Smith's Chrysanthemum 

 Manual 



CHAPTER L 



HISTORY 



The deriviation of the word Chrysanthemum is from the Greek words 

 Chrysos, gold and Aiithemom, a flower. It is not easy to say how long 

 the Chrysanthemum has been known to mankind, but undoubtedly over 

 2,000 years have elapsed since it was first known in the Celestial -Empire. 



In Japan its cultivation can be traced back over 700 years. Breynius, 

 in 10)89, was the first European to mention the Chrysanthemum under the 

 name of Matricaria Japonica Maxima. M. Pierre Louis Blancard intro- 

 duced the first large flowering varieties into England in 1789, and the 

 following year they were flowered and named. Mr. John Sailer was one 

 of the earliest English hybridizers, and produced many wonderful varieties 

 from 1838 to 1848. 



As near as can be ascertained, they were introduced into America 

 about the year 1847: Dr. H. P. Walcott is credited as being the first per- 

 son in this country to raise new varieties from seed, which he did as early 

 as 1879. The work of hybridization was taken up by Win. K. Harris and 

 Joiin Thorpe early in the SO's. 



Their efforts were crowned with great success, both originating many 

 new and startling varieties. These results were incentive to others until 

 the zenith was reached in 1894, when 163 new varieties were offered for 

 sale, many of which were inferior to those then in commerce. This condi- 

 tion caused many to be skeptical, doubting the merits of the so-called 

 novelties, until fully tested. 



In the meantime, John Thorpe had conceived the idea of organizing 

 a society to protect the interests and also promote the development of this 

 flower which was fast gaining popularity. In 1890, at Buffalo, the organi- 

 zation now known as the Chrysanthemum Society of America was es- 

 tablished. In 1894 this Society appointed committees composed of ex- 

 perts to meet during the following season at Chicago, Cincinnati, Phila- 

 delphia, New York and Boston, to inspect seedlings and sports. These 



