October  31,  1901. 
• JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
403 
[Coming  Chrysanthemum  Shows 
The  following  fixtures  are  advertised  :  — 
Battersea,  Nov.  1st. 
Birmingham,  Nov.  12th. 
Bournemouth,  Nov.  13th 
Branford,  Nov.  15th. 
Brighton.  Nov.  12th 
C  irdiff,  Nov.  5th. 
Ber!  y,  Nov.  B ' , 
ICccles  (Manchester),  Nov.  6th 
Evesham.  Nov.  tith. 
Hanley,  Nov.  6th. 
Hull.  Nov.  13th. 
Kent  County.  Nov.  1st. 
Leeds  Paxton,  Nov.  12th 
National  Chrys.,  Nov.  5th. 
Parkstone  (Dorset),  Nov.  7th. 
Scottish  Horticultural,  Edin¬ 
burgh,  Nov.  15  th 
Southampton,  Nov.  5th. 
Stratford-on-Avon,  Nov.  7th 
West  of  England  (Plymouth), 
Nov.  5tli. 
Windsor,  Nov.  8th. 
York,  Nov.  13th 
General  Cultural  Remarks. 
At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Dulwich  Chrysanthemum  Soc  ety, 
Mr.  Percy  Waterer  read  the  following  paper  on  “  Chrysanthemum 
Propagation  and  Cultivation  ”  : — 
The  lecturer,  beginning  with  the  preparation  of  the  old  plants 
for  cuttings,  advised  the  retention  of  only  six  suckers  to  a  plant 
and  the  leaving  some  foliage  on  sorts  shy  in  sucker-making.  He 
did  not  believe  it  necessary  to  take  cuttings  on  a  stated  date,  or 
That  side  shoots  wTere  so  bad  as  was  often  thought.  With  regard 
to  the  number  grown,  seventy  he  thought  enough  for  a  house  20ft 
by  8ft,  and  as  to  varieties,  disappointment  often  followed  from  a 
large  investment  in  new  sorts.  Cuttings  should  be  about  3in 
long,  hard  and  short  jointed,  and  should  generally  be  inserted 
during  December,  but  sorts  like  Mrs.  H.  Weekes  and  Florence 
Molyneux  are  better  struck  later,  and  the  break  bud  selected. 
Use  a  thumb  pot  for  each  cutting,  label,  and  place  on  a  bottom 
of  cocoa-nut  fibre  or  ashes  in  small  frames,  in  a  cool  house  or 
frame.  The  soil  should  be  equal  parts  of  loam  and  leaf  mould, 
with  sharp  sand  to  keep  open  and  silver  sand  n  hole  for  cutting. 
The  plants  should  be  slightly  syringed,  and  the  glass  occasionally 
wiped,  and  in  three  or  four  weeks  the  glass  may  be  gradually 
removed. 
In  potting  frequent  shifts  are  inadvisable.  When  pots  are 
filled  with  roots  they  should  be  potted  on.  Thumbs  to  large  60, 
then  32,  and  finally  16  or  12,  or  for  the  strongest,  into  72,  then 
48,  24,  and  lastly  12  or  8.  More  shifts  are  harmful  and 
unnecessary. 
The  most  forward  plants  should  be  ready  for  first  shift,  about 
the  middle  of  February,  in  soil  three  parts  fibrous  loam,  ona 
part  each  leaf  mould,  rotten  manure  and  sand,  and  a  little  wood 
ash  and  dusting  of  bonemeal.  Pot  firmly,  and  at  first  little 
water  is  required,  but  plants  may  be  lightly  sprinkled  overhead. 
Notes  taken  during  a  number  of  seasons  lead  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  importance  of  pinching  and  taking  buds  at  specified 
dates  is  over-estimated,  the  season  causing  such  variations  in 
the  plants.  The  best  practice  is  to  grow  only  those  sorts  which 
experience  proves  throw  the  best  buds  naturally  at  the  period 
required.  Decorative  varieties  should  be  pinched  when  6in  or 
8in  high,  and  the  shoots  when  5in  to  7in  long,  the  centre  branches 
tied  to  a  stake  and  the  outer  branches  to  the  inner  ones.  By  the 
end  of  March  the  most  forward  plants  will  be  ready  for  second 
shift.  Soil,  four  parts  stiff  loam,  two  of  leaf  mould,  one  each  of 
good  rotten  manure  and  sharp  sand,  a  dusting  of  wood  ashes, 
bone  flour,  and  superphosphates.  A  little  charcoal  and  broken 
oyster  shells  may  be  added.  Pot  more  firmly,  plants  require 
staking,  and  should  be  stood  in  an  ordinary  frame.  After  a  few 
days  give  plenty  of  air,  and  keep  fly  down  with  tobacco  powder. 
