DiriSIOX OF HORTICULTURE 679 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



- ; CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 



The chrysanthemum of the greenhouse is Chry&anthemum hortorum. It is a 

 large-flowering, autumn-blooming variety of chrysanthemum, and is the product 

 obtained by crossing two wild species from China and Japan. It is a half-hardy plant 

 and in many places completely hardy, and is not, therefore, necessarily a greenhouse 

 plant as it will live over in the perennial border with a little winter protection. As 

 . grown in the greenhouse, however, there are many types and these types are separ- 

 ately treated in accordance as experience has shown whether they will best produce 

 small flowers on a bushy plant or large flowers grown to single stems. The large size 

 of greenhouse-grown chrysanthemums, therefore, is due entirely to the special method 

 of handling the plant. In some cases the same variety is grown to a single stem 

 producing one large flower, a plant producing a dozen flowers of medium size, or a 

 bushy plant producing a large number of small flowers. 



The sections into which greenhouse-grown chrysanthemums are grouped are 

 given below. The most popular varieties from most of these groups have been tested 

 in the new greenhouses at the Central Farm at Ottawa during the past two years. 

 While the work is not yet advanced enough to give a lengthy article on the chrysan- 

 themum for indoor culture, a list follows in which will be found varieties that have 

 done best during this two year test. The list represents a total of about one-fourth 

 of the number that was tested. 



The flowering season of the chrysanthemum commences at Ottawa about the 

 middle of October and lasts until about the end of the year, during which season a 

 good display of chrysanthemums may be seen. 



TYPES OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 



Section 1. — Known as the " Incurved Chrysanthemums." Flowers globular in 

 form and regular in outline. 



Section 2. — Known as " Japanese Chrysanthemums ". Flowers generally globu- 

 lar in form, but often irregular or flattened. Florets very variable such as flat, 

 fluted, quilled, or tubulated, of varying lengths and in habit incurving, spreading, 

 drooping, or they may be straight and incurved. 



Section S. — Known as " Anemone-flowered Chrysanthemums ". They are so 

 called on account of the centre or disk of the flower which is different from the outer 

 or ray florets. The disk florets are generally short and quilled; the ray florets are 

 arranged regularly around the centre disk after the habit of some anemones. 



Section It. — ^nown as " Pompon Chrysanthemums." Blooms of varying shape, 

 but generally small and always neat and compact. Many flowers to a plant and 

 several flowers to a stem. 



Section 5.— Known as " Single Chrysanthemums ". Flowers of varying sizes 

 but either entirely single or semi-double with the appearance of a single flower. Flow- 

 ers are of different types. 



Section 6. — Known as Spidery, Plumed and Feathery Types. Flowers small or 

 medium size, with an eccentric shape but light and graceful in character. 



16 47 Ottawa. 



