Is the Chrysanthemum's Popularity Waning? 



By Wm. Kleinheinz,"' Pennsylvania. 



\'ear after year we hear the same i)ro]ihecy — "The 

 ■chrysantlieniuni is losing its popularity." We hear it 

 regularly every fall and yet a visit to any of the whole- 

 sale florists' establishments, the greenhouses of the com- 

 mercial growers, or last, but not least, to the private con- 

 servatories, or gardens, when this beautiful flower is in 

 bloom, will quickly convince you that the predictions, 

 ■■ 'mums are going out," are uttered by false prophets. It 

 is true that ^< nic \ears aijo in Pioston and some other 



"ODESS.X" GROWN OUTDOORS .\T OILFIELn. CAL. 



cities interest dwindled somewhat in the large chrysan- 

 themum blooms, but in the last few years interest has 

 been renewed in them to the extent that their jjc^pularity 

 is greater today than it ever has been. 



As an exhibition flower there is nothing that can com- 

 pare with the large flowering chrysanthemum and, to my 

 mind, there is no comparison between the spring flower 

 shows and the chrysanthemum shows in the fall. A 

 spring flower show, of course, has this advantage, that 

 hundreds of varieties of different flowers can be had in 

 bloom whereas the selection in fall is restricted to a much 

 smaller choice, but the chrysanthemums, their different 

 shapes, the various shades of color and their increase in 

 size year after year make the shows at which they are 

 exhibited always most interesting. 



Another superiority of the chrysantlicnnim over all 

 other flowering plants is the manner in which it can be 

 grown into large specimen plants. Nothing in all culti- 

 vation is so attractive as a well-grown specimen chrysan- 

 themum plant. Just think of the wonderful specimen 

 plants annually exhibited, at the fall show of tlie Horti- 

 cultural Societv of New York — fourteen feet in diameter, 

 with over fourteen hundred blooms to the plant. Let me 

 also refer to the chrysanthemums grown to single stems 



in six-inch jints, wliich are to be seen at every chrysan- 

 themum show and wiiich always elicit mucli favorable 

 comment. 



1 have plenty of evidence at hand that our large com- 

 mercial growing establishments are finding the demand 

 for the large flowering chrysanthemums increasing 

 enormously yearly, and there appears to be no sign in 

 sight of the demand diminishing. 



The single chrysanthemum 1 would place in a class all 

 b\ itself. During the past ten years wonders have been 

 wrought by our hybridizers and raisers of those mag- 

 nificent flowers. Not only for grouping arrangements, 

 as they are frequently used at our shows, but for many 

 other kinds of decorative purposes, can these flowers be 

 effectively used, in planting out in the open. 



The pompon varieties are not quite as suitable for out- 

 line ir planting as they flower somewdiat later, but they are 

 also a strong factor in the garden when used for a border 

 or for mass planting. Some years, when overtaken by 

 iieavy early frosts, tlie pompons do not have a chance to 

 mature to their full beauty, but imder normal conditions 

 si)me very fine outdoor displays can be had. The pom- 

 [jons are also grown quite extensively under glass and 

 are a good addition to the single and large flowering 

 'mums. But of all the dift'erent kinds I must proclaim 

 the large flowering chrysanthemum the leader of them all. 



Our growers and hybridizers in this country as well as 

 abroad never rest and year after year improvements over 

 the great existing varieties are introduced and varieties 

 we thought well of a few years ago are forgotten and re- 

 placed by superior ones. 



The fact that the earlier and single varieties are be- 

 c( >ming more popular does not mean, as some people seem 

 In think, that the large 'mums have seen their best days. 



resident cf Clirysantheimim Society r f America. 



W.M. TURXKK (IKOVVX UXIlF.K (a..\SS IX OKLAUOM.\ 



