How TO GET LARGE CHRYSANTHEMUMS 157 



at least two pair of strong leaves, pinch out the terminal leaf bud from 

 each branch. Branches will, as before, start from each auxiliary bud. 

 They must likewise be broken off, saving one or two on each branch. 

 This topping process should be repeated several times, managing so 

 that the last time shall be during the first half of July. Be careful not 

 to have too many branches, from three to six at last topping. If you 

 have been timely and judicious in your topping your plant will be about 

 twenty inches at this last topping. Let the laterals that come after 

 this topping grow from two to four inches in length, and then do your 

 last breaking out of branches. Leave none but strong ones, and from 

 three to six to the plant. You are now deciding the number of flowers 

 you are to raise to the plant, and branches must guide you. 



Dis-Budding. "You have now broken off your last branches late 

 in July, iand your plants now begin their vigorous growth. The strong 

 branches will soon run up from three to four feet high. During this 

 vigorous growing buds will begin to appear in leaf axils. From this 

 time on success is only to the vigilant. None of these side buds must 

 be allowed to grow. Each branch will indicate its determined stature 

 by presenting at its terminal a bunch of flowers and leaf buds. We 

 are now at the point where skill and knowledge are most needed, as 

 well as the greatest vigilance. A little neglect at this point and you 

 fail in your accomplishment, you will have a large number of flowers, 

 but they will not belong to class A. 



"When the little buds that appear in a cluster at the very end of 

 the lusty branch have grown to about half the size of a pea, all of them 

 but one vigorous flower bud must be broken out. How are you to 

 know the flower buds? If but three are there it will be the center 

 one. You are likely to know it from its appearance. Those green 

 leaf-like parts that are to form the sepals of the flower are longer and 

 more pointed than those on the leaf bud. Much care must be taken in 

 this dis-budding. The stems to these buds are very brittle and break 

 very easily. Hold these buds with one hand and take a stick like a 

 toothpick and crowd off the buds which you wish to dispose of. You 

 will make some mistakes here. If you should leave a leaf bud instead 

 of a flower bud all is not lost. The leaf bud will make a branch which 

 will in a short time present a terminal cluster like the one with which 

 you have just dealt; then try again. This breaking out of buds must 

 not be neglected for a few days, but must be attended to at the proper 

 time." 



Crown-Buds or Laterals. A question which has always been at 

 issue between chrysanthemum trainers is whether a crown or a lateral 

 bud produces the better flower. Mr. Howard of Los Angeles has, 

 according to our observation, the right of it when he says: "As soon 

 as buds are large enough to handle, say about the size of a pea, select 



