1C. 
.laiiiiary  1,  19C3. 
tfOO  Itj\  A.1j 
OF  HORTICULTURE  ASD 
COTTA  GE  a  A  RDEXER, 
Fulton  V.  Princess  A.  de 
your  readers  explain  tlie 
Monaco. 
difference  between 
Klsie  Fulton  Clirys- 
tlie  same  variety  under 
Miss  E. 
Will  soino  of  ^ —  —  . 
l*rince.ss  Alieo  de  Monaeo  and  Jii''.s 
anthemnins,  as,  in  our  opinion,  they  are 
t  n  o  names.— R.  Turvey.  .  i  ,  •  i-  i  j-i 
[We  believe  the  latter  to  be  a  smoother  flower,  that  is,  slightly 
more  refined,  but  the  difference,  certainly,  is  not  great  between 
the  two. — Kd.]  _ 
Timing  the  Buds. 
This  is  one  of  the  mo,st  important  items  in  the  sncces.sful 
culture  of  the  ('liry.santhemum,  if  one  wishes  to  have  the 
flower  at  a  certain '  date.  Of  course,  a  great  deal  depends 
on  the  variety,  whether  early  or  late,  for  you  cannot  select  a  bud 
if  it  is  not  there  at  the  time'wanted.  If  the  variety  is  a  late  one 
it  must  be  stopped,  say,  in  March,  so  a,s  to  induce  the  plant  to 
produce  its  croivii  bud  earlier  than  it  would  have  done  if  left  to 
itself.  If  the  kind  is  a  very  late  one,  it  must  be  topped  earlier 
than  the  time  mentioned,  or  if  the  other  way,  a  little  later. 
Each  variety  must  be  treated  in  its  own  way  to  get  its  bud  at 
the  right  date,  and  only  by  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  different 
varietTes  can  one  get  them  near  the  mark.  It  seems  useless  to 
give  anv  particular  date  as  to  topping,  because  the  season  will 
have  such  a  lot  to  do  with  it.  I  might  give  a  time  which  would 
be  correct  for  one  year  but  altogether  wrong  the  next.  The  .same 
remarks  apply  to  particular  varieties.  Some  seasons  some  kinds 
will  do  particularly  well,  at  other  times  they  will  be  failures. 
Xow,  in  regard  to  topping  (or  stopping)  the  plants.  The  late 
varieties  are  to  be  topped  to  induce  the  plants  to  show  their 
crown  buds  earlier.  Early  varieties  are  topped  with  the  idea 
of  retardiiig.  In  the  case  of  early  varieties  that  have  the  point 
taken  out.  only  one  growtli  is  allowed  to  continue,  or  if  three 
are  selected,  the  first  crown  bud  is  not  taken,  but  is  pinched  out, 
and  the  plant  is  allowed  to  grow  on  to  the  next  bud.  In  the 
late  varieties,  three  growths  are  encouraged  to  grow,  and  the 
first  buds  are  selected  much  earlier  than  they  used  to  be.  I 
think  the  best  time  is  from  about  August  10  to  the  middle  of 
Septemher.  If  taken  earlier  than  the  former  date  the  flowers 
do  iiot'open  properly,  and  are^  nothing  like  so  good  in  colour  as 
when  they  are  allowed  to  develop  in  the  proper  season.  I  think 
it  is  a  very  great  mistake  to  try  and  hurry  on  a  collection  of 
Chrysanthemnms,  either  by  taking  the  bud  early,  or  by  forcing 
them  under  glass.  They  are  never  satisfactory  when  so  treated. 
But  what  are  we  to  do  when  prizes  are  offered  for  large  flowering 
varieties  by  our  National  Society  early  in  October? 
I  do  not  consider  that  large  flowered  Chry.santheiuums  are 
wanted  so  early,  and  they  should  not  be  encouraged.  Ihere  are 
plenty  of  other  flowers  out, side  at  this  time  of  the  year  as  a  rule. 
Chrysanthemums  are  most  popular  in  November  when  other 
flowers  are  cut  off  by  frost.  W  liat  is  more  beautiful  than  a 
honseful  of  Chrysanthemums,  not  those  hurried  on  in  heat,  or 
having  big,  colourless  flowers,  the  result  of  the  buds  being  taken 
too  early,  but  a  fresh-looking^  strong,  healthy  lot  of  plants  with 
richly  coloured  flowers?  Nothing  is  more  cheerful  looking, 
especially  when  the  weather  outside  is  of  the  worst  description, 
with  cold,  biting  wind  and  rain.  This  is  the  time  when  a  house 
of  “The  Golden  Flower”  is  appreciated  to  its  fullest  extent.  I 
often  wonder  now  what  we  should  do  without  the  Japanese 
Chrysantliemums.  They  can  be  grown  ecpially  well  by  cottagers, 
amateurs,  or  professionals.  One  of  the  best  flowers  in  the  Guild¬ 
ford  show  last  year  was  shown  by  a  cottager;  and  the  .same 
exhibitor  had  also  a  nice  little  group  of  well  grown  plants.  I 
have  often  heard  people  remark  of  a  .snccessful  exhibitor :  “  He 
must  have  a  seci'et  in  growing  such  beautiful  flowers.”  The  only 
secret  I  knoAv  in  the  succe.ssful  cultivation  of  the  Chrysanthemum 
is  “  attention.”  That  is  the  word,  “  attention.”  No  lazy  peisson 
ever  grew  a  collection  succes.sfully.  The  plants  mu.st  be  carefully 
looked  after  from  the  time  the  cuttings  are  inserted,  until  the 
flowers  are  cut.  Do  not  listen  to  news  of  a  secret,  but  try  what 
attention  will  do. 
