THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 33 



vatovy decoration, remaining longer in bloom, and extending oft- 

 times to "January's front severe." 



Among Chrysanthemums the Japanese class stands foremost 

 because of its great size, richness of coloring, and the general 

 effectiveness of its flowers ; and it is beyond all question the 

 most popular and useful of all classes. The flowers vary greatly 

 in form, and, with perhaps some few exceptions, the plants are of 

 vigorous growth, with broad foliage, stout stems, and large 

 flowers ; and it may be that they are more easily grown than any 

 of the other classes. 



The Incurved class produces flowers whose petals are bent 

 inward toward the points, presenting the appearance of a more 

 or less perfect ball or sphere. It was the first distinct class 

 obtained, and although it is ver}^ beautiful, the blossoms in the 

 mass are not so thoroughly effective as the Japanese, lacking, 

 as they do, the richness and great variety of the coloring. They 

 are, also, more delicate, and certainly more troublesome to 

 manage, than are the Japanese. 



In the Reflexed class the flowers are not as large and showy as 

 in some others, yet they are beautifully formed. The petals are 

 reflexed or curved downwards, and overlap each other with the 

 greatest regularity, and the coloring is very soft, delicate, and 

 rich. The whole class are excellent growers, the plants bushy 

 and branching, and they are most prolific in blossoms. They are 

 splendidly adapted to open-air culture. 



Of most of the Pompon class, as you all well know, the flowers 

 in general are insignificant in size, although some, which are 

 known as " Hybrid Pompons,'' are comparatively large. 



The early, or what may be known as the summer-flowering, 

 Chrysanthemums form a somewhat varied, but none the less a 

 most useful class. The blossoms of several of the earliest flower- 

 ing group are no larger than those of the smallest Pompons, 

 while their growth is but very little more than a foot in height. 

 From these the flowers range in size up to those of Madame Des- 

 grange, William Holmes, etc., which are only slightly smaller 

 than some of the Japanese flowers, and the plants increase up to 

 three feet or four feet in height. As a result of hybridization 

 between the two classes the early-flowering kinds run quite imper- 

 ceptibly into the Japanese, the connecting links being found in 

 such varieties as ]\[adame Desgrange and its sports ; Mile. 



