CHINESE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 439 



train only one or ihrec stems erect, and branch- 

 ing regularly on all sides. All suckers should 

 be removed, and the side branches, and top or 

 head so arranged and adjusted by a nice appli- 

 cation of black thread or wires, attached to the 

 main prop, as to render the figure of the entire 

 plant perfectly symmetrical. If three stems are 

 not trained, one is better than three, because it 

 grows stronger ; but three are better than two, 

 which do not compose a whole ; and better than 

 a greater number than three, because, unity de- 

 parted from, there is no limit to irregularity. 

 One and three are unity ; because one is com- 

 plete, and three has a beginning, middle, and 

 end. All possible numbers besides, either fall 

 short of or exceed unity ; they are therefore irre- 

 gularities, and irregularities are redundant, in- 

 finite, and unsatisfactory to contemplate, unless 

 there appears a sufficient reason for departing 

 from unity." 



In cultivating the Chrysanthemums for the 

 house, I have found it desirable to grow some 

 of the strongest plants in large pots, so as to 

 procure them of the greatest height and size pos- 

 sible, at the same time pruning off all superfluous 

 shoots ; by this means I procured plants resem- 

 bling large flowering shrubs, which proved a 

 great ornament by the mass of flowers, when 