Many  failures  annually  take  place  by  growers  being  too  kind 
to  their  plants.  Every  po.ssible  manure  is  crammed  into  them. 
When  a  plant  is  overdone  with  manures  it  might  just  as  well  be 
thrown  away  at  once.  If  we  were  to  turn  a  plant,  suffering 
from  an  overdo.se  of  manure  out  of  the  pot,  we  shall  notice  that 
all  the  little  fibrous  roots  are  quite  dead.  If  the  plant  .should 
commence  to  grow  again,  it  will  have  received  a  serious  check, 
and  will  never  be  satisfactory  afterwards.  No  manure  is 
required  until  the  pots  are  moderately  full  of  roots,  then  begin 
with  a  weak  solution  of  whatever  stuff  is  used,  and  add  to  the 
strength  afterwards  as  the  pots  become  filled  with  roots,  and 
tlie  plant  requires  more  stimulant.  If  we  err  at  all  it  is  mnch 
better  to  do  so  on  the  side  of  weakness. 
Damping 
I  am  convinced  is  caused  by  overfeeding.  This,  as  I  have 
before  stated,  kills  the  tiny  fibrous  roots  which  are  so  essential 
to  the  well  being  of  the  plants.  The  plants  throw  the  sap  back 
into  the  flow,  and  “damping”  is  the  result.  I  do  not  remember 
to  have  ever  .seen  a  perfectly  healthy  plant  damping.  Of  course, 
it  is  quite  different  if  thick  _  foggy  weather  ensues,  lasting, 
perhaps,  for  two  or  three  we'eks.  Not  many  flowers  of  any  kind' 
could  stand  this.  I  have  seen  v  hole  collections  destroyed  by 
fog.  Foggy  weather,  unfortunately,  we  cannot  find  a  cure  for. 
The  best  way  to  fight  against  it  i.s  to  gently  warm  the  pipes  so 
as  to  keep  up  a  circulation  of  air  and  so  keep  the  fog  from 
settling  on  the  bloom.  Another  cause  of  damping,  in  the  dark 
varieties  especially,  is  to  allow  them  to  get  burnt  by  the  snn. 
Nearly  all  the  dark  varieties  are  very  susceptible  to  this  and 
should  be  carefully  shaded.  Cultivators  should  always  be  on 
the  look  out  for 
Insect  Enemies, 
Green,  black,  white,  and  I’ed  fl,v,  earwigs,  cateiqhllars.  Ac.  The 
fly  can  be  destroyed  by  .syringing  or  sprajdng  with  XL  All, 
“  Bitter  Oil  ”  Insecticide,  Ac. — a  certain  remedy— or  bj'  fumi¬ 
gating  when  the  plants  are  housed.  Earwigs  and  caterpillars 
]iiust  be  destroj'cd  by  censtant  attention.  Rick  them  off,  and 
try  trapping  them.  Earwigs  may  be  trapped  in  pieces  of  hollow 
bean  stalk;  these  should  be  looked  over  every  morning  and  the 
insects  blown  but  into  a  little  paraffin.  Mildew  .slioidd  be 
checked  directly  it  airpears  Jby  using  a  little  flour  of  sulphur. 
The  worst  enemy  now  to  the  Chrysanthemums  is  the  dreaded 
rust.  Personally,  I  know  of  no  real  remedy-  It  can  certainly 
be  checked  if  noticed  in  time,  but  when  it  once  fairly  gets  a 
foothold  the  case  is  hopeless.  I  have  tried  almost  everything 
possible  to  stop  the  ravages.  The  first  year  when  it  took  us  all 
unprepared  we  hardly  had  a  sound  leaf  on  the  place.  The  next 
year  we  attacked  it  as  soon  as  it  rvas  noticed,  by  removing  every 
leaf  infected.  At  the  ejid  of  the  season  we  certainly  had  a 
cleaner  lot,  but  some  of  the  plants  were  almost  denuded  of  every 
leaf.  Last  year  we  sprayed  the  whole  of  our  collection  over 
every  week  Avith  a  mixture  of  .softsoap  and  paraffin  in  the  pro¬ 
portion  of  a  Avineglass  of  paraffin  to  a  gallon  of  Avater,  keeping 
the  AA’ater  stirred  Avhile  using.  M"e  had  a  fair  lot  of  plants,  but 
Ave  had  the  rust  as  Avell.  We  also  tried  Veltha,  but  I  cannot 
.say  much  as  to  its  results.  HoAA'eA'er,  I  am  giving  it  a  good  trial 
this  season  Avith,  I  hope,  a  better  result.  Rust,  I  consider  to  be 
the  greatest  sneak  of  an  enemy  ;  making  its  appearance  as  it  does 
under  the  leaves  of  the  plant,  it  is  not  noticed  until  it  has  got 
a  good  foothold,  then  it  is  too  late,  because  other  plants  are  soop 
affected.  It  cannot  be  destroyed  Avhen  once  it  is  established.  It 
makes  its  first  appearance  by  a  little  Avhite  speck  on  the  leaf. 
