452 



HORTICULTURE 



April 7, 1917 



CHRYSANTHEMUM CLASSIFICATION 



Editor Horticultdbe: 



Dear Sir: — At a meeting of the R. I. 

 Horticultural Society there was a 

 heated discussion regarding certain 

 classifications of chrysanthemums as 

 used in the premium list. The pre- 

 mium list reads as follows: 



"Class Sno, cbrysantUemums. Best three 

 vases tlirec distinct Japanese varieties, ten 

 blooms to a vase." 



"Class 400, clirysantliemums. Beat three 

 vases of three distinct incurved varieties, 

 ten blooms to a vase." 



The discussion was as follows: "A" 

 maintained that Japanese incurved 

 and reflex varieties were distinct 

 forms just as much so as cactus, 

 peony and show dahlias are distinct 

 forms. "A" also maintained that Jap- 

 anese varieties should not compete in 

 the same class with incurved varieties 

 or reflex varieties except, of course, 

 in general collections of flowers. 



"B" maintained that all chrysanthe- 

 mums were Japanese varieties and 

 that the term Japanese was misap- 

 plied in the premium list. He held 

 that in class 399 incurved or reflex 

 could be exhibited as they were all 

 Japanese varieties. "A" maintained 

 that "B" was giving the word Japan- 

 ese in this connection an entirely wrong 

 meaning. "A" maintained that in exhi- 

 bitions the word Japanese referred to a 

 class of blooms in chrysanthemums 

 just as much as peony flowers re- 

 ferred to a class of blooms in dahlias 

 and that the term as used in the pre- 

 mium list bore no relation to the 

 origin of the plants. 



Will you please give me the best de- 

 cision on these points that you can? 

 1 shall esteem it a favor also if you 

 will refer this discussion to some of 

 your most interested exliibitors and 

 get an expression of opinion from 

 them. 



Could you give me also the names oi 

 three distinct popular varieties of Jap- 

 anese chrysanthemums, three distinst 

 varieties of incurved, and three distinct 

 varieties of reflex, and the names of 

 any other varieties which represent a 

 distinct class of flower? 



We had another heated discussion 

 which we would like you to settle for 

 us at the same time, if possible. The 

 premium list reads as follows: 



"Class 208, chrysanthemums, cut flowers. 

 Twelve white in one vase." 



There were other classes following 

 this, calling for twelve pink, twelve 

 yellow, and twelve of any other color, 

 etc. The discussion is on the follow- 

 ing point. "A" maintained that in class 

 208, which calls for twelve white, an 

 exhibitor could enter three vases each 

 containing a distinct white variety for 

 this prize. "B" maintained that no ex- 

 hibitor could enter more than one ex- 

 hibit for the same prize. "B" maintained 

 that if an exhibitor was allowed to 

 enter more than one exhioit for the 

 same prize it would be unfair to the 

 other exhibitors who had entered only 



one. "A" maintained that if an exhib- 

 itor had raised tliree varieties of white 

 chrysanthemums and that if he was 

 unable to decide which was the best 

 for exhibition purposes, he had a right 

 to enter all three and let the judge de- 

 cide which was the best. "B" maintained 

 that tliis was very unusual and wrong 

 and that it "A" wished to get the 

 judge's opinion, he could enter one va- 

 riety in the class and bring the other 

 two varieties for exhibition purposes 

 but not for competition and then get 

 the judge's opinion on them as an ex- 

 hibition flower. 



Yours very truly, 



E K. Thomas, Secy. 



Editor of Horticttltube: 



Dear >Sir; — I am in receipt of the 

 communication addressed to you from 

 the Secretary of Rhode Island Horti- 

 culture Society in regard to certain 

 chrysanthemum classifications. 



To get a clear perspective of this 

 matter one should go back to the early 

 days of the chrysanthemum as an ex- 

 hibition flower. The early forms were 

 known as Chinese and pompon varie- 

 ties but the latter need not be consid- 

 ered in connection -with the present 

 matter. 



The Chinese varieties were so called 

 from the fact that the plant wa? first 

 introduced into Europe from China 

 and the flowers were cliaraclerized by 

 comparatively short petals and smooth 

 and even form. As they developed 

 under cultivation two distinct types 

 appeared, one with petals all turning 

 inward and exposing the under surface 

 to view and the other with tlie petals 

 all turning backward and downward, 

 thereby exposing only the upper sur- 

 face. These were called the Incurved 

 and reflexed Chinese varieties. 



