THE CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 94, 22 April 1893, Page 11

THE CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW.

Last wsok the annual exhibition of chrysanthemums took place in the Choral Hall. The exhibition of flowers was far better than that .of last season, and al* through the flowers were laiger and finer than any that have yet been staged in Auckland. If growers go on increasing the size of the flowers they will also aoon need to geb the space on the exhibition stand enlarged. Many will be glad to see ■ that D, Hay and Son, nurserymen, obtained the Dp, wea' Challenge Cv p, and that M r Wells, all the way from the Waikato, was second, which shows that our counbry cousins are well bo the front in the cultivation of this flower. A show is being held at Cambridge to-day, and as many of our best town growers are going up the country to try conclusions with growers there, the result will be watphed with a great deal .of interesb. Tho results of the late exhibition reflect great credit on the Standing Comi mittee, who worked hard to make it a success. Hardy Annuals and Perennials From Seed. In nearly every place where a small patch of ground is devoted to the culbivabion of flowers, there will every season be a certain number that will have to be raised from seed. Now to make the raising of the plants required a success, there are one or two things which materially assist that objecb. The moeb imporbanb is the besb time of the year in which to sow. After a good deal of experience I have found that the beet time to sow all hardy annuals and perennials is during tho month of April, or as soon after as possible. At the same bime ib is very little use sowing oub in the open ground, as just as the little seedlings come through the soil the slugs are almost sure to get them. For. years I have adopted the plan of sowing in seed panß under glass, and growing the plants under 1 glass till they attain a height of from two to three inches, when they are taken out into the open for a few weeks before being planted oub. This exposure for a few weeks makes them nice, stubby, hardy plants. To attain the above results I adopt the following system. First of all I procure as far as I am able nothing bat the besb strains of seed, as ib is just as easy to grow a good article as an inferior one ; next I procure some good, rich soil. This is mixod up with some sand. Then the seedpansarefilled with the mixture, placing a little fine, sifted soil on top, after which the seed is sown and covered with a little of the fine, sifted soil, watering afterwards with a fine rosed watering-pot and just keeping the soil in a moderately moieb 6tato till tho little eeedlinga come through. If the seed is good, in a week or so the little seedlings will make their appearance, and from this stage will grow quickly. Ah soon as they have made two leaves beyond their seed leaves they should be picked off into pans or boxes. I generally prick oub into boxes, as they are nob only the handiesb bub as they are square they will hold more plants in a given space. First, I geb the box and place about one inch of half-rottod stable manure in the bottom, on the top of this 1 place about two inches of good soil mixed with a little silver sand, leaving the surface level and fine. Into bhi3 the little plants are pricked oub aboub two and a-half inches apart and watered. The box is still kepb under glass till the plants attain a height of from two to three inches. When about that height it is taken oub into the open air and kept raised up off the ground. It is better to keep them oub in the open for at least threo weeks before planting, so that they may geb well hardened. When planting, convey the box with the plants to the bed or border where bhey are to be planted. As you plant take a trowel and cub oub each planb with a ball of earth to its roots. This will be easily managed, as bho balf-rotbed manure placed in the bottom will have become quite rotten, and ib will cut easily, and will also be found full of libble fibrous roots from the plants. This ball of earth with the plant will give ifc a good starb ab once, and will enable ib bo take quicker to the more uncongenial soil. A large number of growers who may like to grow their plants from seed will perhaps say thab ib would be impossible for them to follow the above practice as they have not got a glass house. To those I would say thab an old packing case with an old sash placed over ib will givo all the accommodation required; even where a number of plants are required a few cases could be • brought into requisition. An old gardening acquaintance used to do a big strpke, and he had only a number of candle boxes with a pane of glass over them on hia back verandah. The class of plants which cap be managed as above now are : Antirihinums, summer chrysanthemums, dianthus, mimulas, lobelias, gualardias, intermediate stocks, and all other hardy annuals or perennials which grow here during our winter months. The objects to be gained by the above practice are thab while the plants are in the younger stages of growth they are confined in a small space, which can easily be protected from the ravages of slugs or snails, and if one of those does make its appearance, a short hunb will soon bring it to light. Another greab consideration is bhab while planting oub you will also bo able with ease bo geb a good ball of earth with each plant. Lifting Roses. A Scottish gardener writes: —In northern parts roses often grow with such luxuriance that they remain soft and so spongy in the substance of their wood, thab they C6ase bo flpwer abundantly, and the flowers become coarse and unshapely. For many years past I have cultivated roses extensively, and like a free growth, always provided that it is equal all over the plant; and when undue grossness bakes place (as ib often does in strong, rich soile) bhe planbs are lifted during October or November, bhe ground well broken up, and the plants replaced in bhe ground wibh some fresh kindly soil about their roots, and then carefully mulched with good manure, which is carefully covered with soil to harvest the virtues ib contains. We have lifted a long line of pillar roses this season and re-planted them, bub any roots which were inclined bo become gross were shortened. Like the lifting of fruit trees to improve the quality of the fruib and increase the quanbity, rqses also reward the culbivator for cultural attention such as is here indicated. We always plant roses so thab the juuebion of stock and graft, or bud, is well covered, as in due bime roots are emitted therefrom, and suckers are almost entirely prevenbed from showing themselves. We often geb hundreds of roees froip layers, after a season or longer, from free growing roses which has been pegged down- These grow freely and flower generally profuse.ly, and no suckers ever give any trouble. If frost is. severe ib is well tip place a spadeful of fine soil round tho collars of roses as protection.