The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-19
HOW TO GROW OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Selection of PIants-pr of Soil
-Pincbing and Watering.


Baltimore SUM-
Mr. Dom read an essay entitled, "Chrys-
anthemums; Their Propagation and sub
sequent Management, at the meeting OF
the Gardeners Club last night. He sad:
'In selecting stock plants our practice IS
to secure strong root cuttings from plants
that have bloomed out of doors or on
benches, and if possible with roots already
made, when they are ported right away
into three-inch pots. Cuttings that have
no roots are rooted in sand in the usual
way and potted when ready. They should
be kept in cool house, say from so to 30
degrees at night, and given air freely dur
ing the day when the sun shines and the
outside temperature will admit OF 1t.
The young plants have to be
watched closely with view to watering,
and spreading them out on the benches to
get air and light in order to encourage
strong root action. Note when the plant
has hlled the pot with roots, giving plenty
of room for the action of light and air
from the time the cutting is first ported
until the plant is placed on the door OF the
exhibition hail. Remove the plants from
the greenhouse to a cold frame as early in
spring as possible. About a week before
doing so place the sash on the frame,
keeping it closed in order to warm up the
frame for the reception of the plants.
After the plants are in the frames give air
freely, being careful to avoid drafts. Re
move the sash altogether whenever the
outside temperature will permit.
Exercise great care in watering at this
period; overwhelming would be fatal to
them. Should plants incidentally get a
check from any cause, we invariably dump
them out, as they seldom outgrow 1t.
al nf IS "
slider the critical period past. Pinching
and keeping plants in good shape is in
order. Our practice is to grow our plants
entirely out of doors.
''In regard to soil and the use of manure
through it, also the use of liquid manure,
l may say to begin with | have tried q
good many experiments which would
serve no wise end to name in paper like
this, so propose to conhne my subject to
the soil, its composition and the use of
liquid manures which have brought the
best result in practice. To begin with.
/ maintain good sod pile is half
the battle, and Indispensable to a
to have one. At the right timc-and the
right time for us has been from the 1st to
the 18th of April-when the grass is about
three inches high the whole is piled up,
keeping the grassy side down round the
edges, adding as we go on about one-sixth
parts hog, horse and COW. About three
weeks afterward the pile is ready to turn
over, having heated sufficiently to rot the
grass and kill any seeds of weeds We use
it as wanted soon after screening it, using
the portion that don't go through in the
bottom of the pots over the drainage. The
other, which passes through, we use in
potting the plants, always potting
hrmly. We have been able to get suf-
ticient soil at that season of the year to
last us the remainder of the wear, and
we lind in practice such soil has sufficient
nutriment in it to sustain even chrysan-
themums, so that they mature their
flowers perfectly, without the aid of liquid
manures in any form. Indeed, we have
found the use Of liquid manure a positive
injury to the plant, as it not only arrested
in a measure root action, but what roots
the plants made were weak compared with
the roots OF plants grown under the same
conditions without the use oft The only
period at which we have been able to use
manure in n liquid state to slight advan-
tage was after the plant had set it's buds,
the pot it was to flower in being well filled
with roots.
The next point wish to draw your at
tention 10 is pinching. What is meant by
that is merely removing the smallest pos
| sible portion of the shoot in order to make
| the plant bushy Pinching must be regll-
any rules rs TO the formation of the plant
by pinching. The most natural and beau
tiful plants / have seen in flower were
grown from seedlings. They were never
/ pinched, but grew straight up on one stem.
About the middle of July they hranched
naturally all up the stem, which had only
one stake TO support the whole plant
where early flowers are wanted early
| Towering kinds should not be pinched after
| July 10. In order to have the early kinds
| flower late, pinch as late as September l.
| Late blooming varieties should not be
| pinched after July 1, If they are wanted TO
| be in full bloom the first two weeks in No
| vember. BY pinching later, late-.iowering
kinds may be in their glory December Is.
| OF course they require protection.
Putting chrysanthemums in house
| where artificial heat has to be used runs
| the flowers small and not true to color.
| Especially is this true of pink, bronze and
| garnet chrysanthemums. Young plants
| are always preferable TO plant out from
| year to year They are more robust and
/ produce larger blooms and more of them
/ Those who have clumps in stool plants
| outside will find il 70 their advantage to
| divide them up early in spring and plant
/ IN new quarters, or where that cannot be
! done, enrich the soil where they have been
and re-plant so as 10 avoid crowGing
Strong tobacco water will keep chrvsanthe-
NUNS free from black fly, an aphis. and
viii also act on the roots as good fer
tilizer.i