BRIEF BEMARKS. 311 



my day's ramble was to behold a border, sixty odd yards long and two 

 broad, filled with apparently every variety of beautiful Chrysanthe- 

 mums. This finishing sight was a treat so unexpected and rich, that on 

 reaching home and describing my treat, a friend, a celebrated florist, 

 sat down and penned the following particulars on this tribe of flowers : — 



China having poured her autumnal gifts so abundantly into our 

 gardens, parterres, &c, the winter of those places is considerably 

 shortened ; and of all the floral beauties which that fertile country has 

 afforded us, none has so much contributed towards enlivening the 

 autumn season as the favourite flower of the Chinese Mandarins, the 

 Chrysanthemum. The name is derived from the Greek chrysos, gold, 

 and anthos, a fiower. This was given because the kind most familiar 

 to the Greeks produced flowers of a golden colour. 



The Chinese Chrysanthemum was first introduced into England in 

 1764, Miller having received it from Nimpu, and cultivated it in the 

 Botanic Garden at Chelsea ; but it was lost, and introduced again by 

 Monsieur Blanchard, a merchant of Marseilles, who brought the well- 

 remembered purple variety from China to France in 1789, from whence 

 it was sent to England in 1795, and was then sold at a very high 

 price by the London nurserymen, and introduced into the conserva- 

 tories and greenhouses of the wealthy. It soon escaped, however, from 

 such confinement ; and long ago it had spread to every part of the 

 island, ornamenting, the casement of the cottager, as well as the esta- 

 blishments of the opulent, with its beauties. 



The attention of nurserymen and florists on the continent has lately 

 been particularly directed to raising new and improved varieties. Very 

 great success has resulted, both in the large-flowered section and that 

 of the Minima, or Pompones. Some of the latter section are very 

 beautiful : fine plants, properly bloomed, have a most charming appear- 

 ance, being like so many neat small Ranunculus blooms, or in other 

 cases like the neatest double Daisies. — ( To be continued.) 



New Dahlias op 18.51, by Mr. Glenny. — Scarlet King. — A full- 

 sized bold symmetrical flower, well cupped. The centre tolerably well 

 up, face good, and outline unexceptionable. As times go, decidedly an 

 acquisition to the bright scarlet class. 



Dr. Frampton. — A beautiful model of a flower, white ground, but 

 edged deeply with rosy purple ; one of the very best forms we possess, 

 as good as the Dahlia King, and without its fault of reflexing. Under 

 medium size as grown near London. 



Sir F. Thesigcr. — A lovely rose, of fine form, beautiful outline, 

 and good face; shown variously, and sometimes indifferent, but on some 

 occasions unexceptionable : it is not the colour of our other roses, but 

 richer, and a medium size. 



Bob. — A scarlet of abundant stuff, good outline, and symmetrical ; 

 centre very solid, but a little sunk. A flower to all appearance de- 

 sirable among the dense red. 



Sir Richard Whittington. — A remarkable colour, clarety purple; 

 a fine model, but rather coarse in the petals ; centre better than the 

 average, and outline good. For a new colour, as well as a better than 

 average shape, desirable. 



