The 1895 Chrysanthemums. 273 



themum a fragrant one. People are not looking to the chrysan- 

 themums for odor, but simply for form, color, and texture. Fra- 

 grance would have to be very em])hatic to make any impression 

 beside a iiower six or eiglit inches in diameter. And besides, what- 

 ever odor the iiower might have would be overpowered by the 

 heavy scent of the foliage. Yet there is nothing really incompati- 

 ble with the development of odor in the large chrysanthemums. 

 Nymphgea has been forced to grow ilowers four inches across. 



II. Test of Novelties. 



In judging new varieties, we have this year divided all the 

 chrysanthemums into very good, good, poor, and intermediate. 

 The word intermediate does not appear in the list, however, because 

 it was thought best not to try to describe the shades of merit 

 between " good " and ''poor." When, therefore, there is no com- 

 ment upon the merit of the variety, it is to be understood that, in 

 our test, the variety seemed to be only intermediate or indifferent 

 in quality. There are so many good and very good chrysanthemums 

 on the market that it is necessary to measure new varieties by a high 

 standard. If the present judgments seem to imply a rigorous 

 standard, it is certainly not so severe as the test of time. It is safe 

 to prophecy that most of the new varieties of 1895 will not be for 

 sale iive years from now. 



The most complete adaptation to current wants is found among 

 white and yellow chrysanthemums. There is great room for im- 

 provmlnt in pinks and dark shades. There are plenty of quilled and 

 hairy pinks, but the Japanese incurved section possesses no pink of 

 the size and beauty of Mrs. Henry Robinson (white) or a dozen 

 yellows that could be named. The trouble with delicate shades of 

 pink is that the color is rarely evenly diffused and it often fades 

 out. The lack of single, pure colors other than white, yellow and 

 pink, is very noticeable. Dark reds are very popular, and yet there 

 is no section in which so little improvement has been made as that 

 represented by Cullingfordii, Geo. W. Childs, John Shrimpton, 

 and Mrs. J. H. White. 



In the description of varieties below, the name in the parentheses 

 following the name of the variety signifies the dealer who sent us 

 the cuttings ; the name at the end of each description is that of the 

 introducer, so far as we are able to determine from the current 



18 



