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HORTICULTURE 



September 23, 1916 



1 am here today to talk on "The 

 Hardy Chysanthemum, the Queen of 

 Late Autumn," for we find her reign- 

 ing supreme when the early wintry 

 blast has killed almost all other flow- 

 ers. And the chrysanthemum is prac- 

 tically the only thing blooming to 

 brighten up our beds and shrubbery, 

 and the uses that it can be put to are 

 almost unlimited. It is a flower that 

 can be adapted to almost any locality 

 and one easy of propagation and 

 growth, and on this account is taking 

 with the masses wherever fall adorn- 

 ment and beauty is required and peo- 

 ple are beginning to find out there are 

 varieties that are hardy and vigorous 

 enough to withstand almost the sever- 

 est of our winters, while there are 

 others that are only suitable for con- 

 servatory or greenhouse growing. 

 What varieties do best in your particu- 

 lar locality is a problem that you can 

 test out far better than an outsider can 

 tell you. 



The hardy chrysanthemum, as the 

 writer knew it, was an old-time fav- 

 orite. The first mention that I can 

 find of it was about the year 300, and 

 with myself from boyhood up I have 

 always liked it. Well do I remember 

 the clumps as a child in my father's 

 garden. Then came a craze and the 

 large-flowered ones were "all the go," 

 and the old-time pompons were prac- 

 tically forgotten. 



Somewhere about fifteen years ago 

 I took a notion that the discarded 

 hardy chrysanthemums were entitled 

 to a front place among our autumn 

 flowers, and set about accomplishing 

 the same, but was told by a number 

 that I was a crank; that pompon 

 chrysanthemums were a thing of the 

 past, and there was no place for them. 

 I persisted In my efforts to reintroduce 

 them and results show whether I was 

 right or not. 



Nearly every florist the country over 

 now uses them, and very few chrysan- 

 themum decorations are thought com- 

 plete without them whenever they can 

 be obtained. When I had made up my 

 mind to introduce them I found that 

 there were very few varieties obtain- 

 able — a poor collection. But having 

 set my mind on having a good collec- 

 tion we got all the varieties that were 

 to be found anywhere. We crossed 

 ^nd recrossed the varieties, raising a 



large number of seedlings— thousands 

 of them— for several years, till we got 

 up one of the best collections that up 

 to that time the world had ever 

 known. As soon as we had a good 

 collection we commenced to advertise 

 some and people woke up to their pos- 

 sibilities and soon hardy chrysanthe- 

 mums were everywhere. 



One of our first exhibitions was in 

 the Macy building, New York City, 

 and gardeners and visitors were 

 amazed at their beauty. I believe that 

 the next year we made another ex- 

 hibit in New York where the Chrys- 

 anthemum Society of America held its 

 show and meeting. Up to that time 

 the American Society had not recog- 

 nized hardy or single chrysanthe- 

 mums. On the floor at that meeting 

 I demanded recognition, and it was 

 granted and from that time premium 

 lists were not considered complete 

 unless they contained classes for pom- 

 pons and singles. 



To have the finest of flowers the 

 florists have whole greenhouses 

 planted with them, as it is found that 

 for extra fine work the field grown arc 

 often damaged by rains or early frosis 

 and that while standing in the beds, 

 etc. they will look fairly well, but 

 when gathered they do not compare 

 favorably with those grown inside for 

 cut flowers, or design work. 



Mr. Vincent then gave full details 

 of propagation by cuttings, propagJ- 

 tion by division, propagation by seed, 

 suitable soils, manuring, insect pests, 



diseases, remedies, planting in garden 

 and replacing the beds of other flow- 

 ers that have finished their season, 

 potting up and setting in cool shady 

 frames to hold back tor house and 

 conservatories, etc., also lists of va- 

 rieties for early blooming, medium and 

 late blooming, etc.. and selected va- 

 rieties for conservatories. 



Mr. Vincent closed with the follow- 

 ing original ode to the hardy chrysan- 

 themum : 



Queen of the Autumn I greet thee. 

 It 13 a joy sublime to meet thee. 

 Wonderful flowers of gold, pink and white, 

 They thrill me with memories bright. 



Centuries old and yet with youth eternal, 

 A heart of gold and character supernal. 

 With open arms and smiling blooms to 

 greet us. 



Why do we love thee, we of these later 

 days, 



We are fascinated as we gaze upon thy 

 face; 



Surely some memory dear of the past en- 

 thralls us. 



Back to our father's garden memories 



call. 

 And as we journey, lovingly our thoughts 



grow fonder, 

 T'was father's flower and he loved it well. 

 We see its beauty, we love it as we ponder. 



So Autumn Queen, we ever greet thee. 

 Thou art a flower to our memory most 



dear; 

 Our father's flower-proud are we all to 



meet thee, 

 Proud of thy triumphs o'er autumn blasts. 



And so with with father's name we will 



link thee ever. 

 Father and Hardy 'Mums with all the 



years gone by : 

 And naught in all the years to come can 



hide thee, nevermore; 

 For thy love and beauty will stay with our 



memories evermore. 



Ardisias are scarce and Indications 

 point to a very insufficient supply of 

 this unexcelled Christmas berry-bear- 

 ing plant this year. 



Horticulture, with its clean-cut ar- 

 ticles, deserves to be in the office of 

 every florist. I enjoy reading same, 

 and look for it each week and if not 

 delivered would miss is very much. 

 I wish it all success. 



A. L. MILLER, 

 Jamaica, N. 'Y. 



A HOME GARDEN. 



View in the Grounds of Wm. A. Clarke, of Pittsburgh Cut Flower Co.. at Sheridan. Pa. 



