CHAPTER XLII 



SECOND WEEK IN NOVEMBER 



THE queen of the autumn now reigns, and many are 

 the courts she holds throughout the land, rejoicing 

 our eyes with the rich and varied colours of her robes. 



But it is to be feared that the chrysanthemum is suffering 

 under the great popularity it possesses., for the enormous 

 blooms to be seen in the shows are often overfed, and the 

 plant which produces them becomes weakly in constitution, 

 refusing to produce good cuttings, and eventually decaying, 

 after its one bloom has reached an abnormal size. Per- 

 sonally, I must confess to a disinclination to measure the 

 beauty of a flower by its diameter. Many a blossom of 

 moderate dimensions but of exquisite colouring and shape is 

 disqualified and neglected because it refuses to extend its 

 petals to the required measurement ; and this is surely a 

 serious mistake, for size does not always make for elegance, 

 but rather tends to coarseness. 



Those who are content with an abundance of flowers of 

 moderate size, however, may easily obtain them, for chrys- 

 anthemums are hardy plants, and can be grown in the open 

 air (the earlier flowering varieties in the border, and those 

 which flower later in pots), so that the blooms (which alone 

 appear to object to the effects of frost) may not be injured 

 by it, for the slight shelter of a verandah, a cool greenhouse, 

 or a porch will be sufficient for them. The cultivators of 

 these plants find it necessary to grow a number of them in a 

 natural way in order to keep up a supply of healthy cuttings, 

 and these should be taken when about 2 inches long, being 

 sturdy and strong, and having appeared at a slight distance 



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