CHRYSANTHEMUMS ON THE CONTINENT. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

 CHRYSANTHEMUMS ON THE CONTINENT. 



Up to the present there are not many chrysanthemums 

 grown abroad on the three-large-flowers-on-a-plant prin- 

 ciple. The bush system is mostly in vogue. But before I 

 say much about the foreign methods I must offer my 

 readers a little explanation. In the first place, I felt that 

 to visit some of the best growers abroad with whom I 

 transact business would enlighten me as to what they 

 considered the essential! points of a good chrysanthemum 

 points worthy in their estimation of a certificate because 

 we annually import an enormous quantity which are not 

 up to our standard. Tastes and climate differ, as we all 

 know, and what may be considered good across the 

 Channel may not be suitable to our climate ; or again, a 

 bloom which is prized as a lovely colour there may not be 

 just the fancy here. 



It goes without saying, I think, that our greatest liking 

 is for large, graceful flowers, whilst Continental growers 

 make bush plants their chief aim. As all experienced 

 fanciers must know, the large show varieties are not 

 always adapted for bush plants. Hence some disappoint- 

 ments. But there are other marked differences besides 

 the system of cultivation adopted. Our Continental friends 

 do not exhibit their flowers on boards ; such blooms as are 

 exhibited in a cut state are shown in bottles, with a foot 

 or so of stem and foliage. A single stem is inserted in 

 a bottle, and the bottles are then pllunged into beds of 

 sand or light earth. These beds are all turfed round, and 

 each exhibitor's collection forms a flower garden. It must 

 entail an enormous lot o>f work and forethought to arrange 

 such exhibitions. 



ms at the Paris Exhibition. 



The chrysanthemum show at the great exhibition held 

 in Paris in 1900 was very fine, and what struck visitors 



