October 16, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
327 
S CARCELY has the bustle of the fruit season subsided when 
attention is turned to the floral favourite of autumn—the 
Chrysanthemum, and active preparations are in progress for a still 
'busier period. With a renewed and ever-increasing pleasure our 
•eastern friend is welcomed, especially in towns, and it is difficult 
to imagine now what the horticultural November would be 
without the attractions it provides. It is not surprising that 
societies and shows devoted to the Chrysanthemum flourish and 
increase, for the plant stands without a rival in regard to the 
time of year when its flowers brighten our gardens, houses, or 
exhibitions. Comparisons are said to be odious, but the Chrys¬ 
anthemum has often been compared with the Rose in popularity 
and variety, and has been generally entitled “ The Autumn Queen” 
with good reason ; but had the Chrysanthemum produced its 
flowers in June and July it would never have attained its present 
position in public favour, and would have ranked far below the 
acknowledged queen of summer—the Rose. Happily there is no 
need for rivalry, and we must be thankful to have the dullest and 
most depressing month in the year rendered bright and busy by 
the beauties and interest of Chrysanthemums in their numerous 
variations of form and colour. 
Ample reason exists for the continued popularity of the Chrys¬ 
anthemum in the fact just mentioned, and we find the number of 
societies concerned with it steadily increasing annually. There 
are not less than 100 societies in Great Britain now devoted to 
the encouragement of cultivators of the plant, and if to these are 
added the societies being formed in the Colonies, on the Continent, 
and in the United States (the latter of which are advancing 
rapidly), the total would probably be more than doubled. It is 
satisfactory, too, to observe that the majority of the shows held 
by these societies in our own country are well supported, and as 
regards the more important displays the attendance is considerably 
larger than is obtained at summer shows. Examples of this have 
been afforded both in the north and the south—at Hull and Ports¬ 
mouth, where 10,000 persons have been admitted during the three 
days of the respective exhibitions. This is encouraging alike to 
the officials connected with the societies and to the exhibitors, 
and, moreover, a useful public service is being performed in 
drawing attention to so accommodating a plant for towns. 
The increase of societies and the liberal prizes offered for plants 
and cut blooms, have done much to stimulate the culture of Chrys¬ 
anthemums, for it has afforded many growers an opportunity to 
recover a portion of the expenses incurred in the production of 
exhibition specimens. Competition, too, excites a keener interest, 
and induces further efforts on the part of the defeated ones, thus 
tending to materially advance the cultivation. The result is that 
as the growers become more numerous every year the general 
system of culture improves, and the competition becomes keener 
at ail the principal shows where the most substantial prizes are 
offered. It is not uncommon to find ten or twelve exhibitors in one 
cut bloom class now, when ten years ago it would have been difficult 
to secure three ; in some cases indeed as many as twenty have 
staged in one class where only four prizes were offered. This 
leaves no chance for inferior productions, and the average 
character of cultivation has in consequence been raised far 
above that of a few years since. Perhaps there is some 
No, 538,—Vol. XXI., Third Series. 
truth in the statement that advance in size of bloom has been 
more marked than improvement in quality, but it applies with 
greater force to the incurved than to the Japanese. It is much 
more difficult to combine the two characters of size and quality 
in the former than in the latter, and unusually large incurved 
blooms are very apt to be coarse and deficient in the refinement 
so essential to their perfect representation. It must be admitted 
as a fact, which all florists will deplore, that the incurved varie¬ 
ties of Chrysanthemums are not advancing in the same degree as 
the Japanese, indeed it appears that some decadence has occurred. 
This can be partially explained by the consideration of two or 
three matters, one being that the Japanese are more easily grown 
to fair condition, they are more reliable, there are more varieties 
to select from, and they afford a greater range of colour variation. 
With so many qualities to recommend them it is not surprising 
that the Japanese Chrysanthemums have advanced so rapidly in 
public favour, outdistancing their older rivals. 
This brings us to the consideration of an important matter 
outside all exhibition interests, and that is the value of the Chrys¬ 
anthemum in nearly all its types for decorative purposes in con¬ 
servatories or for homes. This has helped the Japanese varieties 
greatly, as they are of conspicuous value for grouping or general 
decoration, either as plants or cut blooms, and the demand of recent 
years has increased in this way so enormously that the importance 
of an easily secured supply at a dull season cannot be over¬ 
estimated. The uncommon and fantastic forms of the Japanese 
have rendered them favourites with many, and the general bright¬ 
ness of moderate-sized blooms better adapts them for ordinary 
floral decoration than most of the other sections. An exception 
must, however, be made of the single varieties, which are charming 
for vases and stands in almost any position, but they are not yet 
fully appreciated either by cultivators for home displays or by 
exhibitors, and it is regretable that some of the societies do not 
give more encouragement to these varieties. I have seen stands of 
the “singles” set up both on the exhibition and private tables with 
the best possible results, the gracefulness of the flowers and their 
soft colours eminently fitting them for the work. 
The season which will commence in the course of another 
fortnight will be an unusually busy one for all who are concerned 
with societies and shows, and many intending competitors are 
anxiously watching the progress of their plants and blooms. Much 
after success will depend upon the weather experienced in the 
next week or two, and cultivators are in some degree at the mercy 
of the elements. The season up to the past month was not 
satisfactory, the prevalence of wet sunless days tending to excessive, 
succulent, immature growth, by no means calculated to give good 
results. Happily the weeks of bright sunshine we have now had 
have aided greatly in correcting former evil influences, and the 
growth has ripened admirably in most cases. Judging by the 
collections that have come under my observation and by letters 
received from many correspondents, the tendency is, or rather was, 
to a somewhat late flowering, but this prospect has been changed 
as regards some of the hardy growers in the south by the high 
day temperatures experienced recently. Fearing a sudden severe 
frost in such clear weather many have hastened to house their 
plants, and the effect of a summer sun has been to forward the 
bloom buds rapidly. A continuation of this warm weather for 
another week or two will considerably disturb the calculations of 
several would-be exhibitors. 
It is most difficult to generalise in such matters, however, and 
an example of this was afforded by a journey last week amongst a 
few of the noted Chrysanthemum gardens. In two establishments 
particularly, three or four miles apart, in the same county, and 
equally well situated, a great difference was noted in what may be 
termed “ the time ” of the buds. One series of plants could not 
have been less than a fortnight later than the other, if left unaided 
by special attention, but while in one case the grower will do his 
No. 2194.— Yol. LXXXIIL, Old Series. 
