November 22, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



489 



gurated three years ago in Madison Square Garden, seem to 

 have spread to all parts of the country, and, no doubt, are one 

 of the most satisfactory features of our exhibitions under 

 present conditions. They are attractive to the general public, 

 while they present the best chances for competition among the 

 principal growers, as they require at most only a dozen varie- 

 ties, and these in masses of from six to twenty-four, quantities 

 in which there are many to compete. It seems almost incredi- 

 ble even to one perfectly familiar with the vigorous growing 

 capacity of the Chrysanthemum that such flowers as are ex- 

 hibited in such abundance should be worked out of June cut- 

 tings. The flowers in the large vases at the New York Show 

 this year were noticeably a better average than before exhib- 

 ited — good foliage, sturdy stems, and well-colored and firm 

 well-finished flowers. Here, and in other cities, as pictures 

 show, one could criticise only the depth of flower, the point 

 which demonstrates the best skill of the grower. That we do not 

 get flowers of the greatest possible depth is probably owing to 

 the quick system of culture which now obtains. 



As usual in New York of late, the single blooms in variety 

 were divided between the boards and the jars. It is difficult to 

 see the utility or beauty of the latter devices, as the aesthetic 

 side is a minor consideration in exhibiting cut flowers of Chrys- 

 anthemum, except when massed for decoration, as in large 

 vases. If the reader will examine a specimen exhibition bloom, 

 even with a long stem and perfect foUage, he m ust conclude that, 

 however perfect it may be as a work of nature and art, it is of no 

 special use by itself. Add two more and you have a fine dec- 

 oration, which is made a superb one with half a dozen or a 

 dozen of the same variety. Now, while it is all proper when 

 one asks a premium for a new variety, to compel him to show 

 stems and foliage, I do not see why the same conditions should 

 be annexed to a show of blooms of varieties of which every 

 one knows the habit. It is no great trick to grow good foliage 

 under glass, and it is often done only too well, even to rank- 

 ness. It seems to me that when blooms are to be exhibited 

 for prizes, the exhibitor should be allowed to show them as 

 they will show best for points, and this is on boards. Of course, 

 these are judged only for the quality of the flower, which is the 

 material question. I have seen scales of points for judging 

 Chrysanthemums where a foliage counted as much as depth, 

 and this does not seem a premium on skill. Some varieties do 

 best on crown-buds. What chance would perfect blooms of 

 these have under the foliage test ? 



Furthermore, as a mere matter of taste, I decline to admit 

 that a lot of short-stemmed sample flowers, wobbling in 

 glasses, has any advantage in beauty over specimens well set 

 on boards. It will be said, perhaps, that we exhibit Roses 

 Carnations, etc., with their own foliage, and why not Chrysan- 

 themums ? The only difference is that we do not exhibit the 

 former as single flowers, and even should we so show Roses, 

 the preponderance of flower over foliage is not so very great 

 as to render the latter insignificant in comparison as is the 

 case with the Chrysanthemum. Perhaps some one may say that 

 these artificial conditions give a quite incorrect impression of 

 the Chrysanthemum as a flower and a flowering plant. Well, 

 I do not know where any one could gain a more incorrect 

 idea of the Chrysanthemum than at a Chrysanthemum 

 show. The whole thing is out of perspective, one-sided and 

 mostly artificial. This must be so from the nature of the case, 

 as only the flowers grown in glass houses enter into competi- 

 tion, and within this valuable space only special kinds are grown 

 andshown, leaving hundreds of beautiful forms quite unrepre- 

 sented and unknown. This is one defect of a Chrysanthemum 

 show which it is scarcely possible to remedy, and will always 

 detract from its educational value. Those who have grown 

 the Chrysanthemum in many varieties under less luxurious 

 treatment know that this wonderful plant has phases missed 

 altogether by those who know it only under artificial conditions. 



Much as the shows and competitions are enjoyed, none of 

 the flowers please me so much as those which are still 

 swaying on their own stems in the crisp November air in shel- 

 tered places. In the open they have a free and joyous air all in 

 character with their development as children of the autumn, 



Elizabeth, N. J. J. N. Gerard. 



Exhibitions. 



The Chicago Chrysanthemum Show. 



'X'HE World's Fair Chrysanthemum Show was held in the 

 -•■ new Art Building on the lake-front, four large rooms and 

 two corridors being used for the exhibits, while theentrance hall 

 was decorated with the plants grown by the World's Fair De- 

 partment of Floriculture. Divided up in this way, the magni- 



tude of the show could not be realized, and the flowers were 

 less impressive than if they had been massed in one large 

 room. But it is the best and the biggest flower-show yet held 

 in the west, and the general opinion is that it compares favor- 

 ably in point of size and of the quality of cut flowers with the 

 eastern exhibitions. It is weak in specimen plants, only very 

 ordinary ones being shown. 



