26 



The Florists' Review 



Mabch 19, 1914. 



SlNaLE CHBTSANTHEMUMS. 



Comparatively Becent Introductions. 



Single mums were known and grown 

 to a greater or less extent as far back 

 as twenty years ago. They were, how- 

 ever, largely classed as weeds and only 

 handled by "cranks" who wanted 

 something different. 



In 1904 a collection was imported 

 from England, where the growers had 

 been steadily improving the type. After 

 two years of testing, some twenty or 

 more varieties were exhibited at the 

 fall shows of 1906 and attracted a 

 great deal of attention. About thirty 

 varieties were distributed to the trade 

 in America in the spring of 1907, and 

 some of these varieties are still largely 

 grown. Among the yellows are Preto- 

 ria, Kitty Bourne and Golden Star; the 

 last named has not been beaten yet as 

 a late yellow, for the color is extremely 

 handsome. J. F. Angus, Ladysmith and 

 Mrs. E. Boberts, among the pinks, are 

 still grown extensively, while Mary 

 Bichardson is still holding its own as 

 one of the best of the reddish-salmon 

 colors. In 1908 there were distributed 

 thirty-six additional imported varieties 

 from Europe. These included Katie 

 Covell, Gracie Lambert, Guy Westlake 

 and Miss Irene Cragg among the best. 



Exhibited at National Flower Show. 



In the fall of 1908 the first National 

 Flower Show was held in Chicago and 

 at this exhibition the American-raised 

 singles became popular for the first 

 time. Alois Frey and James Livingston 

 each staged a large collection. The 

 type of the American single, however, 

 was by no means fixed, as anemones and 

 singles were all staged together without 

 much regard for the type. The best of 

 the anemones were sent out by Elmer 

 D. Smith. 



W. W. Kennedy, at Bed Bank, N. J., 

 had also raised a large batch of Ameri- 

 can singles, one of which, at least, Anna 

 Spangle, is a standard in Europe today 

 and about the best late white grown 

 there. 



In 1909 were sent out twelve novel- 

 ties, the best of which, perhaps, was 

 H. 8. Bevins, a handsome crimson. 



The introductions of 1910 were a 

 great improvement over all previous 

 varieties. This was the year of the 

 introduction of Sylvia Slade, a lovely 

 rose-pink, with a pure white zone 

 around the center. It has never been 

 beaten, so far as striking attractive- 

 ness is concerned. Laurie Hearn showed 

 much the sanle color, and Merstham 

 Jewel in its color, terra-cotta, is still 

 the best thing we have. 



The novelties for 1911 included Crim- 

 ■ son Mary Bichardson, Margaret Totty, 

 Hilda Wells and Merstham White. It 

 was at this time that the singles were 

 becoming a feature in the cut flower 

 market, and it speedily developed that 



the tall, weak-stemmed flowers would 

 have to be eliminated before singles 

 could hold their own in the cut flOwer 

 market, as one of the chief character- 

 istics of a commercial variety is, of 

 course, a stiff stem. It was also shown 

 that the single row of petals was not 

 enough to give the flowers texture and 

 stability enough to enable them to be 

 shipped any distance without getting 

 crushed. The singles suffered a tempo- 

 rary setback on this account and it 

 was not thought they would ever take 

 the place of pompons or even be a 

 serious competitor to them. 



The Novelties of 1912. 



The 1912 list of novelties comprised, 

 among others, W. Buckingham, which is 

 a beautiful, stiff-petaled pink, and will 



Chrvsantbemum Lorna Dando. 



(A fine early variety but not enoush petalage to 

 use as a shipping flower.) 



be grown this year perhaps more than 

 any other variety; Mrs. Sam Nash, Miss 

 May Thorn, Ceddie Mason and Miss 

 Mary Pope, all splendid additions in 

 the set of novelty singles for that year. 

 In the fall of 1912 varieties which had 

 been disbudded to a certain extent in 

 order to increase their texture and size 

 were displayed at the exhibitions and 

 created a sensation wherever shown. 

 Josephine, when disbudded, produced a 

 flower six inches across, and it was a 

 far cry from these varieties to the in- 



troductions of eight years previous. 

 Mensa more than bore out the promise 

 of its youth and was exhibited at the 

 fall shows of 1913 in better condition 

 than any other variety. 



It is safe to say that the interest in 

 singles is much greater today than it 

 has ever been. We have developed a 

 type that can be shipped anywhere,, 

 having three, and in many cases four,, 

 rows of petals, which give the flower 

 substance and enable it to come out of 

 the box in good condition; also, by 

 practicing disbudding to a certain ex- 

 tent, the size of the individual flower 

 is greatly increased and the color is- 

 much improved. 



Great Improvement in Type. 



At the last fall show, at Cleveland,, 

 my entries were disqualified because the 

 flowers were not single, but semi-dou- 

 ble. Without criticism of the judges'" 

 ideas, which, strictly and technically 

 speaking, were right, there is no ques- 

 tion that the single of the future must 

 be, if not semi-double, at least a wide 

 departure from the primitive type with 

 a single row of petals around the disk. 

 Again, it will be found that the singles,, 

 if planted in a bench and liberally fed,, 

 as one would feed large flowered mums,, 

 will improve so much that they will 

 hardly be recognized with the same- 

 variety grown under less favorable 

 conditions. 



The flower garden composed of group* 

 of singles in pots which was exhibited 

 at the Madison, N. J., show, showed 

 the wonderful adaptability of singles 

 for decorative effects. B. B. Burge,. 

 which I consider the finest single that 

 has ever been raised, was a prominent 

 feature in this collection. Another of 

 this year's introductions is Golden 

 Mensa, which is having a wonderful 

 sale on its parent's record. 



Tjrpes Are Often Confused. 



Many people seem to be unable tO' 

 differentiate between the types of mums 

 and class singles with hardy pompons- 

 and anemones. The ideal present-day 

 single that will be grown extensively 

 for commercial purposes is perfect in 

 outline, in most cases as round as a 

 coin. The center disk is prominent 

 and well defined, and the flower has 

 three or four rows of petals. Call them 

 single, call them semi-double, call them 

 what you will — they are the type that 

 will predominate in the market for the 

 next few years. 



Singles should never be confused 

 with anemones. Some catalogues in- 

 clude Garza in the list of singles. Garza 

 belongs in the anemone class, and while 

 it has had a phenomenal run as a mar- 

 ket flower, I consider singles much bet- 

 ter, because Garza, with its single row 

 of stiff petals standing out from it& 

 anemone center, biraises quite easily 

 unless carefully handled. The purity of 

 Garza's color has been considered it» 



