ON CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 141 



well developed, free from petals, and the outer florets or guard- 

 petals in a well-formed circle round the cushion. 



The dressing of flowers for exhibition is extensively practised 

 by Chrysanthemum growers, and consists in the early removal 

 of all malformed or useless petals, For instance, in an Incurved 

 blossom some of the petals are ill-formed or twisted, and if 

 allowed to remain would spoil an otherwise good flower; and 

 the same applies to the Anemone section. Ivory tweezers and 

 a fine small brush are employed to curl and fix the petals in 

 a correct and symmetrical form. With a little practice on spare 

 flowers it will not be found difficult to arrange the petals 

 properly and thus improve the appearance of the flowers, 

 although perhaps a little reducing them in size. 



In arranging the blossoms on the exhibition-boards, the finest 

 or largest flowers should be at the back, the colours so 

 arranged as to give the best effect, and the blossoms raised 

 sufficiently to show their depth and true character. Good 

 taste, neatness, and punctuality in staging, are quite as requi- 

 site to the man who would become a successful exhibitor as 

 fine flowers. 



For the supply of cut flowers, or for plants intended only for 

 decorative purposes, the details of culture are a little different 

 from those which obtain when dealing with plants for exhibition. 

 To furnish flowers in November, the cuttings should be " struck " 

 or rooted as advised in November ; but for flowers at Christmas 

 and the New Year, January is soon enough to put in cuttings, 

 growing them on sturdily as previously suggested, and also 

 potting them similarly ; but, instead of waiting for the plants 

 to branch out naturally, it is advisable to pinch out points of 

 the shoots several times to obtain dwarf and' bushy specimens. 

 All stopping or pinching of the shoots should, however, cease by 

 the end of July. Proper attention to staking must, of course, be 

 paid ; and when the plants form their flower-buds in September, 

 it is wise to cut away all the buds except three or four on each 

 shoot. If all the buds were left, the lower ones on each 

 shoot would fail to open except in the case of the Pompones ; 

 with these all the buds should be retained. It will be found 

 that this early cutting-out of useless buds greatly improves the 

 quality of the flowers, making them more valuable for home 

 use or for market. 



The remarks already made on feeding, mulching, and spraying 

 with a fungicide are applicable to bush-plants; in fact, to grow 



