THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK. 



progress. At the conclusion of the business meeting, the fol- 

 lowing paper by Mr. W. H. Waite, one of the most successful 

 growers of the chrysanthemum, was read: 



A TALK ON THE CHRYSANTHEMUIM 

 Mr. Chairman and Members of the Society: I wish your ardent secretary 

 had asked some one else more capable than I to introduce the subject 

 this afternoon, for what I can tell you is by no means new or original, 

 and may thus prove uninteresting; furthermore, you will have to be very 

 lenient with me, as I have been so busy with flower-shows and other 

 matters since your secretary asked me to read the paper, that I have, 

 indeed, had very little time to prepare anything, and consequently have 

 brought together only a few rambling notes. 



There is no need for me to praise the chrysanthemum, for during its 

 six weeks of reign it certainly reigns supreme. Of all the flowers, which 

 we as florists and gardeners have to cultivate, there is none showing so 

 many variations in size of bloom, color, habit of growth, etc., as the 

 chrysanthemum. These variations no doubt, together with the fact that 

 its beautiful flowers appear during the waning months of the year, are 

 the secret of the great popularity of this flower. 



There are so many different kinds of chrysanthemums, that, in order to 

 study them properly, a division of the genus into sections is necessary. 

 I shall briefly describe these sections, showing examples of each in so far 

 as I have been able to procure them. 



Section i. True incurved 



This class is not seen so much in this country, as the flowers are not 

 quite large enough to suit the demands here, but is very prominent in all 

 exhibitions in England. The flowers have strap-shaped petals, curving 

 regularly inward, and forming, when mature, an even spherical outline. 

 A very good example of this section is the old variety ATajor Bonaff'on. 



Section 2. J.\panese varieties 

 This is the section to which belong the large varieties having long loose 

 petals, which sometimes are intertwined, as in the variety Nellie Pocket; 

 and sometimes long and straight, as in F. S. Vallis. All the large varieties 

 go into this section ; in fact, the variations are so many that it has been 

 found necessary to subdivide this section into two groups, known as the 

 Japanese incurved and the Japanese reflexed. Good examples of the former 

 are Col. D. Appleton and Marza, and of the Japanese reflexed, Mrs. Knox. 

 Here the petals turn back horizontally and drop down toward the stem. 



Section 3. Reflexed 

 This section is entirely opposite to the incurved, in that the petals re- 

 curve from the center of the flower to its base. Few of this section are 

 grown in this country today^ 



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