182 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 22, 1890. 
not only philosophers, poets, divines, scholars, but 
men who were not statesmen and philosophers, but 
only plain, good, simple English florists, who loved 
their flowers and laboured for them. The catalogue of 
their society brought to his mind memories—recalled 
the faces of George Taylor, Samuel Broom, John 
Salter, Robert Fortune, and Wm. Holmes, and it was 
the flower that enabled him to know the nature of their 
fine humanity. He sometimes imagined that when 
John Keates sat down to write his sweetly dreaming 
poem, “ Endymion,” he must have had before him the 
Chrysanthemum when he penned the line, 
“ A thing of beauty and a joy for ever.” 
He trusted if there was anything more to be said for 
the flower they would let it speak for itself, and he 
would ask them to drink to “The eternal glory of the 
golden flower. May the Chrysanthemum live and 
flourish for ever.” 
Major H. L. Isaacs, M.P., proposed “The President 
of the National Chrysanthemum Society.” He said 
there were many things for which Lord Brooke claimed 
their gratitude. There were many things about which, 
of course, he could not speak, but he thought he might 
safely say that Lord Brooke had shown a great desire, 
as president of the society, to undertake his duties in 
an excellent and careful way. 
The President, in acknowledging the toast, said that 
among Englishmen no society of mark ever got on well 
without its dinner, and their society was one of mark, 
as they would all admit. There were, however, many 
things which would come across their minds. There 
was their dear friend Mr. Holmes, who was so recently 
secretary of the show, and who took such a deep 
interest in the society. On going round the exhibition 
there were many things to bring to the mind touching 
recollections of Mr. Holmes, and he had on the present 
occasion very great pleasure in bearing testimony to 
the very good work which he did for the society. 
Mr. E. C. Jukes proposed “The Lady Patronesses 
and Vice-Presidents,” and Sir Guyer Hunter, M.P., in 
responding said he had that day had the pleasure of 
listening to two interesting papers read by members of 
the society. "When going round that magnificent 
display of Chrysanthemums he had wondered how they 
had all been brought to such perfection, but those papers 
had explained the matter to him. It was simply by 
attention to details—a course which always ensured 
success. If the Chrysanthemum had attained such 
perfection at its first centenary, what might it not at 
its second ? 
Mr. C. Harman Payne proposed “The Affiliated and 
Kindred Societies.” Mrs. Marian Thrower (Tasmania), 
on rising to respond, was received with loud cheering. 
She said she would carry away with her pleasant recol¬ 
lections of that evening and-of the exhibition. She was 
very glad that ladies were present, and hoped that the 
custom would be continued. Although they in the 
Colony could never hope to emulate the old country in 
the matter of flowers, yet she thought they would be 
able to imitate us at a very humble distance. Mr. 
I). P. Laird (representing the Scottish Horticultural 
Association) also responded. , 
Sir W. de Souza proposed “ The Royal Aquarium and 
Summer and "Winter Garden Society.” He said he was 
present to testify—and he was sure they would all join 
with him in so doing—to the usefulness of that estab¬ 
lishment, not only for amusements, but for shows like 
the present one and for mental culture. Captain 
Molesworth responded. 
Mr. Ballantine proposed “ The Exhibitors and 
Judges.” He said the committee of the society 
did their utmost, at this Centenary Festival, to lay 
their net carefully to catch all the fish they could. 
They prepared an elaborate schedule, and they had the 
gratification of knowing that the exhibitors took the 
bait, and came in shoals to the Centenary Festival. 
The character of the exhibits reflected credit, not only 
upon them, but upon the National Chrysanthemum 
Society, and in no part of England, in his opinion, had 
such a show ever been held. This was due to the 
noble way in which the exhibitors had come forward, 
not only to support the society, but to pay a tribute of 
respect to one who had been removed from them. It 
was Mr. Holmes’ aim to make this festival such a 
success as would be worthy of the National Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Society, to which he had devoted the best years 
of his life, and it would have been a pride to him to 
have seen the exhibits last Tuesday. It was an extra¬ 
ordinary thing to say in connection with a show of such 
magnitude, but they had no protest against the awards 
of the judges. He believed such a thing was almost 
unprecedented, and it spoke well for the wisdom and 
tact displayed by the judges, that even the exhibitors 
who had not been successful had not been able to find 
fault with the awards which had been made. He 
would couple with the toast the names of Mr. John 
Laing, and Mr. H. Turner, of Slough, to both of whom 
the best thanks of the society were due. 
