SEASONABLE NOTES ON CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 9943, 24 January 1898, Page 7

SEASONABLE NOTES ON CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE.

A Paper by Mr W. Jones, Christchurch, read to the Members of the North Canterbury Chrysanthemum Club at Rangiora, 14th January. There is no doubt bat what this is one of the most critical periods in the season of growth ot the chrysanthemum. The plants are in their final pots, and growing fast in fact. Many plants are rather too vigorous just now; so much so that they will need daily attention to keep them in order. Plants that are over vigorous just now need great care, or instead of their blooms being useful at the time of exhibition, they will be useless. It will be found that some plants get a little more manure or a little more of the better soil when put into their final pots, and perhaps some are not potted quite so firm as others. These are the some of the causes of extra vigour. The danger of extra vigour is that the plants grow too fast; faster than they can ripen either leaf or stem, and unless these are ripened as tho plant goes on, the blooms on such plants will be thin. Ths way to check this extra vigour is very simple. Keep the plants rather dry at the roots, and give plenty of moisture .overhead. This will soon check the over vigorous aotiou of the roots and give them a chance to ripen the wood and leaves. Plants that arc backward should be placed together in the warmest part of the garden witJi some shelter Irom high winds, but fully exposed to the son. In such a position they can receive careful attention with a view to expediting their development. These backward plants should be watered with warm water, and syringed about three times on a hot day, and once on cool days. After a hot day give them a mild dose of sulphate of ammonia; about one ounce to four gallons of warm water. This will soon improve the condition of late or backward plants. The same treatment should be given to tbe very late flowering varieties. Begin at once to stimulate them. This is much better than trying to hurry them at the end of the season. Feeding should be commence- at once and continued through ths season. Many growers advise allowing the plants to form their buds, then feed, I advise assisting the plants to form thoir buds, then help them to develop them. Feeding should be given during hot weather, the plants suffer muoh from evaporation during a dry hot day, and the cultivator should try to restore some of their loss at once by giving them a stimulating drink to the roots, ts well as syringing the plants. Vary the manure as much as possible, giving preference to animal, rather than artificial manures ; if artificial manure is used, dissolve it in hot water the day before it is to b_ applied. Eemember not to give the pl&_'_ manure water during dull days or damp weather, as it will do more harm than good, it makes the young growth very tender, and should a strong wind blow, some of the tips may be broken off; plants which are fed during dull weather will flag directly the sun shines -gain, and often the grower thinks they are dry, but one tap on the pot will show that they are wet and not in need of water. It is an excellent plan to syringe the plants regular I? during bot weather with zoofc water, in fact, this is of greater value than most men are awa:a ol : it is a food, ateo an insecticide of a very important character. Frequent applications of soot water •will prevent mildew, keep aphides, both green and black, at bay, and give not only the foliage a nice healthy tone, but also improve the oolour of the blooms. Boutins Wobk Just Now ig watering, tying the" growths, and' keeping all superfluous side shoots pinched out, all growths that are not wanted should be removed as fast as they grow, so that the sap is directed to maturing those shoots that ara to give the exhibition blooms. In tying take care not to tie too tight, or some of the tips will be broken. Weeds will make their appearance in the soil, these must be removed while they are very small as they do more harm than can be stated; they are robbers, they take from tbe soil some of the plant food that tbe chrysanthemums should have; then, if allowed to get any size before they are removed, in pulling the weeds op, some of the best roots of the ohrysanthemums get broken, and expose others to the sun and | wind. Weeds attract insects of most kinds, thrips, aphides, caterpillars, slugs, in fact, every pest the ohrysanthemum is subject to, this ought to make every cultivator wage constant war against weeds. Many plants will now be making their second break, and care must be exercised in selecting the growths that are to remain ; with some varieties there is no trouble, but others need very careful examination. Before either shoot la removed the strongest and most vigorous should be saved on each branch, even if this is not just in the position it is wanted, often the weaker shoots will become blind after making four or five leaves, and consequently are useless. Savino Boss. About the end of this month (January) many plants show buds, and growers are often tempted to secure them, but it is rather risky, there are a few, such as Robert Owen, Lord Brooke, W. G. Newitt, Mrs A. Hardy, Golden Wedding, Mdlle Marie Hoste, Mrs F. Jameson, Mons. Pauckouche, which take a long time to develops their buds, and can be retained early. Ido not say it is wise to take them any time this month, February is quite soon enough for most varieties. When the buds are formed the plants need less water for some days ; if they are kept too wet, they will soon send up a lot of suckers, but there are some varieties which only produce good exhibition blooms on first orown buds, and if these show they must be saved, but muoh care is needed to prevent too rapid development. Tha buds can be retarded by leaving one or too shoots below tlie bud, these growths draw the sap away from the bnd, and it matures slowly, care must be taken that these lateral growths are not allowed to become too big and strong, or the result will be the bnd will go blind for want of nourishment. Those who practise this treatment must give tbe plants daily attention, watch carefully to set that the bud is swelling, and on the first symptom of a stand-still condition, remove part of the lateral growth at once, not all at one time, but only a part, this check will send more sap up into ths bnd, and it will start into fresh vigour at once. -lost of the incurved varieties produce better blooms from terminal buds than from crowns. I am afraid this is not as widely known as it ought to be, because every year we see blooms of incurved varieties on the exhibition stands more like reilexed than incurved, this is one of tbe results of taking bads too early. Of course there are a few exceptions to the general rule, for instance, Baron Hindi will only give exhibition blooms from crown buds, the terminals are of good colour, but there are not enongh petals in them to form a good fall bloom. Excepting this variety, nearly all the others give good blooms from terminal buds and their form is much better, the petals are broader and longer in proportion, and the blooms have not time to lose t'.vrtr true incurving form. It is surprising how fast the incurved varieties open their blooms from terminal bads; it may be stated again that the incurved Motion should have the coolest position in the garden to obtain good exhibition blooms, even if they hive a little shade this is better than a fierce hot situation. There are so many seasonable hints that I hardly know which are of most use vo the members just now, bnt any that are omitted from this pap*r can be dealt with at question time. The plants should be turned round sometimes if it is possible to do so, if they are fixtures, see that the stakes are on the south side of the plants, if on the north side they will shade the stems too much from the ran and so prevent the wood ripening. The pots should be shaded from tbe hot sun and: wind, old bags, boards or long stable manure will do first rate, remember the pots are very porous, and the sun and wind causes much harm to the young roots, and if theae feeding roots are constantly being injured the .blooms mast suffer. Don't water in the I ataniat. water at ttriv in tha day aasoaaiMaa.

! bat if the watering must be done in the evenI ing use tepid water. Be careful not to keep : the soil in a sodden condition, better let it become a little dry, then water well. Whenr making a tub of manure water, put a piece of lime in (freah uaslacked lime), this is 3 valuable thing for plants, it not only feeds them but sweetens the soil, and keeps away worm* and other troublesome insects. Some varieties are very troublesome after the buds are formed by being badly attacked by mildew. Here is a good receipt that I everyone can make and use ; I know it is a j good one, having used it often. Boil lib of j sulphur and lib of lime in two gallons of water for half an hour, strain through a piece of muslin or butter cloth, then bottle the mixture. When mildew appears, mix one quarter of a pint with one gallon of water, mix well together and syringe the affected pbrts.