CHAPTER XIV 



Sports 



A .large number of good Chrysanthemums have 

 originated as "sports." This term, is of rather obscure 

 meaning to the average person in its application to 

 flowers, although perfectly well understood by horticul- 

 turists. A Chrysanthemum or any other flower is said 

 to "sport" when it produces a flower totally different 

 in color, and sometimes in form as well, from the 

 original. For example, a pure white flower may appear 

 upon a Chrysanthemum that naturally produces pink 

 flowers a white one may sport into a yellow. Such 

 variations from the type are often decided acquisitions, 

 and an effort is usually made to fix the "sport/' or, 

 in other words, to obtain from the shoot that produced 

 the flower, plants that will continue the variation and 

 give similar flowers. A "sport," therefore, is the dis- 

 tinguishing term applied to a Chrysanthemum that has 

 been obtained through a natural variation of some 

 existing variety. It is in every respect a new Chrysan- 

 themum, and in merit usually equals, and in some cases 

 even surpasses, the variety that gave it birth. When a 

 new variety is therefore cataloged as a "sport" from some 

 specified kind, a knowledge of the parent is a fairly 

 safe index as to the probable merit of the progeny. 

 To cite a few instances, Glory of the Pacific, a pink 

 variety, gave rise to Polly Rose, white, and Cremo, 

 yellow; Viviand Morel produced Charles Davis, Lady 

 Hanham and Mrs. J. Ritson; Mme. Carnot gave Mrs. 

 W. Mease and G. Wermig; Nellie Pockett sported into 



