1891.] ADDRESS. 35 



the lady's slipper, and of so many other forms of animate and 

 inanimate nature — with its rich and varied colors, its delicious 

 perfumes, has grown by such leaps and bounds, that its distinct 

 varieties now comprise according to diflferent authorities from 

 3,000 to 6,000. Of tiie rose ; out of about one hundred botani- 

 cal species collected from every known habitable portion of the 

 earth's surface, Dr. Lindley has made eleven distinct types or 

 tribes to which all belong. From this material, horticultural art 

 has been able to increase the list of varieties to an almost limit- 

 less extent. Some of the recent new varieties surpass in ele- 

 gance not only any production of a generation ago, but anything 

 that existed in the wildest dreams of the amateur. 



But the flower which of all others has made the most mar- 

 vellous development, and stands perhaps highest to-day in popu- 

 lar favor, is the chrysanthemum. Although its origin dates 

 back, or perhaps it would be more correct to say its existence has 

 been known several hundred years, the centenary of its introduc- 

 tion into England was celebrated only a year ago. Most of the 

 Japanese varieties were introduced into England within twenty- 

 five years, and into this country still later. 



It can be recalled early in the history of this Society as an 

 odorless, white or purple flower, imperfect in shape, insignificant 

 in size. At our last November exhibition it had culminated in 

 blooms which rival the rose in beauty and to some of which 

 science has already lent a perfumed breath. In size, the blooms 

 of certain varieties have reached the almost incredible measure- 

 ment of twelve inches in diameter. 



Some of the most unique varieties have been obtained from 

 the Canary Islands, Madeira, Barbary, China and Japan. In 

 tliose features which distinguish one tribe or species from another 

 there is no flower perhaps except the orchid more strongly 

 marked ; and these tribes or species take their name from these 

 distinctive features, as, for example, the Incurved, the Ranun- 

 culus flowered, the Recurved or Reflex-flowered, the Anemone 

 or quilled, the Aster-flowered, the Pompone, the small reflexed 

 Chusan, the Daisy-flowered, the quill or Pin-feathered Japanese 

 and the large-flowered Japanese. Like the rose, also, the varieties 

 produced from these species are almost innumerable. At a 



