116 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ago. Indeed, T'ao-ming-yang subsequently had many admirers 

 and successors, five of whom published catalogues of their floral 

 favourites, in one case over one hundred and sixty varieties being 

 mentioned. Thus it may be assumed that the Chrysanthemums 

 known then were flowers of some little importance and worthy 

 of the designation of florist's flowers. 



In Japan from time immemorial this plant has always been 

 held in honour. A single variety in heraldic form is used as 

 the national arms and official seal. The most popular fete is 

 Chrysanthemum Day, and the people throw petals of the flower 

 into their saki before drinking, in the belief that it is a potent 

 charm against evil. 



Both in China and Japan the Chrysanthemum appears pro- 

 fusely illustrated, and in the twelfth century of our era the swords 

 of the reigning Mikado were decorated with designs of the 

 flower. To those interested in the artistic features of the Chrys- 

 anthemum, the Oriental collections of pottery and paintings at 

 the British Museum and South Kensington Museum offer ample 

 opportunities. 



Among the European botanical writers, Dr. Jacob Breynius 

 in 1689 first described, in his "Prodromus Plantarum Rariorum," 

 the object of our delight to-day. He called it Matricaria jajponica 

 maxima, giving a list of six varieties which were stated to be 

 growing in Holland at the time he wrote. It is on this account 

 that some people consider the year 1889 as the bi-centenary of 

 the Chrysanthemum ; but it is a matter of curiosity that the 

 varieties mentioned by Breynius soon passed out of existence, and 

 that when the event which is the cause of this meeting occurred, 

 the Dutch gardeners were absolutely in ignorance as to anything 

 concerning them. 



Other authors of repute, such as Rheede, Plukenet, Ktempfer, 

 Rumphius, Thunberg, Loureiro, and many more besides, unite 

 in testifying to the beauty of the Chrysanthemum. They dif- 

 fered materially in the name, and do not in any case allude to it 

 other than as a foreign flower which they had heard of or seen in 

 their travels. Breynius, therefore, up to this point is the only 

 one who describes it as being in cultivation in Europe. 



Mr. Sabine, the Secretary of this Society sixty years ago, 

 has left behind him much interesting historical information. 

 We learn from him that in the year 1764 a small-flowering 



