THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



and care of the specimen. The wonders achieved in chrysanthemum culti- 

 vation in America is one of the most striking examples of this fact. 



This flower is universally admired and sought after in Japan; it is the 

 emblem of the imperial household and as the symbol of long life it is 

 drunken mixed with " sake," the Japanese wine, on a certain festive day. 

 It has inspired Japanese poets and artists to produce fine masterpieces in 

 their respective spheres of mental activity. It typifies the autumn as the 

 cherry blossom represents the spring. 



Among the Japanese there is a custom to interpret flowers according to 

 their color, shape and time of blossoming. For example, cherry trees 

 come to full bloom in spring when the plants and flowers come up, birds 

 sing cheerful melodies, plains and fields are spread with a green carpet 

 and everything is bright and gay. But should rain or wind come at the 

 time of blossoming, the flowers fall and wither immediately and retain 

 nothing of their former luxuriance. In this sense, the cherry blossom is 

 very often compared with a charming and fascinating woman whose cap- 

 tivating power surpasses every other quality. To our great regret, fasci- 

 nation in a woman is not always combined with constancy and virtue, but, 

 on the contrary, very often with frivolity and caprice and, like the cherry 

 blossom, perishes and fades with exposure to the slightest storm. This 

 fact accounts for the reason that Japanese women seek their ideal symbol 

 in the chrysanthemum and the plum blossoms instead of in the cherry 

 blossoms. They take these flowers, especially the chrysanthemum, as the 

 symbol of feminine virtue and love and cherish them with universal admi- 

 ration. They adore the chrysanthemum because it stands against the 

 severe frost and, in the midst of the autumn season, when the lotus dies 

 and the leaves of the trees fall, it remains to inspire and cheer us with its 

 wondrous splendor. 



There are numerous legends and traditions associated .with this flower. 

 When I was a child, I used to hear from my mother, who was an ardent 

 admirer of this blossom, the following romantic story : In the medieval 

 stage of Japan, fight and duel were often of daily occurrence among the 

 chevalier class. One day two men of close friendship had a quarrel and, 

 after a spirited argument, they thought nothing else than a duel could 

 properly settle the matter. They agreed to meet again in the evening at 

 a certain spot to stake their fate by the sword. They hurried home and 

 bade farewell to their dear families and started for the place of fighting in 

 a disturbed state of rgind. They had to cross a rivulet to reach the ap- 

 pointed place of meeting. It was the evening of an autumn day, and the 

 rays of the setting sun cast his golden light upon the water, making a most 

 entrancing scene. Along the banks of the rivulet grew thousands of the 

 purest white chrysanthemums. There could be nothing in nature's beauty 

 more splendid and fascinating than the view before them, and, as they 

 approached the edge of the stream, their nature-loving passions were 

 awakened and utterly absorbed in the picturesque sight. In fact, so much 

 so, that they immediately began to indulge in poetical meditation and were 



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