Chrysanthemums of 1896. 311 



In the yellows, the only advances in form were Diichcss of York and 

 Bitff Globe, which latter looks like a buff sport of Good Gracious 

 (Fig. 81). Modesto had nothing new in form or color but was 

 unusually productive and has the look of a plain, every-day, suc- 

 cessful, yellow chrysanthemum. 



The pinks were a disappointment this year. Fourteen we 

 have dropped outright. Two varieties {Sibyl Kaye and Rosy 

 Emperatrice) were first-rate whites but were pink for only 

 a few days. The only successful pink of the year amongst our 

 lot, was Mme. Felix Perrin (or Mrs. Perrin, for they were as like 

 as two peas), but we feel little confidence in the permanence of 

 the color. We disagree as to the, attractiveness of the oft-illus- 

 trated Wm. Simpson, as men always must differ in matters of 

 liking, but we are agreed that our single plant had a weak stem and 

 poor foliage. Two others, Mrs. W. C. Egan and Miss L. Magee 

 we have indulgentl)'- placed on the promising list because we be- 

 lieve that we had weak stock. The real truth of the matter is that 

 a pure and permanent pink seems not to have been attained. The 

 various shades, from crimson to the faintest crimson-pink, are all 

 treacherous. Even Viviand Morel, which is perhaps the best 

 known of all the pinks, old and new, varies in intensity and 

 quantity of color as much as the rest. We do not see how small 

 growers can afford to buy new pinks unless they are sure of the 

 quality of the stock. The number of varieties is very 

 large, and the vigor of the individual plants, according to our 

 experience, is of vastly greater importance ; indeed it often seems 

 to mean all the difference between success and failure. Kind and 

 quantit}^ of plant-food doubtless have something to do with bring- 

 ing out color, just what we hope to find out this year by experi- 

 ment on a wide range of shades. Perhaps, too, there are minor 

 and undiscovered causes of this variability, and if there are any 

 uncontrollable factors it is high time that the truth be known. 

 What makes the problem peculiarly puzzling is that Good Gracious 

 and a few other varieties have always had at Cornell a uniform 

 amount of delicate light pink with no trace of crimson pink 

 origin. Nevertheless we have never seen any chrysanthemum 

 which matches the pure pink of Schuyler Mathews's color chart. 



