part of their planting to produce 3 and 4 
on individual plants with this spacing: they 
figure that more can be realized on 2-3 
or 4 small to medium size flowers than for 
a single big one; and for at least part of 
a retail grower’s stock, this reasoning is 
sound. The Paris, France market wants 
them all big—the bigger the better. Lon¬ 
don and England generally, prefer them 
small or medium. Most of their growing 
there is done in an 8 or 9 in. pot, 1 or 2 
plants to a pot, according to the vigor of 
the variety. In each of these pots, 12-16 
flowers are produced with which they tell 
you more profit is made than on a few big 
flowers. But there is an attraction and 
limited demand for the great big ones that 
shouldn’t be overlooked. And it might be 
well to use some exhibition kinds for this. 
The Turners and the Pocketts are fine ex¬ 
amples of this class. Most Pompon grow¬ 
ers space their class around 7x7 in., top 
them once at a height of 6-7 in. and let 
them come. If topped again, as is some¬ 
times done, they produce more branches 
or flower stems, but they will be corres¬ 
pondingly shorter stemmed and long stems 
are important, especially for market grow¬ 
ers. To assure plenty of stem, we used a 
different plan the past season with success. 
This calls for spacing 6x6, topping uni¬ 
formly at about 6 or 8 in. and carrying up 
but 2 growths. With the plant’s energy so 
concenti’ated, stems do draw up. This spac¬ 
ing calls for more plants but results in a 
more uniform stand with no short, blind 
growth, and,—longer stems. Nearly all our 
stock is shaded and this calls for earlier 
planting if long stems are wanted and most 
short stemmed stock doesn’t mean much to 
a wholesale market. We get all shading 
stock planted between May 10 and 15. 
ALSO, WE PLANT ONLY ROOTED 
CUTTINGS. Not only do cuttings represent 
less cost than early propagated older stock 
but, what is more important, a rooted cut¬ 
ting goes ahead without the check that the 
older plants get. For this reason, cuttings 
almost invariably outgrow topped, earlier 
propagated stock that usually becomes 
more or less checked before the final 
planting. 
TAKING BUDS 
For stock planted at normal dates and 
not shaded, the safest procedure is to fol¬ 
low suggestions on date to select buds 
given for each variety in this catalog. Late 
planting, say July, usually doesn’t have 
time to make a Crown bud and the Ter¬ 
minal will be some later than dates given. 
The Crown bud is a large, rather early 
formed one and generally not so safe as 
a Terminal that terminates the growth. 
The Terminal is distinguished by smaller 
ones clustered about the larger center one 
that should be used. When Crown buds 
are removed around early August on 3-4 
ft. growth, the side growth that carries 
on leaves a joint at point where new growth 
begins. A heavy flower in handling might 
easily snap the stem at this point, besides 
water doesn’t easily pass thru this hard 
joint. With late flowering varieties this 
joint is avoided by topping at a height of 
12-14 in. The side growth carried up will 
usually make a Terminal and give a 
straight clear stem that can be cut above 
the joint made by topping referred to; this 
lessens the chances of wilting. We find this 
procedure doesn’t apply to black cloth 
shaded stock that usually makes Terminal 
buds. The value of Crown and Terminal 
buds varies with varieties and seasons. If 
bud isn’t in sight on date given for variety, 
use the first one that appears after date 
given. 
POT PLANTS 
The demand for well grown plants in 
pots is clearly increasing and can be helped 
along with well grown COMPACT plants. 
There is an active demand for such, es¬ 
pecially in our large centers. Tall, straggly 
stuff, on the other hand, is not inviting to 
buyers and usually a loss to growers. But 
unsold pot plants can, of course, be cut 
down. In all potting or repotting, use 
clean fresh soil, for some of the diseases 
Mums are susceptible to are carried along 
in old greenhouse material. Also, soil 
should, when final repotting is done, which 
is usually into 5 in., be increasingly en¬ 
riched. For good 6 in. specimens, cuttings 
should be ready to pot in April and at this 
rapidly growing season, strong cuttings 
can go directly into 3 in. DON’T LET 
THEM GET HARDENED OR CHECKED 
BY BECOMING POT BOUND IN SMALL 
POTS BEFORE SHIFTING. Usually two 
plants are used together in this final pot¬ 
ting and for varieties not so vigorous, 3 
plants are frequently used together. The 
first topping is usually done when the 
plants are in 3 in. and again in late June. 
Such varieties as are inclined to draw up, 
some topping or trimming back should be 
done late in July. Cuttings potted early 
in April for 6 in. plants will, by May 1, 
provide an excellent cutting that will make 
fine stock for finally putting 3 in a 5 in. 
pot. After the plants get into vigorous 
growth in their flowering pots, they must 
occasionally be helped along with light top 
