June, 1906 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



275 



what is called the second crown is generally 

 chosen as being more certain to give satis- 

 faction. It requires expert knowledge to 

 decide on the propriety of using the first 

 crown, but for the amateur it is much 

 better to rely on the second. 



This is obtained by pinching out the tip 

 of the stalk (Fig. 5 -A) in June, or when the 

 stalk is eight or ten inches high, before the 

 first crown has appeared, and then allowing 

 a shoot (Fig. 5-B) to grow from the base, or 

 axil of one of the leaves, just below the top. 

 This in turn is kept free from branches in 

 the manner shown in Fig. 6, and develops 

 a single bud, which produces the desired 

 quality, and flowers four inches across. 



By thus removing the tip, without first 

 waiting for the first crown to form, one saves 

 time, and what is very important, is likely 

 to secure a stouter growth. Should the 

 branch (Fig. 5-B) end in a cluster of buds, 

 nip out all but one, leaving the strongest, 

 which is generally at the top. 



MORE FLOWERS FROM TERMINAL, BUDS . 



I prefer to grow the terminals, and three 

 to a stem. Although the flowers are not so 

 large, they are more graceful, both in the 

 garden and when cut. When the young 

 plant is about five inches high nip off the 

 top (Fig. 7). Shoots then start from the base 

 of the leaves, forming a plant with three to 

 five branches (Fig. 8). Each of these stems 

 will probably terminate in a cluster of buds 

 (Fig 2) which are thinned (disbudded) as 

 necessary at the stage shown in Fig. 1. I 

 leave three good buds, well separated, which 

 will develop as shown in Fig. 3. 



These clusters could be reduced to one 

 bud to a stem for larger flowers, or allowed 

 to develop naturally into a number of flowers 

 (Fig. 10). The latter, however, are too 

 crowded to give perfect flowers. 



MAKING A BUSH PLANT 



For a bush plant, start with one of the size 

 of Fig. 7, pinch out the tip, and when each 

 branch is five inches long, and looks about 

 like Fig. 7, pinch out the top of each shoot, 

 and in turn treat their branches.' similarly. 

 When the clusters of terminal buds appear, 

 remove all but the centre bud, .if you want 

 the finest flowers. The more buds you 

 leave, the smaller the individual flowers. 



TRAINING FOR STANDARDS 



f I like to grow a few plants in tree or 

 standard form, just for variety. I start as 

 for single stem plants and, when the stem is 

 about three feet high, nip out the top. This 

 induces branching, but only the upper five 

 or six branches are retained, all the others 

 being rubbed off. The subsequent treatment 

 is as for bush plants. They need careful 

 staking. 



STAKING A NECESSARY EVIL 



Unfortunately, the plants which are des- 

 tined to grow large flowers will not stand 

 alone. One stake to a plant is generally 

 enough when growing but a few stems to 

 a plant, but when more are required they 

 become quite unsightly. Galvanized steel 



The final glory of the garden. Early flowering varieties of the large flowering chrysanthemum flourishing in 

 the garden after frost has cut down all else. ( Flashlight photograph) 



wire can be used, and is less obtrusive. If 

 several plants are growing together, drive 

 a five-foot stake at each end of the row, and 

 connect them by wires placed a foot apart, to 

 which the stems are tied as they grow. 



An invisible support of my own devising 

 is perhaps the best of all — when growing a 

 clump or bush. As the plant increases in size, 

 drive a heavy stake (a broom-stick painted 

 green), so the top will be in the centre of the 

 clump, the bottom sometimes slanting out 

 slightly, to avoid the roots as much as pos- 



sible. From this suspend by four strings a 

 heavy wire ring about eighteen inches in 

 diameter, and with hooked ends, to allow its 

 being joined around the plant and brought 

 up from below. The strings are tied to the 

 ring in slip knots, to permit of the latter 

 being raised or lowered as the plant may 

 require. The plants completely hide the 

 stake, which can be driven quite low, and 

 the method of support is not noticed. 



Aside from the staking and disbudding 

 details, the routine of work is simple. See 



To protect the tender flowers, a wire frame is erected in September, which is covered over with burlap when 

 frost threatens. The petals will be injured by frost though the plant itself is perfectly hardy 



