July 23, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
61 
mum as an autumn flower, and of making it take so prominent a posi¬ 
tion in the early days of its history. 
This disdainful treatment by the French, however, was not 
entirely universal, for a Hons. Noisette, who visited this country in 
1824, was presented with the twenty-seven varieties from the garden 
of the Horticultural Society, and a list of them was attemoted to be 
given in the “Bon Jardinier” for 1825. Another, a distinguished lover 
of horticulture, who, having thrown down the sword for the spade 
and water-can, had grown the Chrysanthemum for some few years 
prior to that date. This gentleman, the now celebrated Captain 
Bernet, whose residence was situated in the south of France, speaking 
of his collection in 1826 tells us it comprised only three varieties. 
To his pen we are indebted for a very interesting account of his 
success in raising the Chrysanthemum from seed, and as he was with¬ 
out doubt the first man in Europe to do so his story will probably be 
read with some little interest. 
The author is not aware that it has ever yet appeared in English, 
and it was called forth by the fact of Mons. Rouillard having in a 
report read by him before the Societe Nationale d’Horticulture de la 
Seine stated that the climate of France would not allow of the 
Chrysanthemum producing fertile seed, which is sufficiently disproved 
by the large number of new sorts distributed by the French raisers 
during the past ten or fifteen years, and that to overcome this obstacle 
several of the French florists had been compelled to have recourse to 
growers in Spain and Italy. But, says Captain Bernet, “ I assert that 
at all times this plant has borne seed in the south of France,” and 
referring to his collection in the autumn of 1826 he observes that 
when his plants were going out of bloom they were the object of his 
sole anxiety, although he felt convinced that he would get some good 
seed from them. 
“ What, then,” exclaims the gallant Captain, “was my joy, mingled, 
I acknowledge, with no little surprise, when in taking hold of one of 
their withered heads I found myself the happy possessor of several 
seeds bearing all the signs of perfect maturity and undoubted fertility. 
My good fortune was kept entirely to myself, but my most assiduous 
and attentive care was given not only to the seed-bearing plants, but 
to the seeds themselves, which in the spring of 1827 I carefully sowed 
with a success quite equal to my expectations, as a result of which 
I was rewarded with the raising of several fine varieties.” 
Encouraged by his first success, which attached him more and more 
to his favourite plants, he saw his collection annually increase by the 
addition of new kinds of the greatest merit. 
Three years after this event an experienced nurseryman got pos¬ 
session of an entire set of the Captain’s new Chrysanthemums, and 
propagated them for sale. Thus it was from 1880 to 1836 that his 
novelties were circulated and forwarded to the plant dealers in Paris 
and abroad. 
There is scarcely any need to continue Captain Bernet’s narration 
beyond observing that it concludes with the statement that after this 
he adopted the practice of sending to his nephew in Paris seeds and 
plants, and through him entered into arrangements with Mr. Salter at 
Versailles, and later on with such well-known florists as Mons. Pelee 
and Mons. Miellez. At the end Captain Bernet adds a list of those 
varieties which he obtained during the first two years of his devotion 
to his favourite pastime, which is reprinted here more as a matter of 
curiosity than as being of any use at the present time :—Rose Croix, 
Due d’Albufern, Annibal, Marechal Maison, Reine Blanche, Due de 
Dantzick, Casimir Perier, Marechal de Crequi, Charlotte Corday, 
J. J. Rousseau, Georges Sands, Le Grand Napoleon, Baronne de Stael, 
Princesse Pauline, Due de Trevise, General Foy, Buffon, Madame 
de Pompadour, Pygmalion, Bossuet, Socrate, Marechal Lannes, 
Fiechier, General Lamarque, Phenix, Salamandre, Chateaubriand. 
During the course of his success nothing appears to have caused 
so great an annoyance as to find that there were even in those days 
unscrupulous people who resorted to the practice of changing the 
names of some of his greatest favourites. His nephew says that 
there were even some of his seedlings which, instead of the names 
attached by him out of various precious considerations, had had 
English names substituted. 
This was mainly done for the purpose of enhancing their value 
from a commercial point of view. It is a practice that cannot be too 
strongly condemned, and has been denounced on more than one 
occasion by indignant growers, who have found themselves duped 
when too late to escape from the evil. 
As the subject of double-named or synonymous Chrysanthemums 
has been touched upon, it will perhaps be handy for the amateur 
grower to be made acquainted with those he is most likely to meet 
with at the present. The following is based on the list published by 
Mr. N. Davis of Camberwell, with a few additions from the Naiional 
Chrysanthemum Society’s catalogue and other sources :— 
Proper Name. Synonym. 
Albert de Naurois .Albert. 
Angelina .President Sanderson. 
Proper Name. 
Synonym. 
Arigena . 
... Inner Temple. 
Beethoven . 
... St. Patrick. 
Boule d’Argent . 
... Silver Ball. 
Christine (White) . 
