November  1,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
401 
ways,  such  as  iusuflficieDt  ventilation,  injudicious  watering,  and  a  cold, 
still,  stagnant  atmosphere,  extending  over  a  long  period. 
Large  blooms  are  liable  to  damp  1  ecause  of  the  extraordinary  mass 
of  florets  they  contain  ;  their  liability  is  increased  when  the  conditions 
necessary  to  prevent  the  evil  are  totally  ignored.  Some  cases  of 
damping  can  often  be  traced  to  omitting  housing  plants  with  forward 
buds  soon  enough.  When  the  buls  have  swollen  to  the  extent  that 
they  begin  to  show  colour,  and  the  plants  still  remain  outdoors 
during  heavy  night  dews  or  drizzling  rains,  moisture  will  find  its  way 
2  feet,  because,  if  nearer,  they  are  more  subject  to  rapid  and  sudden 
changes  of  temperature.  A  high  temperature  and  strong  sunlight 
will  be  trying  for  the  blooms,  especially  crimsons  and  other  dark 
colours,  while  a  low  temperature  will  quickly  bring  a  heavy  deposit  of 
moisture.  Inefficient  ventilation  promotes  damping.  The  top  lights 
should  be  open  on  all  favourable  occasions,  and  when  heat  is  employed 
to  warm  the  structure.  The  bottom  ventilators  are  best  closed  at 
nights  and  in  damp  weather. 
When  fogs  prevail,  as  they  do  in  November,  great  difficulty  is 
Fig.  110.— chrysanthemum  LILY  MOUNTFORD. 
among  them,  and,  not  being  able  to  evaporate,  will  cause  the  blooms 
to  damp  at  a  very  early  stage.  This  kind  of  damping  is  not  very 
prevalent,  but  it  is  referred  to  as  possible. 
A  damp  condition  of  the  structure  in  which  the  plants  are  housed 
is  highly  conducive  to  the  evil  of  damping  in  the  blooms,  whether 
these  are  large  or  small.  This  condition  may  be  encouraged  by  a 
leaky  roof,  spilling  water  about  the  floor  and  allowing  it  to  lie  in 
pools,  and  by  watering  the  plants  late  in  the  day  when  there  is  not 
suffic  ent  time  for  superfluous  moisture  to  evaporate  before  nightfall. 
Tne  blooms  should  not  be  too  near  the  glass,  never  closer  than 
experienced  in  preventing  damping.  The  wisest  course  is  to  keep  the 
hot- water  pipes  warm  and  close  th^e  ventilators,  dry  up  all  moisture  in 
the  house,  and  apply  as  little  as  possible  to  the  plants.  A  cold,  damp, 
clinging  fog  has  been  known  to  spoil  blooms  on  their  way  to  exhibition. 
High  feeding  has  frequently  been  blamed  for  causing  a  tendency  to 
damp,  and  there  is  without  a  doubt  some  reason  for  it.  Nitrate  of 
soda  and  sulphate  of  ammonia,  if  given  frequently  after  the  plants  are 
housed,  will  undoubtedly  promote  the  evil.  These  manures  have  the 
|)Ower  to  force  growth,  and  rapidly  developed  blooms  must  have  less 
substance  and  resisting  power  to  damp  than  steadily  built  flowers. 
