Pee PBR. 6M UM. S Ged 
CARE OF THE CROP 
1. WATERING. Lots of Mum crops ate checked and 
hardened by lack of water. You're not likely to overdo it. 
Most errors are on the dry side. Stanley Hall of Illinois says 
wad up soil in your fist, then drop the ball. If it crumbles, 
it’s ready to water. If it wouldn’t even make a ball, it’s 
already much too dry! Always watch ends and edges of 
benches. Give them an extra lick between regular waterings. 
Look into sub-irrigation—and surface watering with the 
new 360 degree nozzles. See your floriculture school for 
details. They save a lot of high priced labor. 
2. FEEDING. In addition to the manure and phosphate 
at benching time, most Mums will need two or three appli- 
cations of some balanced fertilizer such as Vigoro. Usually 
2 Ibs. per 100 square feet after plants get into active growth, 
then 2 lbs. again just before blooming, are adequate. It 
depends, though, on amount of fertilizer in soil at bench- 
ing time. Also a heavy active growth on a raised, shallow 
bench will take much more feeding than a ground bed. 
Sandy soils need more frequent feeding. Soil tests are valu- 
able. Maintain medium levels of nitrates, potash and phos- 
phates. We use Spurway tests. 
Best “‘p.H” or soil reaction for Mums in our experience 
is about neutral. Between 6.5 and 7.3 seems OK. Just 
avoid extremes. 
3. SHADE. Mums most anywhere benefit by light pro- 
tection from the sun. Under glass keep a light shade. Out- 
doors, use cheesecloth. Remove shade in fall. 
4, “WETTING DOWN”, a queer old-fashioned term, 
but I recall in my grade school days enjoying the way Mums 


ETON R EER OSKal Ss ales 
WEST CHICAGO 
ILLINOIS 
“perked up” when they were just sprayed overhead enough 
to wet the foliage and the walks. Once on a warm after- 
noon, twice if hot. Better not, tho, if you’re having trouble 
with foliar nematode or leaf spot. 
5. TEMPERATURES. In summer just keep vents wide 
open except during storms. They should be open at night, 
too, by the way! 
In firing season, 50° nights is standard, with 58° on 
cloudy and 65° on sunny days. To avoid blindness on later 
varieties, keep 60° minimum until buds are in sight. Watch 
Garza, especially. 
For off season flowering of Mums 60° nights is necessary. 
See page 19. 
6. SPRAY PROGRAM. A must, weekly. See later 
pages on insects for details. 
7. MULCHES somehow seem to do wonders for the 
Chrysanthemums. We mulch with a one inch layer of peat 
soon as plants are established. It reduces frequency of 
watering and feeding, and somehow they just grow better. 
PINCHING AND SELECTING BUD 
“Time” pinching is best. It simply means to pinch each 
variety on the date prescribed in this catalog. For example, 
Gold Lode, to be flowered at normal date is pinched July 
8 (see page 4). Too early pinching sets the center flower 
in the spray of Pomps too low; too late has the opposite 
effect. On standard Mums, correct time pinching will 
usually eliminate formation of the crown bud. For correct 
pinching date in shaded and lighted Mums, write for our 
Crop Schedule—gratis. 
Sometimes, due to late benching, 
etc., you will get off this schedule. 
In general, if you are going to 
pinch, you should do so before the 
plant gets 10 to 12 inches tall. 
Don't pinch before the tip has 
grown at least 3-4 inches. Don't 
pinch into hard wood. - 
Now, as to selecting the proper 
bud on the large “disbud’’ types. 
Mums send out two kinds of “‘buds”’ 
or growing tips: 
1. CROWN. A flowering bud 
surrounded by non-flowering vege- 
tative shoots. 
2. TERMINAL. A flowering bud 
surrounded by flowering buds. 

Top left: The inverted ’"U” shaped bent pipe frames that support the black shading 
cloth. Four or five wires (No. 15) are strung lengthwise of the beds over these 
pipe frames to help support the sateen between the pipe frame members. 
Top right: The same pipe frame members used over raised benches. Only difference, 
instead of setting them into the ground, they are fastened to the bench side 
boards. A 12 inch piece of 1 inch angle iren is inverted on top of the side board; 
end of the pipe member is welded to the center of the angle iron. See page 8 for 
another view of this idea. 
Bottom: A new wrinkle on supporting the wire and cross strings. The men are 
holding a piece of 1/4 inch concrete reenforcing rod bent to a “‘U.” Holes are 
drilled in the bench side board and ends of the rods stuck into the holes. A piece 
of No. 9 wire serves as cross piece. A large 2 inch washer is welded to each end of 
the No. 9 wire; the concrete rod is stuck down thru the washer hole at each end of 
the No. 9 wire. The No. 9 cross wire is cut an inch or so too short. In this way 
it pulls inward against the 4 inch concrete rod—so can’t slip down. 
One layer of supports serves for both Mums and Pomps. Thanks to this wire 
and rod arrangement they can be slid up eas:ly each week to keep up with the 
plants. (Photos at Yoders, Ashtabula, Ohio). 
Early budding can be prevented! See page 16 for details. vhs 
