Chap. VII. 



THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 



125 



in a green and healthy state, the specimens never 

 have that bare and broom-headed appearance which 

 they often present in England when they are taken 

 into the greenhouse in winter. 



About Shanghae and Ning-po the chrysanthemum 

 is still better managed than it is near Canton ; but 

 the success which attends it may be attributed, partly 

 at least, to the more favourable nature of the climate, 

 the plant being indigenous to the central or more 

 northern parts of the empire. The system of culti- 

 vation is nearly the same — the main points attended 

 to being those which have been noticed, namely, 

 choosing a rich soil, planting at once into large pots, 

 training to a single stem, and inducing it to send 

 out numerous laterals, and giving liberal supplies of 

 manure- water during the growing season. The Chi- 

 nese are fond of having very large blooms, and, in 

 order to obtain these, they generally pick off all the 

 small flower-buds. 



In China, as in England, the chrysanthemum 

 flowers during the winter months. When in bloom 

 it is in great request among the people, and is used 

 in the decoration of court-yards, halls, and temples. 

 It is everybody's plant, and blooms alike in the 

 garden of the lowly Chinese cottager and in that of 

 the red-buttoned mandarin. 



Although we are indebted to China for the parents 

 of those varieties of chrysanthemums which now 

 enliven our gardens during the dull months of winter, 

 yet, strange to say, the progeny is more numerous in 

 Europe than in China itself. Some of those beautiful 



