360 Bulletin 147. 



Some cultivators will wish to know what happens if a crown bud 

 escapes their notice and is not removed. Figure 184 shows part of a 

 belated chrysanthemum plant that we allowed to have its own way. 

 The first crown bud was formed at A. Beneath it were two vegetative 

 shoots b^ and b-. The upper of the two shoots, b% got the start and 

 grew so vigorously that the poor crown bud is side-tracked, and sapped 

 of all its ability to produce a good-sized flower. At C, may be seen 

 the second crown bud. This bud checked the lusty growth of the 

 shoot bi, just long enough to cause the plant to branch. Four vege- 

 tative shoots started out at d% d-, d"^, and d^, and they have sapped 

 the strength out of the second crown bud C. In rhis case d- is the 

 strongest shoot. It has side-tracked the crown bud C which was once 

 directly in the line of promotion and has now so nearly straightened 

 out the axis of growth that, merely to look at the picture, one might 

 suppose that d- is a part of the original stem itself. These four shoots 

 d^, d^, d^ and d^ would have gone on to produce terminal buds 

 (/. ^., cluster of buds) but the flowers would be entirely worthless 

 commercially because out of season, and small and poor in every way. 



In conclusion, although the whole matter is one of the last refine- 

 ments of specialization, its importance for the exhibitor can hardly be 

 overstated. It is often called a vital and critical element, and in a 

 proper sense it may be called the secret of chrysanthemum culture. 

 Aside from the terminology of the subject, the present confusion is 

 due to three causes — first, to differences in observation as to what 

 actually takes place ; secondly, to differences in the interpretation of 

 the facts and the generalization of them into rules of conduct ; and 

 thirdly, to differences in the application of these rules. As previously 

 pointed out, the problem is, in practice, essentially local and personal, 

 and after the principles are thoroughly mastered, there is positively no 

 other way for the exhibitor than to make his own dates and buds for 

 his own varieties by yearly observation and experiment. 



REFERENCES TO LITERATURE. 



The writings on this special subject are exceedingly numerous and 

 scattered, and, in the earlier times particularly, references may be 

 found only by the diligent search for them in general cultural direc- 

 tions and miscellaneous notes. A complete bibliography is out of the 



