Copyright, 1899, by 

 FLORISTS' PUBLISHING CO., 520-535 Gaxton Building, CHICAGO. 



Vol. IV. 



CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, AUGUST 31. J 899. 



No. 92. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. 



Potting. 

 Plants that are out in the open 

 ground, or planted on benches, that 

 are to be potted up should be attended 

 to right away. Lifting should be done 

 as carefully as possible, to retain the 

 fibrous roots, so that the check wi'l not 

 be so great, and the foliage will not 

 suffer so much. Pot into good, rich 

 soil, and shade well until it can be 

 seen that root action has commenced 

 again, keeping them constantly 

 sprayed over in the meantime. Plants 

 that are taken up and potted at this 

 time never make plants like those that 

 have been grown continuously in pots, 

 but they do pretty well, nevertheless, 

 if taken care of, and in these days of 

 low prices, and close competition, 

 probably pay as well as any. 



Buds. 



Buds are showing now all around, 

 and when needed should be taken at 

 the earliest possible stage. When a 

 man has good eyesight and a good 

 thumb nail, they can be taken very 

 small and are all the better for it, be- 

 cause if the shoots are allowed to get 

 long before being removed they rob the 

 bud to a large extent. Disbudding is 

 always best done early in the morning, 

 because then the off-shoots are brit- 

 tle, and easily removed, and a man 

 can get over the plants in half the 

 time. 



Robinson, and in fact all the early 

 varieties, should be taken by this time. 

 Where the buds are not yet shown on 



early kinds, reduce the water supply 

 for a few days, and this will cause a 

 check to the growth sufficient to make 

 them throw a bud. It is wonderful to 

 watch how quickly a bud swells up and 

 develops, once all the energies of the 

 plant are concentrated on it. The 

 stem begins to thicken and harden, 

 and the foliage assumes a darker color, 

 and the mum crank begins to see the 

 fruits of his labor looming up in his 

 mind's eye. It is always well at this 

 season to note down times when buds 

 are taken. They are often useful for 

 purposes of comparison and memory 

 often fails when called on. We have 

 found that from the 20th to the 30th 

 of August is our best time to catch all 

 the mid-season kinds that do well on 

 the crown bud. 



Some may think this date too early, 

 and others again may think it late. 

 Experience and a note book will teach 

 a man more than reading other peo- 

 ple's endeavors to enlighten him, even 

 though the~e same endeavors may be 

 given in all sincerity. I can pick out 

 hundreds of varieties by their foliage 

 alone, and could tell my own flowers if 

 I met them anywhe'e on this planet, 

 but I don't profess to say yet that I 

 know all theie is to know about mums. 

 We live and learn, and when one man 

 writes, take so and so on the crown 

 bud. and another one says, always 

 take it on the terminal, they may both 

 be right from the standpoint of their 

 own experience. 



Suckers. 



Suckers soon come into prominence 



after the bud is taken, and should be 

 removed as soon as possible, since they 

 help to divert the energies of the plant 

 from the buds. Between shoots and 

 suckers it is quite a job to keep the 

 mum in the straight and narrow way 

 of growth that leads to fine flowers, 

 but it must be persevered in. 



Staking. 



A hint to intending exhibitors re- 

 garding staking may not be out of 

 place. It is generally the rule to stake 

 plants, from which it is hoped to ob- 

 tain exhibition flowers, right up to the 

 bud. We don't believe in- it, because 

 many fine kinds are rather weak 

 necked, and when staked up close do 

 not build up tissue to support the 

 flower nearly so well as when the 

 stake only comes up within six or 

 eight inches of the bud. When the 

 bud finds itself thrown on its own re- 

 sources it will, so to speak, brace itself 

 and you will be rewarded by having 

 your flowers stand right up when 

 placed on exhibition, instead of feebly 

 drooping their heads, as though apol- 

 ogizing for their presence. 



Grasshoppers. 



Grasshoppers are getting quite trou- 

 blesome, and they seem to delight in 

 selecting the finest buds for their dep- 

 redations. I know of no way to get rid 

 of them save hand-picking, and this 

 must be done in the early morning, as 

 they do not move very rapidly till the 

 sun warms them up. 



Rust. 



It will pay you to carefully examine 

 your plants to see if they are affected 

 with this trouble. It is appearing in 

 this section on plants outside, the 

 damp, muggy weather being apparent- 

 ly favorable for its development. It is 

 easily distinguished by the little 

 brown spots that appear on the under 

 side of the leaves. When it is appear- 

 ing, pick off all affected leaves and 



