150 THE CHRYSANTHEMUM 



of the opulent with their autumnal beauties, that now 

 vie with the China Aster in variety of color glory." 



Among other peculiar modes of culture resorted to 

 by Chinese gardeners in Chrysanthemum culture is the 

 engrafting of cuttings on to a strong-growing species 

 of Artemisia (^4.. Indica) as a stock. The idea of 

 grafting is suggestive, as some of the more delicate 

 rooting kinds might be grown by being grafted or 

 inarched upon rooted cuttings or sucker stocks of a 

 robust, strong-rooting character. Some may think this 

 idea impracticable, but Chinese gardeners rarely take 

 any special trouble in plant culture without a sound 

 reason for so doing. One reason why grafting might 

 be useful is that by its means new sports might, in all 

 probability, be obtained. Fortune tells us of the beauty 

 of the Chrysanthemum in oriental gardens, and how 

 banks of gorgeous blooms are illuminated at night 

 with lanterns, and even gigantic effigies are made up 

 entirely of their lovely flowers. 



The first Chrysanthemum that ever flowered in 

 England bloomed in Colville's nursery, in the King's 

 Road, Chelsea, in 1795, the plant having been obtained 

 originally from M. Cels, the celebrated nurseryman of 

 Paris. At this time, and for some little time afterward, 

 botanists could not agree as to its botanical position; 

 some of them contended that it was one of the 

 Camomiles (Anthemis), while others declared that it 

 was unmistakably a Pyrethrum or Feverfew, but at last 

 it was decided that it should be called Chrysanthemum, 

 from "chrysos," gold or golden, and "anthos," a flower. 

 Sabine, who was Secretary to the Horticultural Society 

 at the beginning of the present century, says, however, 

 that Chrysanthemums had been grown in Holland 

 nearly as far back as the year 1688 ; but, singular to say, 

 in 1821, no gardener in Holland knew anything of 



