Ornamentals. 



41 



in the annals of horticulture it is not by any means of mean 

 importance. Up to that date the dahlia was unknown in 

 Europe, the Moutan paeony had not been brought from China, 

 and the chrysanthemum was still only known to the florist of 

 the period as a decorative subject frequently employed by the 

 Chinese artist on his tapestry and ornamental papers. Dur- 

 ing that eventful year a Monsieur Pierre Blancard, a mer- 

 chant of Marseilles, introduced from China three varieties 

 of chrysanthemums, one with white flowers, the second with 

 violet flowers, and the third with purple. The last only was 

 he successful in preserving, and there is no record of his ever 

 having attempted any subsequent importations. The next 

 year several plants of this purple-flowered chrysanthemum 

 were sent over to England." This variety, known as the 

 "Kiku" — which is the Japanese name for chrysanthemum — 

 is represented, reduced, in fig. 1. 



The first chrysanthemum seedlings appear to have been 

 raised by M. Bernet, of Toulouse, France. The seeds were 

 sown in 1826. He subsequently produced many varieties, 

 and they attained to considerable popularity for the period. 

 "None of these are now grown in this country," says Mr. 

 Payne, "for they belonged to a type long since discarded by 

 English growers, who for a long run of years refused to be 

 content with anything short of a strictly symmetrical globular 

 incurved flower as an exhibition subject. Some, however, of 

 these early seedlings bore resemblance to the reflexed class, 

 and there is good ground for believing that Christine, Temple 

 of Solomon, and Chevelier Domage, still cultivated by lovers 

 of that class, were the product of M. Bernet' s seed-bed." 

 About 1835 the first English seedlings appeared, and in 1836 

 a Jersey Island gardener began the origination of new varieties, 

 and he obtained some 500 seedlings in a short time. This 

 success stimulated English gardeners, and from this date 

 numerous new sorts have appeared. The first pompon ap- 

 peared in 1846. 



§ 2. CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. BY EDWIN LONSDALE, CHESTNUT 

 HILL, PHILADELPHIA. 



Chrysanthemum culture in this country dates back but a 

 few years. The first show held in Philadelphia, worthy of the 

 name, took place no longer ago than 1883 or 1884; and al- 



