Chrysanthemums. 343 



inches in diameter, and were satisfactory in every other respect. The 

 color alone was lacking. 



The economic importance of this fact is very considerable. At 

 least a fourth of all the new varieties are advertised to be pink. 

 Perhaps, also, a fourth of all the cut flowers sold are pink or something 

 near it. The market reports, at any rale, often quote only four groups, 

 white, yellow and pink chrysanthemums, and " other colors." 



The case would not be so serious if all the pink sorts were able to 

 lose their color gradually and uniformly, and still remain attractive, as 

 lora does. Unfortunately, they do not. As a rule they fade out 

 unevenly and look weak, blotched, undecided. The mass effect may 

 be good, but one cannot look at the flowers closely. Two specific 

 examples may be cited as typical of two different phases of the 

 problem. 



One of the important commercial varieties of to-day is Fred IVah, 

 yet it frequently shows three or more easily distinguishable shades of 

 pink in the same greenhouse. Being somewhat stiff and formal in 

 outline, it is easily ruined for artistic effect by unevenness of color. 

 Now, the amateur usually grows many kinds and few specimens of a 

 kind, but the florist pins his faith to a very few varieties. It is a com- 

 mon practice for him to depend upon only one or two varieties to 

 furnish all his cut flowers of a given color. Moreover, the very com- 

 pactness and formality that make Fred Walz a distinctively commer- 

 cial variety (for these traits are associated with cut flowers that stand a 

 railway journey nicely) are the same qualities that betray the fatal 

 unevenness of color. An eccentric form may have eccentric coloring. 

 The ragged, straggling sorts are usually valued for their freedom of form 

 rather than for their color, but a perfectly regular, globular flower must 

 be of one tone to have a unity of color effect. The whole Chinese section 

 is very formal, and there are dozens of varieties in the Japanese section 

 that are in the same predicament with Fred Walz, 



As Fred Walz is typical of a form of flower that is suitable for 

 shipping, so is the white variety. Ivory, a type of certain habits of 

 plant growth much sought after by the florists. Most American 

 dealers place it on a list of 1 2 best varieties for commercial purposes. 

 The amateur likes it, and it is used for exhibitions, for pot plants and 

 for cut flowers. It is, in short, a typical " all-round " variety. 

 Naturally pink sports of it are in great demand, but they are hard to 



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