THE CHRYSANTHEMUM.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10600, 8 March 1895, Page 2

THE CHRYSANTHEMUM.

PREPARING BLOOMS FOR EXHIBITION. [BT MR W. JONES.I [A -paper read before the Christchurch Chrysanthemum Society; specially revised for the Canterbury Times by tho author.] TBEPABING THE BLOWERS. This io often left until the last day or two before tho exhibition, then done in haste; some blooma are spoilt, others loft untouched because tho work is irksome. Yet all hurry can be avoided by making a beginning as soon as the flowers begin to open. I think it a great mistake to leave all preparation until the last day or two before the enow. It must be clear to growers that if all the deformed petals are left in a bloom until a day or two before the exhibition the plant has no chance of filling up the space made by removing tho short and deformed petals, and it must bo admitted that if tho deformed and short petals are removed as soon as they are seen the bloom has a much better chance of development. Different varieties require different preparation. As a rule most of the Japanese need but little preparation, while moat of the incurved need a lot of attention if the exhibitor wishes to set them up in first-class condition. We will not discuss the question, la it a desirable practice to 'dress blooms ? But I must oay that since the practice haa been in vogue wo have had a lai'ge number of incurved varieties introduced that will not make good symmetrical blooms without tbo aid of tweezers, and while the great majority of exhibitors practice dressing those who wish to win prizes must dress their flowers. As the Japanese no ad lees preparation wo will consider them first. It has often been remarked that the deformed petals begin to decay long before tho fully developed ones, hence the wisdom of taking away all the deformed petals as ooon as they are seen. Thera are a number of causes by which petals are deformed, but the most general is that some insect bites the bloom whan it first begins to unfurl its petals. But no matter what causes a deformed petal, take it oat as soon as you soa it. Some varieties have what is called an eyo. Pride of Madford, George Atkinson, and aevaral others are troubled with this eye, and it must be taken out as soon as it can be seen. There are several methods of taking out the eye; some cut it out, others scraps it out, while some pull it out with tweezers. It must be carefully taken out, and the operator must be careful not to injure the base of the petals that are next the eye. I do not advise that all the eye should be taken out at one operation, but it should be done gradually. Take about three parts away, first starting at the centre ; then you can taka the outside of the eye away, gradually, taking care not to leave any part disturbed in tho bloom, or it will soon decay the centre. After the eye has been taken out, the petals should be pressed towards the esntre, and - this should be done every day for several days; then sa the centre petals develop you will scarcely be able to see the cavity you made by taking out tho eye.

Great care must bo taken not to bruise the petals, for if they are bruised it spoils the centra of the flower. Thera were three blooms of Edwin Molyceux in our last exhibition that had been sadly bruissd by some rough manipulating; this had the effect of decreasing the number of points awarded to them. Some of the Japs that have upright petals ore much improved by bending their blooms down, especially if the flower has been out some time, ns this prevents tho centre petals from refluxing, and it preserves the dopth of the bloom. If there is any difference in the house (where the plants are to flower) give the dark-coloured varieties tho lightest position, and the white the most shaded place. All such varieties as Viviaad Morel, A. H. Neve, Mrs C. H, Pay no and M. E. Carriere, should have as light a position as possible, as it improves their colour; whllo the whites are all rendered even more white with a shady position for flowering. The incurved require a lot of attention in their preparation, and it should be carried out regularly from the .time the flowers commence to open. Many of the incurved have a number of short patals which are only about two-thirds the proper length; these should be taken out as soon as tho grower can seo they are too short. Empress Eugenie, Alfred Lyne and many others are troublesome with short petals, and unless they are taken out you cannot get well shaped blooms. The next point in the preparation of incurved, is taking out the centre. Now, I think it is safe to say that there has not been a good bloom of Eobert Can noil exhibited without taking its centre out. This variety has such a large number of petals and they art' so long developing that the base would be past Its best if the grower waited until ail the petals opened; and there is another point to be considered, if all the centre patals ware left in, tho last to open would only be about half the breadth that the first were, so that the grower that assists his blooms by taking tho centre out from Sobert Cannell, Empress Eugenie, and all such varieties, attains a far more oven bloom than tho grower who leaves all the petals in the bud.

