CHAPTER V. 



Exhibition Plants. 



r-IE rapid strides in chrysanthemum culture at present, 

 when each recurring season outstrips the past, and 

 when exhibitions are being held for the first time in 

 the history of so many communities, evokes from all 

 sides the oft repeated question to the successful exhibitor, 

 ' ' How were these plants grown ? ' ' Judging from the interest 

 so widely manifest in the growing of exhibition plants, the 

 subject of the production of finely formed chrysanthemums 

 and splendid flowers is the question foremost in the minds of 

 many in the profession, and of many amateurs that aspire to 

 first honors at their local shows. 



The ideal plant in this country and the standard at all our 

 exhibitions is what is popularly known as the bush plant. 

 These are from two-and-a-half to four feet in diameter, of 

 graceful contour, and each branch terminated with a good 

 sized and finely formed flower. 



The requirements for chrysanthemum exhibitions differ in 

 various parts of the country. If plants are grown for one of 

 the rural exhibitions, they may be grown in the open ground 

 through the summer, and lifted as the season of flowering 

 approaches, and potted for fall display. These will answer 

 the purpose very well, and the labor of cultivating them will 

 be reduced to a minimum. On the other hand, if the plants are 



