166  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  August  20,  1903. 
Feeding  the  Plants. 
Now  that  the  growing  season  of  the  autumn  queen  is  with  us, 
and  in  view  of  tlie  great  efforts  that  are  being  made  for  the 
autumn  exhibitions,  the  work  of  the  joint  committee  of  the 
National  Horticultural  Society  of  France  and  of  the  French 
Chrysanthemum  Society  will  be  of  value.  It  was  endeavoured  to 
ascertain  by  practical  experiment  Avhat  are  the  best  artificial 
manures  to  employ.  M.  Georges  Truffaut,  who  has  rendered 
signal  services  by  his  investigation  of  plant  foods,  made  the 
report . 
Nine  cultivators,  scattered  over  as  many  districts  of  France, 
first  all  submitted  for  analysis  samples  of  the  soil  they  intended  to 
use,  no  manure  of  any  kind  being  added.  Each  of  the  nine 
growers  experimented  with  a  single  variety.  Mdme.  Gustav 
Henry,  a  variety  of  moderate  vigour,  and  with  pure  white  flowers. 
M.  Nonin  had  also  Mdlle.  Laurence  Zede,  a  more  vigorous  variety. 
The  plants  were  all  grown  in  three  ways — first,  three  stems; 
second,  six  stems;  third,  without  any  disbudding.  Twenty-four 
plants  were  grown  in  each  of  these  three  ways.  Of  the  twenty- 
four  observed  by  each  cultivator  in  each  of  the  three  sections, 
four  received  no  manure,  and  served  as  check  plants ;  four  re¬ 
ceived  a  complete  manure;  four  a  similar  manure,  but  in  double 
quantity  ;  four  a  complete  manure  w  ith  no  nitrogen  ;  four  a  com¬ 
plete  manure  with  no  potash;  four  a  similar  manure  from  which 
the  phosphoric  acid  was  eliminated.  The  manures  were  mixed 
with  the  potting  soil  in  April,  and,  from  August  onwards,  they 
were  given  in  the  form  of  solution. 
The  Complete  Manure. 
The  “  complete  ”  manure  was  composed  as  follows  :  Fish  guano, 
twenty-five  per  cent.  ;  dried  blood,  sixteen  per  cent.  ;  sulphate  of 
potash,  twenty-four  per  cent.  ;  double  superphosphate,  thirty- 
five  per  cent.  ;  the  analy.ris  of  which  gave  four-fifths  nitrogen, 
eleven-twelfths  potash,  fifteen-sixteenths  phosphoric  acid. 
The  soluble  manure  consisted  of  phosphate  of  potash,  fifty-four 
per  cent. ;  nitrate  of  soda,  forty-six  per  cent.  ;  or  nitrogen,  6.9 
per  cent.;  potash  11.04;  pho.sphoric  acid,  20.52. 
The  quantity  used  was  at  the  rate  of  900  grammes  to  100  kilo¬ 
grammes  of  soil.  The  .solution  was  used  in  the  proportion  of  twm 
grammes  to  one  litre  of  water.  The  plants  under  treatment 
were  exhibited  at  Angers  last  November. 
The  principal  object  of  these  experiments  was  to  show’  by  grow¬ 
ing  in  sterile  soil  (white  sand),  the  influence  of  nitrogen,  potash 
and  phosphoric  acid  respectively.  The  object  of  the  other  ex¬ 
periments  was:  First,  to  show  the  influence  of  the  complete 
manure  in  soils  of  Amried  character,  but  of  knoAvn  composition; 
second,  to  study  the  influence  of  climate  or  season  on  the  action 
of  the  manures,  and  the  cultrtation  of  one  and  the  same  variety. 
The  most  successful  result  at  the  end  of  the  experiment,  Avas 
obtained  Avhere  a  double  dose  of  the  manure  Avas  employed ;  then 
came  the  plants  treated  to  a  single  dose  of  the  complete  manure; 
next  in  descending  order,  plants  groAAn  Avithout  potash,  Avithout 
nitrogen,  and  the  Avorst  of  all  (except  the  unmanured  planks)  were 
those  plants  AA’hich  had  no  phosphoric  acid. 