As shown here. The Queen takes first rank among the white 

 varieties, exhibited for tiie first time in 1892, taking more pre- 

 miums than any other Chrysanthemum, but Niveus shows up 

 well, and W. G. Newett is even better than last year. In pinks, 

 W. N. Rudd is as good as it was last year, and so is Princess. 

 President Smith, shown by Sievers, of California, in 1892, and 

 by Peter Henderson & Co. in 1893, under the name ot Good 

 Gracious, proves a fine exhibition bloom, but is not spoken of 

 highly as a commercial flower. Dr. John H. Taylor is better 

 than in 1892. Judge Hoitt, which marked a great improve- 

 ment in the Anemone section, is shown in excellent torm. 



Of the yellow varieties, Mrs. Craig Lippincott leads, and 

 Golden Wedding, although reported as weak in many loca- 

 tions, has sustained its high standard of last year. The crimson 

 Joey Hill is immense in size and of good form. Among bronze 

 varieties, Redondo leads, and Robert Mclnnes is almost as 

 good. Among the European varieties of 1892, L'Entant des 

 Deux Mondes, a cream-white flower of the Mrs. Hardy type, 

 and Charles Davis both attract much attention, and Robert 

 Owen is excellent. 



The interest culminated in " Medal Day," when theseedlings 

 were shown — all the premiums awarded on November 7th 

 being Columbian medals and diplomas, except the sweepstake 

 prize of one hundred dollars for the " best seedling not yet 

 disseminated." This was won by Challenge, grown by E. G. 

 Hill, Richmond, Indiana, a chrome-yellow flower of enormous 

 depth and fullness — a compact mass of incurved petals. It is 

 said to keep indefinitely, and seems to have all the requisites 

 of the standard commercial Chrysanthemum. A special award 

 was given in the same class to a white variety from J. H. 

 Sievers, of CaUlornia. The specimens sent had been cut at least 

 six days when put on exhibition, but the variety seems to have 

 great merit, being a perfect bah of curling, cream-white petals, 

 and when fresh it must be as beautiful as it is unusual. Eugene 

 Dailledouze, also grown by Mr. Hill, took the premium for the 

 best yellow, and Major Bonnaftbn, grown by F. Dorner&Sons, 

 Latayette, Indiana, received a special award in the same class! 

 Eugene Dailledouze is a rich golden-yellow flower, the outside 

 and inside of its broad, deeply hollowed, sharply incurved 

 petals being of the same vivid and beautiful golden hue. It 

 has kept as well as any flower on the tables, and is said to be 

 as handsome when fully open as in its earlier stage, there be- 

 ing ample fullness to keep the centre good during' the life of 

 the flower. Major Bonnaffon is nearly globular in shape, sim- 

 ilar to Challenge, but of finer texture, and not quite so firrn and 

 full, a lovely straw-color, with more finish in form and purity 

 of color than either of the other two yellow prize-winners. 

 Marie Louise, grown by A. Witterstaeder, Sedansville, Ohio' 

 took the premium for the best white ; Mrs. Potter Palmer, an 

 open incurved variety of pleasing shade, from F. S. Waltz, 

 Cincinnati, Ohio, for the best pink ; Brigand, entered by 

 Thomas Spaulding, Orange, New Jersey, tor the best crimson ; 

 and an unnamed variety, grown by Vaughan, Cliicago, for the 

 best bronze. Inter-Ocean, an exquisite faint pink flower of 

 pearly texture ot the Viviand Morel type, grown by Hill, took 

 tlie premium for the best of "any other color," and a special 

 award was given in the same class to Pitcher & Manda, a 

 flower of unusual shape and remarkable coloring, grown by 

 the firm whose name it bears. In shape and size it is like a 

 medium-sized double annual Sunflower, but of finer texture, 

 and it is evenly shaded, from straw-color in the centre to white 

 at the border. It is a great novelty and attracted much atten- 

 tion, but has weak stems. A medal was awarded to Charles 

 Davis, the European variety sometimes spoken of as the 

 Golden Viviand Morel, as being of special merit. 



Four other seedlings, all grown by Mr. Hill, that are highly 

 spoken of, are Mrs. H. W. Higginbotham, a broad-petaled, open 

 incurved pink flower, nine inches in diameter, said to be very 

 desirable, but past its prime when the show opened. Louise 

 D. Black, which is distinct inform, being almost a perfect ball, 

 but of a dull color, somewhat on the order of Autumn Glow ; 

 Abraham Lincoln, a well-built Chrysanthemum of distinct and 

 unusual type, and in color cream-white, suft'used with lemon, 

 its marked characteristic being the odd shape of its florets, 

 each one being almost a fac-simile in size and shape of a Salvia- 

 blossom ; and Bronze Giant, a very deep bronze incurved 

 globular flower, said to be of great promise. 

 Chicago, III. Fanny Copley Seavey. 



