  on 
the  shoots  towards  the  end  of  August  the  extra  shoot  can  be  topped 
and  the  cuttings  inserted.  If  the  lower  part  of  the  same  branch  is 
cut  off  the  plant  will  be  none  the  worse  for  growing  four  branches 
instead  of  three.  Where  a  large  number  of  dwarf  plants  are  required 
the  following  is  a  good  method  of  preparing  the  stock. 
Insert  cuttings  of  desirable  varieties.  Any  of  the  Japanese  section 
that  are  not  weak  in  growth  nor  have  weakly  peduncles  are  suitable, 
preference  being  given  perhaps  to  such  varieties  as  all  the  members  of 
the  Carnot  family,  also  any  with  a  semi-weeping  habit  of  petal,  in  the 
usual  way  early  in  January.  Pot  the  plants  as  required;  do  not  top 
them,  but  train  up  four  shoots  from  each  plant  at  the  first  break, 
removing  all  other  side  branches  as  fast  as  they  appear.  Secure  the 
plants  to  one  stake  during  their  growth.  When  the  bloom  buds 
form,  as  they  wili  at  the  time  named,  cut  off  the  points,  inseit  their, 
and  treat  as  advised  for  the  others. — E.  M. 
- <-♦*» - - 
Bulbs  and  their  Culture. 
( Continued  from  'page  170.) 
For  providing  an  early  display  of  forced  flowers,  both  private 
gardeners  and  market  growers  depena  upon  pretty  much  the  same 
varieties  of  Hyacinths,  Tulips,  and  Narcissus,  simply  because  only  a 
few  known  sorts  can  be  fully  relied  upon.  There  is,  however,  a  great 
deal  of  difference  between  the  selection  suitable  for  each  class  of 
grower  in  regard  to  the  production  of  flowers  during  February,  March, 
and  April.  For  the  latter  purpose  the  private  grower  aims  at 
procuring  choice  up-to-date  varieties,  which  produce  superior  ana 
uncommon  flowers,  because  the  owners  of  good  gardens  usually  like 
to  see  in  them  a  choicer  variety  of  flowers  than  are  generally  met  with 
in  markets  and  shops. 
The  market  grower,  on  the  other  hand,  limits  his  selection  to  those 
varieties  which  are  likely  to  prove  profitable.  He  knows  that  the 
general  public  prefers  certain  decided  colours,  and,  that  as  bulb 
growers  largely  increase  their  stock  of  the  varieties  in  the  greatest 
demand,  such  can  be  obtained  at  a  cheap  rate  ;  whereas  the  high 
price  asked  for  bulbs  of  new  varieties  allows  the  market  grower 
but  little  chance  of  making  a  profit  out  of  them,  except  in  rare 
instances.  It  should,  however,  be  constantly  borne  in  mind  that 
flowers  of  new  varieties,  which  are  a  decided  improvement  on  older 
ones,  are  in  great  demand  on  the  markets  as  soon  as  they  can  be 
procured  at  a  reasonable  rate,  and  growers  are  therefore  often  ready  to 
speculate  in  the  purchase  of  choice  bulbs  before  their  (price  comes 
down  to  the  usual  figure  of  the  market  man. 
For  midseason  and  late  supplies  of  Tulips  the  maiket  grower 
depends  principally  upon  the  following  varieties : — Due  Van  Thol, 
scarlet,  for  which  there  is  a  steady  demand  throughout  the  season,  and 
Vesuvius,  another  good  scarlet.  I  have  tried  several  of  the  more 
expensive  scarlets,  but  find  they  do  not  generally  s  ell  well.  Yellow 
Prince  is  par  excellence  for  market  work,  and  it  is  more  largely  grown 
than  any  other  yellow  ;  California  and  Canary  Bird  are  also  good,  but 
at  present  they  are  too  dear.  Chrysolora  is  too  uncertain  for  forcing, 
and  I  strongly  advise  all  growers  to  fight  shy  of  it.  La  Reine, 
White  Pottebakker,  L’lmmacule,  and  White  Swan  will  give  a  good 
succession  of  whites  throughout  the  season.  Cottage  Maid  and 
Proserpine  are  good  rose  and  pink  varieties.  The  red  and  gold  Keizers 
Kroon,  by  reason  of  its  great  size  and  attractiveness,  always  sells  well, 
and  I  know  of  no  better  orange  coloured  variety  than  Ltonarda  Vinci. 
Thomas  Moore,  apricot,  when  well  grown  so  as  to  bring  out  its  true 
colour,  is  an  unique  flower  which  sells  readily,  and  is  also  a  great 
favourite  in  private  establishments,  but  when  the  flowers  are  of  a  dull 
colour,  as  they  sometimes  are  if  forced  too  hard,  they  are  a  decided 
libel  on  the  real  Thomas  Moore. 
Doubles  are  not,  as  a  rule,  largely  grown  except  for  late  flowering. 