As  the  plants  grow,  frames  may  be  raised  with  bricks,  and  in 
favourable  weather  the  lights  removed.  During  April,  syringing 
with  quassia  or  an  insecticide  will  keep  off  the  fly  of  the  celery 
maggot. 
Final  Potting  nd  First  Break. 
From  the  middle  of  May  to  June  1  final  potting  should 
be  done.  Potting  soil  :  five  parts  of  stiff  fibrous  loam,  one-and-a 
half  leaf  mould,  one  dry  stable  droppings,  one  each  sand,  old 
mortar  and  wood,  one-haif  part  pigeon  manure,  a  few  quarter-inch 
bones,  and  a  dusting  of  bonemeal,  should  be  prepared  two  or 
three  weeks  in  advance.  A  piece  of  perforated  zinc  2in  square 
should  be  put  in  bottom  of  pot  to  exclude  worms,  then  a  flat 
oyster  shell,  followed  by  lin  or  2in  of  crocks  or  broken  bones. 
Pot  as  tightly  as  possible,  and  get  as  much  soil  as  you  can  under 
the  ball  of  the  roots.  Shelter  pots  from  heavy  rains  if  possible, 
and  later  place  in  summer  quarters  where  possible  2ft  from 
centre  to  centre  and  rows  4ft  or  more  apart.  Place  four 
or  five  oyster  shells  on  top  of  soil  to  prevent  evapora¬ 
tion,  and  put  in  final  stakes.  When  the  plants  break,  leave 
four  shoots  first,  later  removing  the  weakest.  Syringe  over¬ 
head  whenever  favourable.  Remove  shoots  and  suckers.  Dust 
with  tobacco  powder,  and  trap  earwigs  with  hogweed.  Wien 
plants  are  thoroughly  rooted,  feed  with  weak  cow  manure,  fol¬ 
low,  ng  with  horse  and  sheep,  with  intervals  of  soot  water,  g  ving 
it  clear  about  the  colour  of  pale  sherry.  One  of  the  best  manures 
for  hort  cultural  purposes  is  sun-dried  blood,  if  obtainable,  but 
vitriolised  blood,  fresh,  is  dangerous,  and  should  be  kept  at  least 
twelve  months  before  using.  During  August  top-dress  with 
fowl  or  pigeon  manure  a  year  old,  or  Peruvian  guano,  mixed 
with  eight  times  quantity  of  fine  loam,  covering  old  soil  £in 
deep.  Repeat  this  before  housing.  Remember  that  the  foliage 
denotes  the  state  of  health  of  the  plant,  and  if  sickly  looking  give 
soot.  Water  thoroughly,  and  only  when  required.  Tapping 
with  the  knuckles  will  indicate  the  state  of  soil.  Heavy  mists 
during  August  often  favour  the  spread  of  “  rust.”  The  Wye 
mixture,  applied  with  a  fine  syringe,  is  a  good  preventive. 
Bought  cuttings  may  be  dipped  in  same  mixture,  and  an 
occasional  spraying  given  to  plants  during  season.  Mildew  may 
be  kept  down  with  flowers  of  sulphur  dusted  on  leaves,  especially 
the  under  sides.  A  green  insect  the  size  of  house  fly  is  trouble¬ 
some  and  should  be  caught. 
Crown  Buds. 
Crown  buds,  taken  about  first  week  in  August,  and  second 
crown,  or  terminals,  about  third  week  in  August,  usually  give 
best  results.  Other  growths  should  be  rubbed  out  as  soon  as 
large  enough  to  bundle.  Early  in  September  the  houses  should 
be  cleaned  out,  painted,  walls  limewashed,  and  pipes  sulphured, 
and  any  blooms  showing  colour  may  be  housed,  and  the  remainder 
on  any  sign  of  frost.  Give  all  the  air  possible,  lumps  of  fresh 
lime  will  absorb  moisture.  If  favourable  weather,  syringe  the 
foliage  a  little.  Spread  out  plants  as  much  as  possible  for  first 
ten  days,  remove  buds  developing  large  round  ones,  and  support 
any  weak  buds  with  split  bamboos.  Some  of  incurved  varieties 
are  improved  by  allowing  heads  to  hang  down.  When  plants 
have  been  housed  a  month,  too  luxuriant  foliage  may  be  thinned. 