After the opening up of Japan, varie- 

 ties of the same species began coming 

 from there, but these were character- 

 ized by a multitude of odd forms, 

 mostly with petals much longer in pro- 

 portion than those produced by the old 

 Chinese forms. But here afain many 

 of the varieties divi'ded themselves up 

 in the same two classes as the earlier 

 Chinese varieties did, but as the flow- 

 ers were much more artistic in build 

 they soon drove the Chinese var eties 

 to the wall and now it is bard to find 

 a plant of the old Chineise kinds TJie 

 terms incurved and reflexed still sur- 

 vive but as there has been so much 

 intermixing of the Chinese and Jap- 

 anese types in raising new varieties 

 it is impossible to say where the 

 Chinese leave off and the Japanese be- 

 gin and this coupled with the fact that 

 the pure Chinese varieties are no long- 

 er grown would make the use of the 

 term "Japanese" practically superflu- 

 ous if it were not for another fact that 

 there are certain varieties which can 

 be classed as neither incurved nor re- 

 fle.ved, so must be thrown into a class 

 which will admit any form that is not 

 of the old Cliinese character So looli- 

 ing at it in this way we would have 

 three classes, incurved, reflexed and 



Japanese, for want of a better term. 

 A3 a type of the incurved flower ol 

 today I would give Mrs. Jerome Jonea 

 or Merza and of the reflexed, John 

 Shrimpton. Any flowers which do not 

 conform to these standards would fall 

 into the miscellaneous Japaueoe class. 

 1 say "Japanese" because all our large 

 varieties today partake more of the 

 original Japanese characteristics than 

 of any other. 



In selecting varieties for exhibition 

 in the classes tor the different types, 

 individual flowers should be selected 

 which adhere as closely as possible 

 to the type of the class, without ref- 

 erence to names, for it is well known 

 among growers that many varieties 

 will sometimes develop an incurved 

 flower from one kind of bud and 

 a reflexed flower from a different bud. 

 So looking at the matter in this way 

 class 399 referred to in the letter could 

 include any variety which showed any 

 characteristics of the original Jap- 

 anese varieties, and class 400 should 

 be conflned to such varieties as come 

 the nearest to the accepted incurved 

 type of today. Strictly speaking the 

 class could include all incurved vari- 

 eties of either the Chinese or Japan- 

 ese types. 



In regard to class 208, the matter 

 rests entirely with the rules of the So- 

 ciety. In the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society an exhibitor may put up 

 as many exhibits in competition as 

 there are prizes offered. That is. If 

 two prizes are offered he may have 

 two entries, and so on, according to 

 the numbers of prizes offered for that 

 particular class. 



A. H. Fevtkes. 



Newton Highlands, Mass. 



ASSORTED SPRINGTIMES 



(Ted Robinson, in Cleveland Plain Dealer.) 

 Our morniug's milli is full of icy splinters. 

 But the robins are a-hopping on the 

 green ; 

 This month is full of disconcerting Winters 

 But we love the little Springtime, In 

 between ! 

 So as often as the weather seems propitious 

 In the soggy, boggy woods we Btart to 

 roam. 

 And we find the vernal vision quite (}e- 

 licious. 

 Till the sneezy, breezy blizzard drives 

 us home! 



There is something far superior to the 

 senses 

 In determining the time for buds to 

 blow; 

 I am sure that Sanguinaria canadensis 

 Is a-blooming over there beneath the 

 snow ; 

 And the sleet is sharp as tiny mites of 

 mica. 

 And the wind is keen as memories of 

 sin — 

 But I'm certain that Claytonia virginica 

 Only needs a little courage to begin! 



The hepaticas are hardly hesitating — 

 They are moving bravely upward through 

 the mud! 

 And unviolated violets are waiting 



Just a word to burst in beauty from the 

 bud! 

 In the Wintry woods there's surely some- 

 thing doing. 

 For as plainly as a flower ever spoke, 

 I have heard a lot of pussy willows 

 mewing. 

 And it's almost time for crocuses to 

 croak ! 



— Boston Globe. 



