A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 



121 



The dawn of a new era, the chief, according to my opinion, in 

 the history of the Chrysanthemum, occurred in 1861. Mr. Fortune 

 during his second visit to the Far East sent home seven varieties 

 of new Japanese Chrysanthemums to Mr. Standish, of Bagshot. 

 They were exhibited at the Koyal Horticultural Society in the 

 autumn of that year, without, however, finding very great favour 

 in the eyes of the growers. Their season of flowering was rather 

 later than those of the same kind now, and for a time they gave 

 no signs of increasing in numbers to any appreciable extent. 

 Eleven years after their introduction, according to Mr. Adam 

 Forsyth's catalogue, there were but thirty-five sorts obtainable, a 

 striking contrast to the lists of 1889. What surprises are in store 

 for us in the near future no one can tell, but I venture to predict 

 there will be many, for the remarkable extension of Chrysanthe- 

 mum-growing in all parts of the globe must inevitably lead to 

 much that we can scarcely conceive. In America vast strides 

 are annually being made, and already growers like Dr. H. P. 

 Walcott, Mr. Thorpe, Mr. Spaulding, Mr. Fewkes, Mr. Waterer, 

 and others have become famous by either importing or raising 

 new and varied sorts. In Belgium the famous flower has been 

 taken up with great enthusiasm, the movement having been led 

 in the first instance by the Royal Agricultural and Botanical 

 Society of Ghent three years ago. France, with men like Simon 

 Delaux, Louis Lacroix, Dr. Audiguier, M. de Reydellet, M. 

 Boucharlat, and many other raisers of recent date, has long been 

 foremost as the native country of more than half of our leading 

 exhibition flowers, and now even her great rival, the German 

 Empire, is beginning to feel the throes of Chrysanthemum ex- 

 citement. 



It would not be just to conclude a paper of this description 

 without making a passing mention of English raisers. They 

 have as yet taken but a few steps upon the road, but the results 

 are promising in the highest degree ; Messrs. Cannell, Laing, 

 and Stevens have so recently as the last three or four years 

 given us a foretaste of many floral joys to come. 



