CHAPTER XII. 



SEEDLINGS AND SPORTS 



Before entering the details of this subject let us consider some of the 

 natural conditions which have more or less influence upon our results. 

 Dame nature says the chrysanthemum shall be single and reproduce itself 

 from seed, so in producing these marvelous flowers with almost countless 

 petals we are working in direct opposition to her laws. 



In some of our improved varieties we are prevented from making fur- 

 ther improvements owing to the pistils or styles being abortive; and in 

 others the staminate florets provide little or no pollen. 



In cross-fertilization the operator's desire is to improve the chief char- 

 acteristics, such as color, size, form and fullness. It is beyond all human 

 power to obtain exact results in uniting or mixing the colors of petals. 

 1*011011 of a white flower applied to a red may give red, white, or any inter- 

 mediate shades which would be many varieties of pink. The union of red 

 and yellow gives similar results, producing red, yellow and all the inter- 

 mediate shades of brown and tan. We have more assurance when varie- 

 ties of the same colors are crossed. Improvements in colors can only be 

 attained by bearing in mind the laws of nature in making these unions. 



The chrysanthemum has a great tendency to revert to its antecedents. 

 Hence it is we get many strangers when two of the same color are crossed. 

 The variety, Mrs. J. J. Glessner, yellow, came from Edward Hatch and 

 Mrs. J. Jones, both white or nearly so. This seedling partook of the 

 parentage of Ed. Hatch which was Gloriosum, yellow, and Ada Spaulding, 

 pink. 



Form, size and fullness are improved only by careful consideration 

 of these qualifications in varieties at our disposal. We are more certain 

 of advancement in the style of growth, securing those which are dwarf 

 and sturdy by confining our operations to such as possess these qualities. 



Large and small foliage can be produced by using those having these 

 peculiarities. 



What governs the potency of the pistillate and staminate parent we 

 cannot determine. We are dealing with minute affairs. The stigma may 

 scarcely have reached maturity when the pollen is applied, or the pollen 

 may be past its prime with the stigma at the height of development, These 

 varied conditions may have their influence upon establishing the char- 

 acter of the seedling. 



In selecting varieties for this work the two classes for consideration 

 are those for exhibition and commercial use. In the former, size is the 

 most important factor if the other qualifications are up to the average. 

 The commercial grower requires staple colors, and the purer the color the 

 better. Size, form, fullness and style of growth are important and should 

 be taken into consideration. 



Seed Plants Our experience leads us to believe that single stem 

 plants in 4-inch pots grown naturally without an abundance of nourish- 

 ment are best suited for this purpose. They produce less ray florets, hence 



