THE EARLY-FLOWERING CHRYSANTHEMUM. 



427 



middle of October at the latest. Reputed early varieties were men- 

 tioned so long ago as 1821-2, but, as Mr. Harman Payne points out, 

 these terms were relative only, and there is no indication of the plants 

 being in flower before November. It is interesting to note that in 

 the year 1817 the Royal Horticultural Society offered rewards " for 

 particular instruction on the growing of Chinese Chrysanthemums in 

 England, so that they might be induced to produce their flowers early 

 and well." 



According to Mr. Harman Payne, who writes with authority, a 

 Pompon variety was introduced from China about 1846, and this 

 became the basis upon which the French raisers carried on their great 

 work. It is said that in 1850 a French grower had some varieties 

 which bloomed in August, but it is not until 18-52 that any trace of the 

 Early-flowering Chrysanthemum appears in this country. Another 

 authority says that the first of this section was raised in 1853 by a 

 Mons. Pel£, and sold by him to a London nurseryman for £20. In 

 the year 1858 one of the leading English growers wrote an article 

 on " Summer-flowering Pompons," and gave a list of some thirteen 

 varieties, while the late Mr. Shirley Hibberd about the same time 

 mentions some twenty varieties, mostly French raised. In 1865 

 several varieties are named which keep up the succession of bloom 

 from June till October. It has been said that the variety grown under 

 the name of ' Little Bob ' has been in cultivation for a very long time, 

 but growers differ as to the date of its introduction. The late Mr. 

 Piercy said that its real name was 'Dr. Bois Duval,' but it had been 

 re-named* Scarlet Gem.' I am informed that the name 'Little Bob' 

 was given to it in 1878 by the late Mr. Henry Cannell. So far 

 varieties with small flowers only had been introduced and the origin of 

 some of them is wrapped in mystery, owing to a want of system in 

 their distribution. ' St. Crouts ' came into Mr. Piercy 's hands from 

 Guernsey in 1878, but it is believed to have been raised in France. 

 'Lyon/ ' Madame Jolivart,' and 'La Vierge ' were sent out in 1881, and 

 the first of these by Lemoine. 'Blushing Bride ' came to Mr. Norman 

 Davis, I believe, in 1885, in what is described by Mr. Piercy as 

 "a lot of rubbish from France. ' ' ' Piercy 's Seedling ' was raised by 

 Mr. Piercy from a packet of seed saved by Mr. Thorpe of New 

 York, and ' Golden Shah ' by the late Mr. T. S. Ware. 



The first of the large-flowered or Japanese varieties is said to have 

 been raised by M. Boucharlat of Lyons, and sent out by him 

 about 1875-6. It is suggested that ' Madame C. Desgranges ' was 

 raised by this grower, but Mr. Norman Davis is rather sceptical on 

 the point because' Madame C. Desgranges,' to his knowledge, came into 

 this country in 1876 or 1877 as a gratis plant from M. Lemoine, and 

 M. Boucharlat did not list it until some ten years later. Another 

 writer says that it was discovered in a garden in Wales in j.8yg. What- 

 ever be its history, it was an excellent variety in its day, and gave 

 such sports as'Gustave Wermig,' 'Mrs. Burrell,' and 'Mrs. Hawkins,' 

 varieties also of equal importance. This marked quite a new era in 



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