December, 1914 



THE CANADIAN HOETICULTURIST 



287 



feeding, and absolutely mildew-proof. 

 Ulrich Brunner, red, a good grower, and 

 proof against mildew and black shot. 

 The varieties of the hybrid perpetual sec- 

 tion mentioned I consider to be the best 



for any purpose. The majority of them 

 are a distinct advance on some of the 

 older varieties, although the colors are 

 in some cases almost the same. All are 

 perfectly hardy. 



The Charm of the Chrysanthemum 



B, C. Tillctt, Hamilton, Ont. 



MANY years ago the chrysanthe- 

 mum, or 'mums, as they are 

 sometimes called for brevity's 

 sake, was but an inconspicuous flower of 

 the wilderness. Its native home, as 

 most people are doubtless aware, is in 

 China and Japan. In those countries its 

 history can be traced back for two hun- 

 dred years. Its arrival on the American 

 continent is of comparatively recent date. 

 It is recorded that it was first exhibited 

 in New York some twenty-five years ago. 

 The chrysanthemum ranks in popular- 

 ity next to the rose and the dahlia, but 

 it is in a class by itself. It comes at a 

 season of the year when outdoor flowers 

 are becoming scarce, and that gives it 

 an added charm. Then again, it comes 

 in endless variety of beauty and color, 

 each combatting with the other for su- 

 premacy. 



Another reason, especially among 

 amateurs, that tends to make the chry- 

 santhemum a favorite, is that the plant 

 arrives at maturity very quickly. We 

 nan sow our seeds and cut our blooms 

 the same year, and by propagation from 

 cuttings, an operation easy to perform, 

 we can have all the plants we please the 

 following year. There is, too, always 

 the possibility with the chrysanthemum 

 seed that something new may be dis- 

 covered. In the United States, seed- 

 raising took hold long ago of many pro- 

 fessional growers, seed being imported 

 from the Far East, and then growers 

 started to raise their own seed and to 

 make crosses. In Europe, novelties 

 were soon hit upon, and the visitor to 

 the great exhibitions there was always 

 alighting upon some new variety in size 

 or color, though nothing has been actu- 

 ally accomplished in the way of new 

 forms. The blooms, compared with 

 those of fifty years ago, show a greater 

 delicacy or more graceful finish, especi- 

 ally with the incurved variety. This is 

 the outcome of elaborate care on the 

 part of expert exhibitors. The size of 

 I he blooms has also been greatly in- 

 creased . 



It is perhaps in the matter of color that 

 the chrysanthemum holds its greatest at- 

 tra<;tions. It may be we are more criti- 

 cal of color than were our forefathers, 

 and certainly this generous flower teaches 

 us the value and dignity of mass treat- 

 ment as does no other flower I know of. 

 At the same time, a single bloom is large 

 enough in itself to be an attraction. 



Man)' of us will remember the sensa- 

 tion caused at the Chrysanthemum Euro- 

 pean Centenary held in London in 1889, 

 by the enormous blooms exhibited that 

 year, which were then considered the 

 acme in the matter of size ; and yet such 

 blooms have since been surpassed over 

 and over again. Time was when we had 

 great blooms on great tall stalks six 

 and eight feet high. Now stalks have 

 become shorter, but the blooms con- 

 tinue to increase in size. 



Of course, the exhibition bloom is an 

 artificial production brought about by 

 a laborious system of cultivation and 

 training of both plant and bloom. Left 

 to itself to grow in its natural state, the 

 plant will produce a profusion of blooms, 

 but they will be small, oh account of the 

 many branches.. The fewer branches, 

 the larger the blooms. 



On some future occasion I hope to 

 discuss the methods of cultivation, and 

 to give some practical hints on how to 

 obtain the best blooms ; but, of course, 

 spring is the time when cultivatiort com- 

 mences, and that is some way off. When 

 the blooms are reaching maturity, we 

 must watch the varying degrees of hu- 



midity and sunshine. With chrysanthe- 

 mum blooms the greatest danger is their 

 getting mouldy through dampness. This 

 has to be carefully safeguarded against. 

 To prevent this, however, it is only ne- 

 cessary to maintain an even temperature 

 in the greenhouse day and night. 



It adds much to the enjoyment of a 

 visit to the shows if one has some know- 

 ledge of the different kinds of chrysan- 

 themums ; that is, their classification. 

 The principal divisions are into the large 

 flowering kinds and the pompon, the 

 blooms of the latter measuring hardly an 

 inch across. Dealing with the larger 

 flowering kinds, they may be divided in- 

 to Chinese and Japanese ; not that there 

 is any national distinction, but because 

 those blooms which are of irregular 

 form, that is, having the petals twisted 

 in and out of each other in any direction, 

 are called Japanese, whilst those having 

 closely-knitted petals, incurved, with 

 smooth, regular surface and form, are 

 called Chinese. The Chinese type is 

 more commonly seen on this continent, 

 and is known as the incurved . These, 

 then, are the two principal groups — "In- 

 curved" and "Japanese." The Pompon 

 is a small flowering and hardier kind, 

 with flowers hardly an inch across. The 

 "Single" may be likened to a daisy. 

 Its petals range around a central disc. 

 In the "Anemone," the ray florets are 

 seen largely developed, regular and stiff, 

 and the central or disc florets more pro- 

 nounced than in the case of the "Single." 





■'■r,..:.^ ' ^1. 



Climbing Rotes and Larkspur in the Garden of Mr. J. H. Bennett, Barrie, Ont., who last 

 m3nth was 'Re-elected President of the OntarioSHorticuItural Association. 



