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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of the Chrysanthemum no one will, I think, deny. Shorter, 

 sturdier growth — something that brings the flower more natu- 

 rally within the vision of the human eye, without the necessity 

 of either steps to climb up to the heights, or of placing the pots 

 as it were down in the cellar. Here is abundant scope for the 

 skill of the most enthusiastic for, I venture to say, many, many 

 years to come. 



I should be glad also if some of you would turn your atten- 

 tion a little more to the production of a few more hardy garden 

 sorts — sorts that can better withstand our slight November frosts 

 and our by no means slight November damps and fogs. Anyone 

 who will, as our American cousins say, "prospect " in thisdirec- 

 tion will earn the thanks of those thousands and thousands who 

 are every year getting to love and appreciate flowers more and 

 more, but who have not the means to erect glass-houses in which 

 to grow or bloom them, and whose cottages and houses are con- 

 sequently at this time of year bare, or almost bare, of the 

 brightening, cheering presence of a nosegay, and destitute of that 

 refining, elevating, purifying influence which we gardeners at 

 least believe all flowers exert. 



Many of you, I know, will not agree with the only other point 

 that I shall mention ; still, if I have to say anything, I do like to 

 say just what I think ; and that is, that in the cultivation of the 

 Chrysanthemum too much stress is nowadays laid on size — 

 mere size. You would not surely dream of determining the 

 beauty of a woman by her size or weight ! Much less should you 

 do so with flowers. A monster potato, or a monster onion, or a 

 gigantic vegetable of any other sort, may have some merit in the 

 cook's eyes, as giving her less trouble to wash and peel, — but in 

 her eyes alone, for never did you find anyone who did not think 

 that one of more moderate, or even of actually small size, was 

 vastly superior in flavour. I don't think I shall ever forget how, 

 when I was gazing last year in rapt astonishment at some of 

 the mighty Chrysanthemums at the Aquarium, a countryman 

 pointing at one of the huge incurved blooms, said to his wife, 

 " Did ye ever see such a big un now ? Why it looks for all the 

 world, missus, like one o' your gert (great) big apple-doomplins." 

 A too big flower, believe me, is far less beautiful than a too small 

 one; you can place two together, but you cannot conveniently 

 cut one in halves. 



