THE CULTURE OF THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 



Japan's Favourite Flower* 



Mr. Robert Fortune, a gentleman who had travelled a 

 great deal in China and Japan, found that everywhere the 

 chrysanthemum seemed to be the favourite flower. He de- 

 scribed how in 1860 he saw for the first time those peculiar 

 forms of the flower which are cultivated in Japanese 

 gardens. At Yedo, where the finest kinds were grown, 

 and where he procured about thirty different varieties, 

 he discovered that many of them had their blossoms most 

 curiously and remarkably formed. The colours, which were 

 brilliant and very unusual, were altogether distinct from 

 those he had met with in China. Out of the thirty varieties 

 only about twelve or fifteen were brought to England 

 "alive," and from one or more of these Mr. John Salter, 

 of Hammersmith, seems to have saved some seed. From 

 this seed Mr. Saflter raised a large number of new kinds 

 of chrysanthemums differing in form and colour from those 

 from which the seeds were saved, but similar to those 

 which were lost on the way home to England from Japan. 

 The result does not seem to have been obtained by hybridis- 

 ing, for the simple reason that the pollen of the kinds pro- 

 duced couild not have been obtained in Europe. Mr. Fortune 

 declared that if one was in possession of one variety only 

 it might be made to reproduce all the varieties in cultiva- 

 tion from whence it came, and that flowers would be pro- 

 duced not only different in colour from the parent, but 

 entirely different in form also. 



Between 1830 and 1850 several varieties were raised from 

 seed saved in England and France. Amongst the latter 

 were the welil-known Christine and Chevalier Domage, and 

 in 1848 there appears to have been an anemone flowered 

 variety called Nancy de Lermet w'hite tinged with blue. 

 And ever since then the real blue chrysanthemum has been 

 more a matter of conversation than of fact. But this may 

 come yet. Who at one time would have thought of seeing 

 a green chrysanthemum, especially in a sport, and after- 

 wards as a seedling? Then why not a blue chrysanthe- 

 mum? But this is by the way. 