The  following  are  some  of  the  best : — Gloria  Solis,  brown  and  yellow  ; 
Rex  rubrorum,  scarlet ;  Tournesol,  red  and  yellow  ;  La  Candeur, 
white  ;  Le  Blason,  rose  and  white ;  and  Rosina,  pink.  Parrot  Tulips 
are  not  usually  profitable  for  pot  culture,  became  they  do  not  bear 
forcing  well,  and  flowers  may  be  obtained  from  the  open  air  almost 
as  early  as  from  bulbs  in  pots  when  the  latter  are  brought  on  in  cool 
structures.  Everybody  should,  however,  grow  Parrot  Tulips  in  the 
open  air.  Every  variety  I  have  seen  is  worth  growing,  but  Perfecta 
(yellow,  red  stripes),  is  a  general  favourite. 
The  above  selection  is  the  one  I  recommend  for  market  purposes, 
and  all  the  varieties  are  also  well  adapted  for  growing  in  private 
garaens  to  supply  large  quantities  of  cut  flowers  or  pot  plants,  but  in 
addition  the  following  choicer  varieties  should  be  grown  when  the 
expense  can  be  incuried.  Due  Van  Thol  Cochineal,  vermilion ; 
Albion,  white;  Couleur  Ponceau,  bronze  scarlet  ;  Donna  Maria, 
striped  ;  Le  Matelas,  bright  pink ;  Orphir  d’Or,  yellow  ;  Vermilion 
Brilliant,  scented ;  Prince  of  Austria,  orange  scarlet ;  and  Bride  of 
Haarlem,  striped.  Darwin  Tulips  are  good  for  late  work,  as  their 
quaintly  marked  flowers  are  always  admired.  Bierens  de  Haan, 
violet  and  rose;  Gordons,  red;  Glory,  dark  brown;  Gustave  Dor6, 
rose  ;  and  Madame  Grignan,  rose  and  white,  are  all  fine  varieties. 
For  bedding  purposes  it  is  wise  to  relv  upon  sorts  sent  out  in 
separate  colours,  which  are  guaranteed  by  firms  of  repute  to  flower 
simultaneously,  as  it  is  most  disappointing  to  have  some  varieties 
flowering  in  advance  of  others.  A  similar  course  should  also  be 
pursued  in  regard  to  Hyacinths  intended  for  bedding,  as  firms  who 
have  made  a  specialty  of  selecting  send  out  collections  which  are  the 
result  of  years  of  study. 
Hyacinths  when  grown  in  pots  usually  flower  at  a  time  when  other 
flowers  are  none  too  plentiful,  and  for  that  reason  they  deserve  to  be 
largely  grown  in  private  establishments.  For  market  purposes  they 
are  not,  as  a  rule,  very  profitable  things  to  grow.  Except  for 
exhibition  purposes  it  iB  not  wise  to  grow  a  large  number  of  varieties, 
as  there  are  certain  kinds  which  are  superior  to  others  of  the  same 
colour,  and  the  singles  are,  as  a  rule,  more  attractive  than  doubles. 
Here  is  a  selection  which  I  think  will  satisfy  the  majority  of  growers, 
certainly  they  will  provide  a  good  display. 
Red  and  rose. — Baron  Van  Tuyll,  Charles  Dickens,  grand  ;  Grand 
Vainqueur,  Howard,  Lord  Macaulay,  Lord  Percy,  Moreno,  and  Norma. 
White. — Alba  superbissima,  Blanchard,  Baroness  Van  Tuyll,  La 
Candeur,  one  of  the  best ;  La  Belle  Blanch isseuse,  La  Grandesse, 
Leviathan,  Mary  Stuart, ^Voltaire,  and  Paix  de  l’Europe.  Single  blue . — 
Baron  Van  Tuyll,  Beauty  of  Hillegom,  Blondin,  one  of  the  best; 
Charles  Dickens,  King  of  the  Blues,  and  Masterpiece.  Single  yellow. — 
Bird  of  Paradise,  King  of  Holland,  orange  yellow ;  King  of  Yellows, 
and  L’Or  d'Australie. 
Among  the  large  number  of  Tulips  and  Hyacinths  catalogued  there 
are  many  which,  although  high  in  price,  are  by  no  means  so  showy  as 
the  more  plentiful  varieties,  but  every  variety  enumerated  in  the 
above  lists  I  know  from  experience  to  be  of  a  “  taking  ”  colour. 
Wabick.  (To  be  concluded.) 
Saglttarla  japonlca  fl.-pl. — The  figure  on  page  219  represents 
parts  of  a  sturdy  plant  of  this  very  attractive  aquatio  exhibit  by 
Leopold  de  Rothschild,  Eeq.  (gardener,  Mr.  James  Hudson,  V.M.H.),  on 
August  13th  in  the  Drill  Hall.  We  prefer  the  oommon  Sagittaria 
(Arrowhead),  with  its  beautiful  single  flowerB  and  central  mass  of 
purplish  anthers.  The  variety  flowered  from  Gunnersbury  was  remark¬ 
able  for  the  density  and  “doubleness”  of  the  blooms.  Where  this 
plant  grows  luxuriantly  and  flowered  abundantly  its  effect  amongst 
other  and  commoner  aquatics  is  quite  outstanding.  Being  truly  double, 
the  mode  of  propagation  is  mostly  by  division.  It  is  hardy. 
