STAKING JAPANESE VARIETIES 53 



the better. In this latter position they may be stood 

 on a trellis or on a good ash bottom, and in either case 

 worms ought not to be troublesome, though in the latter 

 case they may be guarded against by sprinkling the surface 

 well with soot before arranging the plants. 



Posts should be fixed in the ground, to which one or 

 two rows of wire may be strained, for tying the tops of 

 the stakes to prevent injury by the wind. These should 

 be got ready before the plants are placed in position, as 

 the permanent staking should be done as early as possible 

 after the plants have been removed out of doors, for, 

 although the small stakes might suffice for the plants for 

 some time longer it saves a future handling. 



STAKING JAPANESE CHRYSANTHEMUMS 



Where the plants are set out in rows on a garden path 

 or paths, they should be graded according to the natural 

 heights of the different varieties, and in other cases 

 where they are arranged in rows on an ash bed it is even 

 more necessary, or some plants will be unduly shaded by 

 others. This arrangement will also facilitate the operation 

 of staking. It is the usual practice to put one stake to 

 each plant, slinging each of the 3 shoots which follow the 

 natural break to this central stake. It is an economical 

 method, but in a wet season when the shoots are often 

 brittle, many are apt to get broken, so whenever possible 

 a stake should be placed to each shoot after it has been 

 decided how many shoots are to be retained, each stake 

 being tied to the wire. This practice entails a little extra 

 outlay in stakes, but it saves much raffia and time in tying, 

 and prevents the loss of many valuable shoots. The tying 



