248 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



December 13, 1906. 



SALABILITY OF MUMS. 



The production of chrysanthemums 

 this season has been the greatest on 

 record; also the season has been peculiar 

 in that with many growers chrysanthe- 

 mums were later than usual and the 

 blooming seasons of many varieties 

 seemed sadly mixed: the early sorts 

 were late and in many instances the 

 late sorts bloomed before the midseason 

 ones were ready. The result has been 

 that, generally speaking, the chrysan- 

 themum season has been short; it was 

 late in beginning and early finished. 



Growers make widely varying reports 

 as to the financial results of their 

 chrysanthemum crops. Those who were 

 fortunate in having early mums obtained 

 splendid prices in practically every 

 market throughout the country. As the 

 midseason sorts came on the supply 

 naturally forced prices down and at the 

 time of the glut values were fully as 

 low as in any previous year; in fact, in 

 many markets it is asserted that during' 

 the height of the season the average 

 prices were the lowest in some years. 

 But the glut was of shorter duration 

 than usual, and as soon as supplies 

 shortened up prices advanced, particu- 

 larly on such stock as could be called 

 good, though a large part of the late 

 stuff is not usable in the best trade. 

 The late cut has again realized fair 

 values and those who have good flowers 

 coming on up to Christmas may rest 

 assured of satisfactory returns. 



The lesson which growers may learn 

 from this season's experience is that 

 the effort should be toward procuring 

 early cuts of desirable quality and 

 toward procuring late sorts to bloom 

 after the midseason glut is over. There 

 is no money in mums when they are 

 being marketed by the million. 



VMTE MAUD DEAN. 



The accompanying illustration is from 

 a photograph of a vase of chrysanthe- 

 mums which is a white sport of that 

 splendid commercial variety, Maud Dean. 

 We are aware that Dean has sported in 

 other places, and an excellent authority 

 tells us of two firms which sent out 

 white sports of this famous variety. But 

 are sports always identical! "We believe 

 not necessarily so. Note how widely 

 different are the sports of our two lead- 

 ing florists' flowers, the rose and carna- 

 tion. The two greatest roses of the 

 day, by far the most commercially im- 

 portant, are each sports, having come 

 from that fine rose, Catherine Mermet. 

 You will remember that previous to the 

 advent of Bridesmaid there were at least 

 two pink sports from Catherine Mermet, 

 which were largely tried and found want- 

 ing and dropped into the rubbish pile. 

 Then from Bridesmaid came the glorious 

 Bride. Then again from Mme. Cusin 

 came Mrs. Morgan and Canadian Queen, 



very dissimilar. Then from the same 

 carnation we have a great variety of 

 sports, the Lawson in particular, and 

 later that grand variety. Enchantress, 

 has given us many varieties. We have 

 used the term sport because it is brief 

 and generally understood, but the im- 

 mortal Charles Darwin in his book, 

 "Plants and Animals Under Domestica- 

 tion," terms what we gardeners call a 

 sport a bud variation, which sports truly 

 are. It is true that bud variations 

 usually differ little from the stock from 

 which they came except in one important 

 feature, and that is color, which is im- 

 portant to a florist, but of little value 

 to the naturalist. In judging a horse or 



from which it came. It is as easy to 

 grow; it will bear two or even three 

 good flowers to one plant; it can be 

 planted early or late and possesses the 

 neat foliage, flne stem and all-round 

 excellent habit of old Maud Dean. 



Some of the flowers in the photograph 

 show the eye and in this sport there is 

 a faint shade of pink surrounding the 

 eye at the base of the petals, but when 

 given time to incurve its petals, showing 

 no eye, it is a pure white flower. The 

 highest character we can give it is found 

 in the fact that our best customers or 

 admirers of the chrysanthemum, who are 

 willing to pay $4 or $5 a dozen for good 

 flowers, pass by Eaton, Chadwick, Jones 



Scott's White Sport of Maud Dean. 



cow, a dog or fancy fowls, all points of 

 the breed are considered of more value 

 than color. 



In the case of this white Maud Dean, 

 what better character would you want 

 for it than to know that except in color 

 it is identical with the famous variety 



and other fine whites and choose this 

 white sport. It originated with the Wm. 

 Scott Co. four years ago, but not until 

 last year did we realize its great value, 

 because we did not have enough to let 

 a few dozen come to their genuine 

 perfection. William Scott. 



