The 1895 Chrysanthemums. 271 



chrysanthemums. There are only two sides to the question when 

 a single pure color is considered. People either like or dislike 

 it. But when two colors are combined there are infinite possibil- 

 ities for difference in taste. For example, here is a list of eight 

 recent chrysanthemums, all of which have combinations of only 

 two colors — Fred Walz, Mme. O. Mirabeau, Mrs. Potter Palmer, 

 Genevieve, Sunset Pink, Mrs. C. Harmon Payne, Edith Smith 

 and Burt Eddy, Now, who is to decide which one of these is an 

 inharmonious mixture and which a happy combination? But the 

 problem is even more complicated than this. Let us suppose that 

 the variety Burt Eddy contains seventy per cent, of red (to avoid 

 confusion I shall not attempt to describe the shade) and thirty 

 per cent, of white, on each floret. Do you suppose that this pro- 

 portion can be maintained year after year? Florists know that 

 combinations of colors are very unstable. I do not mean to con- 

 demn these varieties out of hand. Some of them may prove 

 stable as to their proportions, and artistic in effect, but the ordi- 

 nary florist can afford to wait a year. The point is, that these 

 are typical of a class which it is safer for him not to buy while 

 they are new. 



Other mixtures of doubtful value are Gilt Edge, Evening Star, 

 Miss Sylvia Shea and Mrs. Moses Wentworth. 



To illustrate how variable the amount of color is, the case of 

 the fiew variety, Miss M. M. Johnson, may be cited. This is adver- 

 tised as a pure yellow, but some of the many blossoms grown this 

 year showed varying amounts of red. Radiance is another yellow 

 that should be made " red proof " before being sent ont as a 

 pure yellow. Secondary colors appear with age in many new 

 varieties that have only one color at their best. The pink that 

 comes with age to Crystallina (white) is attractive, but that 

 which spreads over Miss Georgiana Pitcher (yellow) makes a 

 melancholy spectacle. Often there is a chance for difference of 

 opinion. In any case, would it not be well for disseminators in 

 their introductory notices to state the fact of secondary color ap- 

 pearing with age? An analogous case is that of varieties which 

 show the center. Mrs. J. M. Parker, Jr., and Mme. Carnot are 

 two of many new examples of this latter class. The center is 

 objectionable in one; not objectionable in the other. It is a mat- 