If  this  be  examined  it  Avill  be  seen  that  the  rust  is  inside  the 
leaf,  and  in  order  to  kill  the  rust  you  must  destroy  the  leaf. 
When  the  rust  is  first  visible  it  has  burst  from  the  inside,  and 
has  done  its  deadl3^  Avork  by  distributing  the  germs  to  its 
neighbours.  I  do  not  think  that  at  present  Ave  have  a  cure  for 
rust.  The  only  hoiJe  is  to  prevent  it,  prevention  being  better 
than  cure.  It  Avill  make  its  first  appearance  AA'lien  the  cuttings 
are  rooted.  The  leaves  affected  should  be  cut  off  and  burned. 
We  burn  all  our  old  plants,  Avhich  haA’e  been  affected,  when  they 
are  cut  doAvn.  The  small  plants  Ave  dip  at  intervals  in  Yeltha 
emulsion.  Not  much  rust  Avill  be  seen  again  until  the  plants  are 
in  their  floAvei’ing  size  pots  in  their  smnmer  quarters,  i.e.,  the  end 
of  June  or  the  beginning  of  July.  The  sharp  look  out  must  be 
kept,  and  if  it  should  be  noticed,  the  plant  attacked  should  be 
isolated  at  once. 
It  has  occurred  to  me  that  the  source  of  coutagion  may  be 
in  the  pots.  The  pots  that  have  contained  plants  affected  Avith 
rust  being  used  over  again.  The  pots  are  porous,  and  just  suit¬ 
able  places  in  Avhich  rust  may  be  .stored  up  from  the  old  plants 
I’eadj'  for  the  next  lot.  When,  perhaps;  four  or  five  thousand 
plants  are  groAvn  it  Avonld  be  rather  a  large  order  to  Avash  all  the 
pots ;  but  it  seems  to  me  to  be  the  only  Avay  out  of  it.  All  the 
pots  that  have  been  used  .should  be  Avashed  and  dipped  in  paraffin 
to  make  sure  that  no  germs  are  left.  If  the  germs  ai’e  not 
retained  in  the  pots  it  seems  Amrj^  strange  that  it  should  make 
it.s  appearance  soon  after  its  shift  into  the  pots.  In  an,v  case  it 
Avould  be  Avorth  trying.  Others  may  have  tried  it,  bnt  I  have 
seen  no  account  of  it.  Of  course,  if  the  pots  are  dipped  in 
paraffin  it  should  be  done  some  time  before  using,  and  the  pots 
should  be  thoroughly  dried  and  exposed  to  the  air.-  - 
G.  carpenter. 
A  Gardener  and  Chrysanthemums. 
A  singular  story  was  told  to  Judge  Mansel  Jones  at  Rother¬ 
ham  County  CAurt  recentl.y,  Avhen  Mr.  W.  H.  MickletliAvaitc’, 
one  of  the  leading  men  in  the  Rotherham  district,  sued  Thomas 
Squires,  a  gardener,  for  £14  damages  alleged  to  have  been  .suf¬ 
fered  through  the  defendant  negligentl.v  or  Avrongfully  remoAung 
the  terminal  buds  from  280  Cbrj^santhemum  plants.  Squires 
had  been  in  the  plaintiff’s  employment  as  head  gardener,  but 
left  in  vSeptember  last  because  he  refused  tO'  do  some  Avoi'k  he 
described  as  a  “  labourer’s  job.”  It  Avas  alleged  (says  the  “  Daily 
Mail  ”)  that  before  leaving  he  told  an  under  gardener  that  he 
should  “  get  even  Avith  the  old  man,”  and  should  destrojr  all  his 
OAvn  “  stuff  ”  on  the  premises.  W’^hen  the  neAV  head  gardener 
came  he  found  the  terminal  buds  had  been  removed  from  the 
Clhrysanthemums.  The  defendant  denied  the  charge,  and  sug- 
ge.sted  that  the  plaintiff  had  done  it  himself  by  “  putting  his  oavu 
finger  in  the  pie.”  The  Judge,  hoAAeA'er,  made  an  order  for  the 
full  amount  claimed.  '  '  ‘ 
