ITS HISTORY AND PROGRESS 3 



only rariety that has played so important a part in the 

 evolution of the flower, can be ascertained by the fact 

 that if some of our finest and largest blooms be used for 

 seed purposes, we shall find that many of the seedlings 

 have reverted back in form and colour to the original 

 C. indicum. 



At what period the Chrysanthemum was introduced 

 into Japan from China in a cultivated form is not known, 

 or may be the Japanese obtained certain semi-wild forms 

 from China or Corea and so worked up a race of their 

 own. 



In no other country in any part of the world is the 

 Chrysanthemum held with such esteem and reverence as 

 in Japan. 



The flower is used as their national coat of arms. It 

 has been engraved on the swords of the reigning 

 Mikados, and we find examples in colour on their 

 beautiful pottery ware, some of which may be seen in 

 South Kensington Museum and other places. Only re- 

 cently the Emperor of Japan conferred the Grand Order 

 of the Chrysanthemum on one of our Royal Princes, in 

 acknowledgment of a similar compliment paid him 

 by King Edward VII., who had deputed the Prince to 

 invest the Emperor with the Order of the Garter, as a 

 signal of friendship and goodwill. 



Also the most popular fete in Japan is held on 

 Chrysanthemum Day, which falls in the ninth month of 

 the year. The people on that day throw petals of 

 the flower into their " saki " before drinking, as they 

 believe it portends good luck and happiness and has 

 the power of dispelling evil. 



Not until the year 1789 was the first advent of the 

 Chrysanthemum into Europe from the Far East authen- 

 tically recorded. In that year a M. Blancard intro- 

 duced three plants to his native town, Marseilles. 

 These were regarded at the time as large - flowering 