... Mrs. Forsyth. 
Comte da Moray . 
... Purple Pompon. 
Delphine Caboohe . 
... Miquillon. 
Dr. Rozas . 
... Dr. Rogers, Dr. Rossa. 
Blaine. 
.. Mrs. Marsham. 
Elise . 
... Eliza. 
Emperor of China . 
... Webb’s Queen. 
Flamme de Punch . 
... Punch. 
Fleur de Marie. 
... George Hock and Mr. Cole. 
Gloire de France . 
... La France. 
Golden Empress of India ... 
... Bruce Findlay. 
Golden Circle. 
... Golden St. Tha's. 
Golden Eagle. 
... Orange Perfection. 
Golden George Glenny 
... Mrs. Dixon. 
... 
... Mrs. C. H. Glover. 
Golden Mdlle. Marthe 
... Miss Oubridge. 
Golden Queen of England ... 
... Emily Dale. 
Jeanne Delaux. 
... F. A. Davis. 
John Salter . 
... Mr. Howe. 
La Frisure . 
... Early Rose Queen. 
L’Africaine . 
... George Gordon. 
Le Chinois 
... Chinaman. 
L’Or du Rhin. 
... Golden Rhin’. 
La Bienvenue ... 
... J. Hillier. 
Little Bob . 
... Scarlet Gem. 
»» ••• **• *•* 
Mabel Ward . 
... Dr. Duval. 
... Bendigo. 
Mdlle. Augustine Gautheut... 
... Augustine. " • ■ * 
Madame Bertier Rendatler ... 
... Curiosity. 
Madame Castex Desgrange ... 
... Maize. 
M. Dsveille . 
... E. C. Juk°s. 
Mottled Beverley . 
... Rotundiflorum. 
Mrs. Huffington . 
... Alderley. 
Mrs Sharpe . 
... Incognito. 
Miss Marcheaux . 
... Thurza. 
Miss Mary Morgan . 
... Pink Perfection. 
Marguerite de Coi . 
... Defiance. 
Nanum. 
... Sistou. 
Oliver C omwell 
... Mr. Evans. 
Princess Imperial . 
... Lord Alcester. 
„ of Tech . 
... Christmas Number and Prinees* 
Mary. 
„ of Wales . 
... Beauty of St. John’s Wood and 
Princess Alexandra. 
President Dicaisne . 
... Mr. Murray and President. 
Queen of England . 
... Blush Queen of England. 
. 
... Striped Queen of England. 
St. Mary . 
... Souvenir d’un Ami. 
Source Japonaise . 
... R. Ballantine. 
Souvenir d’Amsterdam 
... Amsterdam. 
Soleil Levant. 
... L’lnfante d’Espagne. 
Striatum . 
... Album Striatum. 
St. Crouts . 
... Saddington. 
j} ... ... 
... Pollion. 
T. icolor. 
... Mr. J. Starling. 
White Queen of England ... 
... Snowball, Mrs. Cunningham, Em¬ 
press of India, Lady St. Clair. 
By way of conclusion to this chapter it may be remarked that the 
French Chrysanthemum growers are still very proud of the achieve¬ 
ments of “ the father of the Chrysanthemum ” as he is called, anil 
there still remain many of his varieties in commerce among the col¬ 
lections of their nurserymen and amateurs, probably more on his 
account than for their own value and beauty as flowers. 
To the English they are mostly, if not entirely, unknown, and 
there are none now left in any of the trade catalogues issued in this 
country. Those still surviving in France of Captain Bernei’s, which 
are taken from the catalogue of a florist who claims to be the grand¬ 
son of Captain Bernet's old gardener are Cardinal de Polignac, 
Genius, Mammoth, Princesse Marie Amelie, Reine Bacchanal, General 
Pajol, Brissot, Emile Lebois, Gloire de Toulouse, Due de Broglie, 
Temple de Salomon, Arc en Ciel, Anai's, Sixte Quint, Bernetianum, 
Figaro, and Grand Napoleon—the only one out of his first set that 
seems to be left. 
Continuing the story of the early endeavours in France to improve 
the Chrysanthemum by raising seedlings, it has been somewhat vainly 
asserted that had it not been for Mons. Bernet’s zeal in that direction ., 
and in spite of the rapid progress that was made in contemporary 
horticulture, the Chrysanthemum would in all probability have re¬ 
mained in its primitive state. To this opinion the objection naturally 
arises, that whatever the French might have thought and done inde¬ 
pendently of Mons. Bernet’s efforts, it is certain that the Chrysanthe¬ 
mum had caused so great a stir in England that the numerous impor¬ 
tations and sports would sooner or later have caused the florists of 
this country to consider and devise a means by which seedlings could 
be raised. 
With what might or might not have been it is not the authors 
intention to deal. Accomplished facts, or rather the most important 
of them in the history of this plant, is all that can be touched upon 
in the narrow compass of a treatise like this. 
