PREPARING BLOOMS FOR EXHIBITION 49 



so, on a green board, just huge mounds of petals, a very 

 insult to nature. 



This method was introduced at the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society's Meetings some years ago, when held at 

 the Old Drill Hall, but it failed to be taken up by 

 Chrysanthemum Societies at the time. The blooms I 

 saw there had been cut with stems from 12 to 1 8 inches 

 or more in leiigth. These were set up in plain stone 

 jars, three blooms to each jar in varieties, the larger 

 blooms, both incurved and Japanese, were arranged at 

 the back, and the smaller blooms on shorter stems to the 

 front. Between the jars was arranged a groundwork of 

 small ferns in pots and other dwarf plants, the whole 

 arrangement being decidedly pleasing. Neither the 

 blooms of Japanese or incurves seemed at all lost in the 

 arrangement, and looked as natural as if growing on 

 the plants. 



Another point worth noting too is, one is able to 

 ascertain better the general character of a flower, and 

 how it would appear on its plant, when shown with its 

 own foliage. 



WHAT CONSTITUTES A GOOD BLOOM 



There are so many points to be taken into considera- 

 tion, as to the qualities of a bloom, that it is difficult to 

 pronounce what one would consider the most essential 

 one. 



Size goes a long way with many, but this is of little 

 avail when being judged, if there are no other redeeming 

 features to back it up. A bloom must be large without 

 coarseness, evenly balanced, and shapely, nearly as much 

 in depth as in diameter, of good colour, not the least bit 

 stale, the petals must be uniform in size, not ragged, 

 but crisp and clean, and the colour must be clear and 

 deep, not thin and washy, nor uneven in tone. These 