Phosphoric  Acid  is  Essential. 
Phosphoric  acid  is  thus  shoAvn  to  be  of  great  importance  to 
('hrysanthemums,  and  nece.ssary  to  the  formation  of  good  colour  in 
the  foliage.  Plants  deprived  of  this  ingredient  had  yellow 
foliage  and  a  Aveak  habit.  Without  potash,  the  plants  produced 
long,  Aveak  stems,  broad,  thick  but  flabby  leaA’es,  falling  off  from 
the  least  cause.  The  floAA’er  stems  Avere  large,  holloAv,  but  limp, 
the  floAvers  large,  but  of  bad  shape. 
hen  nitrogen  is  absent  the  plants  are  feeble,  pale  in  colour, 
the  leav’es  small  and  thick,  the  stems  of  .small  diameter,  the 
flowers  feAv  in  number,  holloAv  in  the  centre,  and  of  small  size. 
M.  Truffaut,  in  slimming  up  the  results  of  this  series  of  experi¬ 
ments,  adi’ises  cultiA'ators  to  prepare  a  good  compost  of  "tAvo- 
thirds  sandy  loam  mixed  Avith  leaf  mould,  and  to  submit  the  com¬ 
post  to  a  chemist  for  analysis.  The  chemist  Avill  then  be  able  to 
ascertain  if  the  requisite  elements  are  in  due  proportion  or  not, 
and  to  advise  accordingly. 
What  Nitrogen  May  Do. 
Nitrogenous  manures,  it  is  found,  should  only  be  applied  in 
small  proportions,  as  plants  groAvn  Avith  an  excess  of  nitrogenous 
manure  are  more  subject  to  the  attacks  of  ru.st.  Nitrogen  is  most 
conveniently  applied  by  means  of  dried  blood,  horn  shavings,  or 
guano  in  the  requisite  proportions ;  potash  is  best  applied  in  the 
form  of  sulphate  ;  and  bone  phosphate  yields  the  neces.sary  phos¬ 
phoric  acid.  Soluble  manures  are  requisite  in  the  case  of  plant.s 
cultivated  in  pots  from  the  middle  of  August. 
Early  Flowering  Varieties. 
I  am  sending  you  a  few  floAvers  of  early  Chrysanthemums 
picked  from  out-of-doors;  not  because  they  are  Avanted  so  early 
in  the  season,  but  merely  to  show  that  several  of  the  newer  kinds 
are  vieing  Avith  Mdme.  Marie  Masse,  and  its  sports,  as  to  which 
shall  produce  their  floAvers  first. 
I  am  not  sending  many  of  the  older  A’arieties,  for,  apart  from 
the  Masse  family,  Mdme.  Casimir  Perrier  and  a  feAv  pompons, 
there  are  not  many  in  flower.  This  season  we  are  groAving  as  many 
sorts  of  earlies  as  I  could  possibly  get  together  for  trial ;  and 
there  are  over  250  sorts,  numbering  altogether  over  40,(X)0 
plants  on  the  ground  at  the  bottom  of  Earlswood  Common  (all 
early  flowering  varieties). 
Bud-taking  on  Japs. 
Our  best  Japs  have  migrated  to  the  neiv  premises  at  Merstham. 
So  much  wet  is  not  faimurable  to  the  pot  plants,  and  if  we  are 
to  have  a  continuation  of  Avet  weather,  I  guess  the  sooner  the 
huds  are  secured  the  better;  in  fact,  during  this  w’eek  we  have 
secured  a  good  number,  Avhich,  had  the  Aveather  been  dry  and 
warm,  Ave  would  have  let  them  gone  aivay  to  a  later  bud. — 
W.  Wells,  Earlsivood.  _ 
The  foregoing  letter  from  Mr.  Wells,  together  with  a  delight¬ 
ful  armload  of  fresh  and  fragrant  flowers,  stirring  again  our  love 
for  the  autumn  queen,  is  liis  respon.se  to  an  invitation  of  ours  for 
notes  on  this  favourite  floAver.  The  season  is  young  yet ;  but 
Chrysanthemum  groAvers,  like  ardent  rosarians,  or  devotees  of  any 
other  flow'er,  can  alw  ays  enjoy  references  to  their  favourites.  If, 
therefore,  any  cultivator  of  this  popular  plant  has  matter  of 
interest  to  communicate,  Ave  should  be  happy  to  be  the  medium  for 
its  conA’eyance. 
