420 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



descendants. The ignotum tomato, which Prof. Goff is kind enough 

 to mention, was introduced by me in 1889 ; but the form which I intro- 

 duced is probably nowhere in cultivation at the present time ; it has 

 passed out by variation into poorer and probably into better forms. 

 Now, the person who centers his attention upon the mere production 

 of new varieties, is likely to forget the importance of the underlying 

 principles and forces which are capable of uplifting the vegetable king- 

 dom. We need a general uplift more than an occasional spasm. We 

 must make more of the varieties which we have, and by doing so, we 

 push forward the pogeny year by year in a gradual and enduring evolu- 

 tion. We may not recognize the progress from year to year, and may 

 not be able to give varietal names as freely as we should like to, but 

 the grand and final result is to be attained thereby. 1 look upon new 

 varieties as so many new starting points for still farther development,, 

 not as final or permanent things in themselves. 



The fact is, that our eyes are dazzled by the reports of creations 

 in plants as they are by new and startling inventions. But one should 

 be suspicious of the genesis of varieties which are said to have been 

 produced outright by any foresight of the operator. Time will discover 

 the merits of all pretensions ; and it will forever enforce the undying 

 principle that the amelioration of the vegetable kingdom is a slow 

 unfolding of the new out of the old, through the simple and quiet 

 agencies which man employs in cultivation and selection. — Garden and 

 Forest. 



Chrysanthemum Culture. 



One of the pleasing features of the closing evening of the Kan- 

 sas City chrysanthemum show was an a'idress by Secretary Samuel 

 Murray of the Florists club under whose auspices the show was held. 

 During the address he said : "The cultivation of chrysanthemum, as 

 compared with that of the rose, is of the simplest description, requir- 

 ing only a rich soil, a sunny or a partially sunny position, and occas- 

 ional waterings in extreme droughts. To obtain the big flowers the 

 tops of the leading or strongest growths should be removed by pinch- 

 ing, after the shoots have grown four or five inches long, and this 

 should be continued until the end of July, after which the entire plant 

 should be allowed to grow. The flower buds begin to form about the 

 end of August or beginning of September. If it is desirable to have 

 them flower in the house or conservatory they should be dug up care- 

 fully about the first of October, and placed in pots according to the 

 size of each plant. For the very largest plants, pots 10 or 12 inches 



