284 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
In 1869 ' Soeur Melaine ' was introduced. Many of us know this 
variety, and quite recently I saw it growing. 
' Madame Castix Desgranges ' was introduced a few years later, 
in 1873 or 1874, and it and its sports are still grown and, I believe, 
sent to market, though I doubt the wisdom of this, seeing the number 
of better varieties we now have. This variety, however, established the 
popularity of the early Border Chrysanthemum, and after its appear- 
ance we soon began to get others of the large-flowering or Japanese 
type. 
The Masse family was another notable introduction, and ' Madame 
Marie Masse ' and its sports are still grown in hundreds of thousands, 
both for cut flowers and in small pots for decorative purposes. 
This family gave us a greater range of colour in the larger-flowering 
type than heretofore and added greatly to the interest in the flower. 
It is since its introduction that the greatest strides have been made in 
the colour and type of flower and in the habit of the plant. Naturally, 
different raisers are striving after different ideals, and whilst some 
endeavour to get varieties of close, compact habit for the embellish- 
ment of the garden, others, chiefly growers of cut flowers for market, 
prefer good strikingly coloured varieties on fairly long stiff stems, 
which, when disbudded, give blooms of from four to six inches in 
diameter or quantities of good light spray flowers after the type of 
' Roi des Blancs.' 
One other type of the flower which I have so far failed to mention 
is the early-flowering single. This is, I believe, of a much later intro- 
duction, very few varieties, if any, being introduced before 1900, and it 
is to our late friend W. Wells of Merstham that we are indebted 
for many of the better varieties. In one season alone he planted 
out 20,000 seedlings, thus showing his great interest and enthusiasm 
for the new type of flower ; and, though I cannot say that I prefer 
it to the Pompon and Japanese types for outdoor cultivation, 
there are many varieties that are bright and effective in the garden, 
and as they yield an abundance of bloom they are most useful for 
decorative purposes in the house. Where they really fail is that they 
do not pack well, the single or double rows of florets being somewhat 
easily damaged, and thus their beauty is spoiled and their sphere of 
usefulness limited. 
This very brief resume of the history of the flower is quite sufficient 
to show that the plant has been developing in this country for well 
over half a century. Though the Pompon was the original, we now 
have three distinct types, Pompons, Japanese, and Singles, all of 
which are useful, and when we consider that by their aid we can 
prolong by a month or two the displays of bright flowers in our beds 
and borders, and also secure large quantities of cut flowers for the 
decoration of the home up to the end of October, such plants deserve 
more than ordinary consideration. 
The several ways in which these Border Chrysanthemums can 
be utilized are well worth a word or two. They will grow in any kind 
