CHE Y SAN THEM UMS. 



533 



Fig. 1. Bouquet op Chrysanthemums. 



size. The plants thus treated are cultivated under glass, and co- 

 piously manured in order to give them great vigor. Flowers have 

 been thus produced measur- 

 ing not less than twenty cen- 

 timetres in diameter (Fig. 2). 

 Assiduous care is given to all 

 the details in raising these 

 flowers. The petals are fash- 

 ioned by hand, and are given 

 the desired curvature, and put 

 in determined positions by the 

 aid of ivory pincers. A sin- 

 gle flower thus produced will 

 bring from two to four shil- 

 lings. 



The effort to produce such 

 exaggerated specimens can, 

 however, not be regarded as 

 a well-directed one. Over- 

 grown flowers lose in beauty, 

 and extreme regularity of 

 shape is obtained at the ex- 

 pense of grace, and of the great charm of the flower, which lies 

 chiefly in an unexpected novelty of form, and the special stamp of 



originality that gives each 

 blossom an expression of its 

 own. We might as well make 

 them out of paper at once as 

 treat them so that they shall 

 all be alike. 



The November chrysan- 

 themum exhibitions of the 

 horticultural societies are 

 growing in importnace. The 

 superb plants that are now 

 shown at them are counted 

 by the thousand. The house 

 of Leveque, which obtained 

 the chief prize at a recent 

 exhibition of the National 

 Horticultural Society of 

 France, had six hundred dis- 

 tinct varieties. 



Europeans are not alone 

 in their admiration of beautiful flowers. Some other people, hav- 

 ing a fine artistic taste, entertain an enthusiasm for them that 



Fig. 2. Large Chrysanthemums (reduced). 



