44 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



CHAPTER IV 

 JAPANESE CHRYSANTHEMUMS 



I HAVE no knowledge of any plant that responds better to 

 good cultivation than the Japanese Chrysanthemum. As 

 I have said already, present-day growers have advantages 

 that cultivators did not possess a quarter of a century ago, 

 for they have many more varieties of better habit that 

 produce larger flowers. 



Whether the Chrysanthemum as an exhibition flower 

 is declining in popular favour or not is doubtful ; many ex- 

 hibitions are not now supported by exhibitors as they were 

 formerly, but local shows are more numerous, and these 

 are supported probably at the expense of the larger ones. 

 The prizes have decreased in value, and the expenses of 

 getting the flowers to the shows have increased insomuch 

 that the expenses absorb a great proportion of the prize 

 money. In these circumstances, if a grower has not a 

 good chance of getting a good place in the prize list he 

 stays at home and supports the local show to the detriment 

 of the larger shows. It may be said with good reason that 

 the vase classes at the bigger shows have tended some- 

 what to decrease competition, but notwithstanding this fact 

 there is greater general interest in Chrysanthemums now 

 than at any previous time. 



In the cultivation of any plant for exhibition it is 

 imperative to do everything possible to attain the object 