Some incurved are troubled with sn eye; this must be taken out just as in the case of tbe Japanese. The blooms should be inspected every day, if possible, and should two petals get stuck to each other they should be separated; and if you'give the incurved daily attention, the petals are trained, as it were, to their proper place. t The final preparation or dressing, as it is called, is a somewhat delicate operation, aud tho grower has to be very careful not to bruise the petals. The method ia not performed by all in one way; some exhibitors differ very much from others with the final dressing.

The blooms should either be cat in : the morning or late at night, as the petals and the stem are more rigid than they are during the day while the sun is shining. The blooms out, tho first thing to do is to fix them upright. It is the case with most of the incurved that the peduncle ia too weak to hold the bloom erect, and it. is impossible to dross a bloom properly if it sways about; neither will it set well in the cup if it can fall on one side. _ There are several methods by which this can be done; some use short stiff sticks, some wire, others whalebone. To fix the blooms’ in the cups the bloom should bo held with the stalk*in the air and tho flower downwards. This is by far the beat way to cup the incurved blooms, and I have often seen blooms that have received daily attention while opening need very little other attention. After being carefully cupped, of course the blooms will be fixed in the cup, so that they are not liable to be shaken out of position, then start at tho centre and only touch those petals that are out of place. It is welTto take plenty of time, as you may soon spoil several of your beat flowers. All the Qubou family need cupping very tightly or t he centre will be sure to fall away, because tbe petals are so much longer than in the other varieties. Many growers so arrange their Queen varieties that the blooms can be tied down during the time they are opening. This is a good plan and should be adopted by all who can so arrange their plants. Perhaps it would bo well to state that the incurved should have the coolest place in the house, as they incurve much better in a cool house than ia a warm one, as the

extra warmth makes the petals leflex, and will giva the exhibitor a lot of trouble to get them back in their place again. SELECTING BLOOMS 808 EXHIBITION. Thera are perhaps as many mistakes made iu selecting blooms for exhibition as in any other part of tbe business. Some must exhibit every new variety they have, thinking that because a variety Is new it is necessarily good. Yet to admit their ideas correct all varieties that axe old would have to bo considered valueless. Why, in England, at the last National Chrysanthemum Society’s Exhibition, Avalanche, which is a comparatively old variety, was first, while Mdlle. T. Eey, the grand new white, was third. This should encourage all those who have not been fortunate enough to obtain the latest novelty. The flowers, when judged, are valued not on account of their age or newness, but according to their value. Colour is one of the most important points to observe in selecting blooms for exhibition. The better the colour of the different varieties blend the richer the whole stand will appear. In estimating the value of blooms exhibited, the judges must take a utilitarian view with regard to colour. What is the use of huge blooms of a colour that will not blond with any other shade ? A colour that you cannot associate with others of its own order, is almost useless, and there should bo aa many different shades of colour in a stand as possible. 'ln a stand of six there should not be two of exactly one colour, and in one of twelve there should be as great a difference as possible. Now remember, one of our members put seven pink blooms in a stand of twelve last year, and then wondered why he did not get an award. Some think size is everything in chrysanthemums ; this is another fallacy, aa often small, wall finished examples will score more points than large, coarse, bad coloured blooms. Mere size, without refinement or colour, is of no use in chrysanthemums. Another very important point in selecting blooms is their proportion—the wider a bloom is the deeper it should be, otherwise it will appear flat, and that is a great fault in an exhibition flower. Then again, size of petals. To me it is objectionable to have a large bloom composed of small petals—-it looks so confused and muddied. Small petals in a small bloom are all right, but a largo bloom should have large petals, as they give the bloom a more imposing appearance, and if of good colour, richer altogether. As an instance, you often find Madam Baco coma with such narrow petals that the blooms look nothing. You get size, bat not quality, and if this variety is propagated from plants grown in pots for several seasons, the petals seem to get narrower and narrower. Yet in the Yellow Japanese alias Mr C. E. Shea the narrow petals are beautiful as well as useful.