September 20 1804. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
279 
details. All those which have received certificates, medals, or other 
awards are printed in heavy type. The work runs into 100 pages, is 
printed clearly, is stitched in paper covers, and published by M. Ad. 
Iloste of Ghent. We observe that recognition is made in the preface of 
the valuable services rendered to the compiler by Mr. C. Harman Payne. 
The Speingthorpe Cup and Tube. 
The accompanying illustration (fig. 41) represents a new cup and 
tube invented by Mr. G. Springthorpe, The Gardens, Coombe Court, 
Kingston-on-Thames, for exhibiting Chrysanthemums and other flowers. 
As shown in the engraving, the cup has one brass side spring, which 
enables the exhibitor to adjust his flower with speed and accuracy in the 
tube or water container. It also has a very simple arrangement to 
prevent the necessity of plugging.4- The tube or water container has 
also one brass side spring, which passes through a flange fixed to the 
showboard from the under side. The simplicity of the arrangement 
seems to have met with general approbation, and a certificate of merit 
was recently awarded for it by the Kingston Gardeners’ Association. 
This invention was also highly commended by the National Chrys¬ 
anthemum Society at the Royal Aquarium last week. 
CCLTURE OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
{A Paper by Mr. Aiiderie, read at a meeting of the Falk'rk and District Gardeners’ 
Mutual Improvement Association.] 
{Concluded from page 246.) 
Taking the Buds. 
Some persons say the whole secret in growing these plants is in the 
taking of the buds. That is not my experience, for if the plants have 
not been well attended to the whole season the taking of the bud will 
not assist them much if you want to have a certain number of blooms 
at their best on a given day in the middle of November. In the first 
place it is necessary to know something of the habit of the different 
varieties to be operated on. By propagating twenty-four distinct 
kinds on the same day it does not by any means follow that these 
twenty-four will show their proper bud on the same day in August. 
There are early flowering varieties that are about their best at the 
end of October ; others that are called midseason varieties that will, if 
allowed to grow on uninterruptedly, produce flowers in perfection at 
the middle of November ; and there are others that are late that would, 
under the same conditions as the preceding, produce their flowers during 
January. Some of these early and late kinds are of the utmost value to 
the exhibitor, so it is apparent that something must be done to bring 
these varieties in at the proper time. We will take Colonel Smith and 
Edwin Molyneux as examples of earliness. These two varieties, if 
allowed to grow naturally, would produce blooms at their best far too 
early for any of the important shows. With the month of March 
arrives the time for timing the buds. I generally go over my plants 
and pick out the early and late flowering varieties and place them by 
themselves. I take out the eye of the leader of the late flowers with 
the point of a knife, not half an inch or an inch, simply the eye ; that 
causes the plants to break or make fresh side shoots. Select the three 
strongest and best placed, if there is any choice, and grow them on 
uninterruptedly until they show the crown bud, which will be early in 
August. That bud must be saved and all side shoots rubbed out. With 
the early flowering kinds, of which Col. W. B. Smith is an instance, we 
take out the eye as in the case of the late varieties and select three 
shoots. The next bud that appears on these will be about the end of 
June. This must be removed at once, and disbudded to a single leader 
to go on again. The next bud will very likely, if the plants have been 
well grown, show about August 10th to 16th ; I like to have these 
varieties come in about the 15th to the 18th of August. 
It is impossible in an article of this kind to give a detailed state¬ 
ment of when to take buds of all the varieties, but I am sure by care¬ 
fully tabulating notes that a standard could be made for every variety. 
What is wanted is to control the growth of each plant so that it will 
be at its best on the day required. Many growers I know grow from 
the crown buds, and there is no doubt that they have size of bloom ; but 
1 like to see the correct colour and some refinement of petal in prefer¬ 
ence to immense ragged flowers that have size only to recommend 
them. I generally stop the majority of varieties in the month of March, 
to cause the plant to be later in making its first break ; in other words, 
I take the majority of the buds on the third run, and in the most 
instances these are what are called second crowns. Etoile de Lyon, 
Charles Davis, and Vi viand Morel we treat in that way to have the 
•correct firm petal and colour, which in my opinion is of more importance 
than size. I may here say the crown bud is distinguished by having 
three shoots immediately under the buds, and if this bud be taken 
these growths should be rubbed out. The terminal bud (so called from 
its being the termination of growth for the season) is distinguished 
by being surrounded by other but smaller flower buds ; these small buds 
must be immediately removed. The term “ taking the bud” means 
leaving it and rubbing out all side growths that appear in the axils of 
the leaves. I hope I have made this sufficiently plain. 
After the buds have been secured be careful to keep them well tied 
to prevent damage from winds, and be ever on the watch against insect 
pests, such as earwigs, borers, and thrips. The borer is the worst enemy 
we have to contend with ; it is easily known ; it is about quarter of an 
inch long, tapering at both ends, of a light brownish colour. If these 
pests are allowed free scope they soon play sad havoc amongst the buds 
by boring up the side of the bud stems, and often into one side of the 
bud. When tne flower stem has been bored by this insect it causes the 
bud to lean to one side. This can be remedied if seen in time by placing 
a small splint close to the bud, and gradually working it up until it 
is straight; but if the bud has been touched it is perfectly useless. 
Earwigs can be trapped and killed by placing cut beau stalks amongst 
the leaves, and examined every morning ; abundance of tobicco powder 
dusted over the buds will keep thrips at bay. Usually at this season of 
the year some of the plants are infested with mildew. Syringe these 
with a solution of softsoap and sulphur ; that will free them from mildew, 
and also from green fly and thrips. 
Top-dressing the Plants. 
I ought to have said before that after the buds are taken it is a 
good plan to give the plants a top-dressing of rich soil, good turfy loam 
with a little sand and leaf mould added. To every bushel of soil add 
one pound of some good concentrated manure, such as Clay’s fertiliser. 
fig. 41.— THE SPRINGTHORPE CUP AND TUBE. 
I believe more in top-dressing than in pouring liquid manure into 
them. 
By the beginning of September most of the Japanese varieties will 
have set their buds, but with the Incurved kinds it is different. I do 
not care to take buds of these much before the last week in August 
except in the case of the Prince of Wales family and one or two others. 
I like all the Queen family on the terminal buds or late crowns. The 
blooms from early crown buds of these are generally too full in the 
centre, and are rougher in the petal and wanting in colour, and very 
difficult to dress, oftentimes reflexing instead of incurving. I find 
August 29th to September 3rd the best time in our neighbourhood 
(Scotland) to take buds of the Queen family, and August 20th to 25th 
for the Prince of Wales type, Lord Wolseley and Prince Alfred about 
August 28th to September 1st. Princess Teck on the other hand is very 
late. 
Housing the Plants. 
Towards the end of September the blooms of some varieties will be 
showing colour ; take all such into a cool airy house at once. At that 
time of the year there are often heavy dews at night, and if the petals 
become damp they rarely develop into good blooms. By the end of 
September it will be time to commence housing the plants, first placing 
in the late flowering kinds. It is not safe hereabout to leave the plants 
out after October Ist. In arranging the plants in the houses in which 
they are to flower, place all the late-flowering kinds at the warmer end 
according to their height, and avoid crowding. Examine all plants to 
see that they are free from mildew ; if any are affected give them a dust¬ 
ing with sulphur. Fumigate for a week or ten days on every alternate 