If  plants  are  backward  a  week  before  a  show,  a  watering  of 
nitrate  or  sulphate  of  ammonia,  ^oz.  to  a  gallon,  will  be  beneficial. 
On  the  conclusion  of  the  paper  a  number  of  questions  referring 
to  some  of  the  knotty  points  in  cultivation  were  dealt  with  in  a 
manner  that  the  vast  experience  of  the  lecturer  made  doubly 
valuable,  and  a  very  interesting  evening  was  concluded  by  the 
usual,  but  in  this  case  certainly  most  well  deserved  and  hearty, 
vote  of  thanks  to  the  lecturer. 
New  Varieties  at  Chelsea. 
The  Chrysanthemums  in  the  Royal  Exotic  Nursery  at  Chelsea 
are  resplendent  at  the  present  date.  Amongst  the  novelties 
offered  last  year  for  the  first  time,  we  noticed  something  like  a 
score  in  Messrs.  Veitch’s  collection.  Some  of  these  are  slightly 
superior  to  varieties  of  the  past,  but,  honestly  speaking,  there  is 
mighty  little  to  choose  between  the  most  up-to-date  and  the 
best  of  half  a  dozen  years  ago.  Certainly  we  recognise  the  fact 
that  for  the  continuation  of  prosperous  trade  among  the  growers 
who  specialise  the  flower,  it  is  necessary  that  a  yearly  stock  of 
“  novelties  ”  be  distributed,  and  this  also  ensures  the  continuance 
of  interest  in  the  culture  of  this,  the  “  Golden  Flower  ”  of  the 
Greeks.  WTe  want  more  varieties  of  the  Florence  Molyneux  or 
Miss  Alice  Byron  type,  whose  flowers  are  so  grandly  massive, 
yet  withal  so  charmingly  beautiful,  that  they  command  admira¬ 
tion.  Only  the  best  should  be  honoured,  and  once  recognised, 
why  not  try  to  improve  upon  them,  and  send  out  the  improved 
forms  backed  with  the  prestige  that  may  already  have  been 
gained  ? 
Mr.  Weeks,  the  grower  of  these  plants  at  Chelsea,  is  in  no 
way  conceited  with  his  representatives  this  season.  The  plants 
are  robust,  stout,  healthy,  and  perfectly  clean,  but  the  buds  are 
not  opening  to  his  satisfaction.  In  another  year  but  one,  he 
will  have  the  freedom  and  more  genial  influences  of  the  Feltham 
zephyrs  to  aid  him,  and  under  such  conditions  we  generally 
expect  finer  results. 
The  lovely  Lily  Mountford,  with  creamy  centre  and  pink 
shading  over  the  lower  petals,  stands  out  well ;  we  find  it  kindly 
spoken  of  wherever  we  go.  Lord  Roberts  is  a  rich  crimson 
Japanese  variety,  with  golden  reverse  ;  no  one  could  choose  a  finer 
variety  of  its  type.  Ernest  Bettsworth,  named  in  honour  of  a 
C.I.Y.  who  went  forth  for  his  country  and  came  back  unharmed, 
furnishes  a  bright  and  attractive  rose  purple  flower, 
General  French  is  the  title  of  a  yellow  representative  with  beauti¬ 
fully  full  flower-heads  and  finely  sinuous  petals,  the  lower  ones  of 
which  droop  slightly.  This  we  take  to  be  one  of  the  most 
meritorious  of  last  year’s  introductions.  Kimberley  may  be 
recalled,  too,  from  the  notice  given  to  it  on  its  debfit.  In  depth 
of  yellow  it  equals  Soleil  d’Octobre.  Earl  of  Arran  furnishes 
another  yellow  Japanese,  but  which  we  will  pass  over.  Hooper 
Pearson  is  two  years  known.  It  was  expected  to  cause  universal 