The  fioAvers  sent  hy  our  correspondent  comprise  some  of 
Goacher’s  new  unnamed  varieties  for  1904,  and  such  novelties  of 
last  spring  as 
Carrie,  coloured  deepest  yellow,  the  exact  shade  (and  almost 
the  make)  of  a  Dandelion.  The  floAvers  Avhen  disbudded  to  twelve 
or  twenty  on  a  plant  are  4in,  but  if  left  undisbudded  they  are 
about  3in,  and  the  most  prolific,  good  for  pots  or  borders,  market 
or  otherwise,  lifts  Avell.  keeps  w’ell,  and  is  the  admiration  of  all, 
never  shoAvs  an  eye;  and  Avill  never  die  out.  A.M.  at  the  R.H.S.  ; 
2ft. 
Nellie,  yellow,  similar  colour  to  Phoebus,  but  the  make  of  the 
flower  is  more  like  Elaine,  J^in  in  diameter,  has  stiff  stems,  and 
is  a  good  one  for  disbudding;  2ft. 
Gertie,  salmon  pink  shaded  gold,  one  of  the  most  fascinating 
colours ;  it  is  rather  too  large  to  be  classed  as  a  pompon,  but  the 
shape  is  perfect,  and  the  habit  everything  that  one  can  wish.  It 
has  received  an  A.M.  at  the  R.H.S.  ;  lift. 
Kitty,  pure  pink,  floAvers  about  the  size  of  Blushing  Bride,  a 
beauty  for  cutting  in  sprays ;  2ft. 
There  are  the  follc^Aving ;  Roi  des  BlxAnches,  a  graceful,  firm 
flow’er  of  a  pure,  glistening  Avhite. 
Parisi.ana,  Avith  good  sized  floAvers,  almost  Avhite,  Avith  a  .SAveet, 
creamy  centre,  an  exquisite  flower. 
Champ  de  Neige,  a  very  floriferous,  stout,  broad-petalled 
Avhite,  though  tinged  pink  in  the  bud. 
Goacher’s  Crimson,  that  gem  of  new  early  floAvering  market 
Chrysanthemums,  is  here ;  and  the  purplish  crimson  of  its  petals, 
backed  and  tipped  by  a  plating  of  old  gold,  together  with  the 
largeness  and  artistic  grace  of  its  blossoms,  combine  to  make  this 
a  variety  quite  indispensable  to  all  grow  ers.  As  a  pot  subject,  too, 
it  is  unsurpassed.  i  i  ^ 
Madame  Marie  Masse  var.  is  represented  by  a  sturdy  shoot 
carrying  elcA^en  fine  floAvers,  reminding  one  of  the  Jap.,  La 
Triomphante  of  past  days. 
Lastlv,  there  are  Madame  Casimir  Perrier  (pink),  and  its 
sport,  Mrs.  A.  Willis,  almost  canary  yelloAV,  streaked,  and  run 
with  faint  crimson.  Both  are  dwarf,  and  exceedingly  free. 
Crops  in  the  Fens. 
The  cutting  of  Peas,  which  are  extensively  groAvn  in  South 
Lincolnshire,  Avas  commenced  a  Aveek  ago,  and  next  Monday  a 
start  will  be  made  with  Oats;  but  Wheat  will  not  be  begun  for 
another  ten  days.  A  journey  recently  through  the  great  Corn 
aiid  Potato  groAving  di.strict,  of  which  Spalding  is  the  centre, 
show’cd  that  cereal  crops  had  been  badly  laid,  and  farmers  stated 
that  twice  as  much  labour  Avould  be  reciuired  to  harvest  thern, 
OAving  to  the  damage  done  by  the  recent  stormy  weather.  It  is 
anticipated,  hoAvever,  that  the  improvement  which  has  taken 
place  in  the  Potato,  Mangold,  and  other  root  crops  Avill  nearly 
compensate  for  the  increased  cost  of  harvesting  the  corn. 