Mr. John Laing, in responding, said the exhibitors 
deserved great praise for the way they came forward, 
and he incidentally mentioned that thirty-five years 
ago Chrysanthemums were well grown in Scotland, 
blooms of the Queen of England being then shown 6 
ins. in diameter. 
Mr. H. Turner, in also acknowledging the toast, said 
the task of the judges was not a sinecure. In most of 
the classes the competition was very close and keen, 
and the number of stands in some of the larger classes 
compelled the judges to walk up and down the tables 
many times, until they must have accomplished miles 
of walking before they had finished their task. The 
class for the centennial prize of twenty-four Japanese 
and twenty-four incurved had eighteen entries, and the 
class for twenty-four Japanese had sixteen entries. It 
was a pleasure for the judges to have such grand 
specimens of this noble flower placed before them, and 
he and his brother judges used their best endeavours to 
award their judgments to the most meritorious exhibits. 
Mr. Ii. Jay proposed “The Officers of the Society.” 
Mr. Ballantine had said that although the duties of the 
society’s officials had been no sinecure, they had been 
amply rewarded by the results achieved. He expressed 
the opinion that it was to the tact and judgment of Mr. 
Holmes, “the prince of secretaries,” that in a great 
measure the success of that festival was due. Mr. J. 
R. Starling also replied, and, as the treasurer of the 
society, suggested that they should subscribe to a fund, 
part of which would go to assisting in the technical 
education of the eldest son of the late Mr. Holmes. 
There were many other officers of the society worthy 
of reward, but he felt that that evening had been 
marked to a certain extent by the loss of an officer 
they could never replace. 
Mr. Richard Dean, the secretary, proposed “ The 
Horticultural Press.” He said that the life of insti¬ 
tutions of that kind depended very largely upon the 
publicity given to them, and with regard to the 
Centenary, he thought he might safely say that the 
press generally had done them full justice. There were 
no politics in the world of horticulture, and he had 
been delighted to see the wolf of the Gardeners’ 
Chronicle eating by the side of the skittish lamb of 
The Gardening "World [!]. 
Mr. George Gordon responded, and humorously 
remarked that if the horticultural press increased at the 
same rate as it had done during the last fifty years, 
by the second centenary of the Chrysanthemum he 
should think every section of the Chrysanthemum 
would have its owu special paper. 
This concluded the toast list, and before the company 
separated the president announced that the Directors 
of the Aquarium had promised to give a benefit for the 
“Holmes Fund,” and he expressed the hope that they 
would all endeavour to make it a success. 
During the evening some excellent instrumental and 
vocal music was given under the direction of Mr. 
Richard Mackway, and Mr. F. Valentine Goddard 
made an excellent toastmaster. 
-- 
THE ORIGIN OF THE FLORISTS’ 
CHRYSANTHEMUM. * 
By Me. J. Shirley Hibberd. 
The origin of the flower that commands our homage at 
this season and is the subject of this Centenary festival 
is a matter of some importance both to botanists and 
horticulturists, and cannot be without interest to those 
who find amusement in speculating on the beginnings 
of things, and the histories of the favourites of the 
garden. It may appear to the casual observer of what 
is now passing as a question easily disposed of; for do 
we not read in the books that the Chrysanthemum was 
introduced to this country 100 years ago, certainly ; 
and has been known in Europe 200 years probably ; and 
that China has the honour of having made it as a 
garden flower from one of the wildings of her own 
woods ? Many questions may be disposed of in this 
easy way for those who are content with the dust that 
may be swept from the surface of a subject, but in this 
solemn assembly, making serious business of all that 
pertains to the history of the golden flower, there must 
be an endeavour made to brush away the superficial dust 
in order to explore what lies beneath. 
-Read, at the Centenary Conference of the National Chrysan¬ 
themum Society, November 11th, 1S90. 
There is then, be it observed, a strong jrrimafacie 
case for a plural origin of the various groups of flowers 
that are brought into the purview by the generic term 
Chrysanthemum. The Chusan Daisy appears very far 
removed from the noble Queen of England or the 
fantastic Spiderkry, the latest of the grotesque forms of 
the flower that Japan has given us. We have Lilli¬ 
putians, Pompons, reflexed and incurved, Japanese of 
several distinctive characters, and single flowers that in 
some particulars of growth and proportion stand apart 
from the other groups. When I said, the other day, 
in discoursing on the Dahlia, that it is the most vari¬ 
able of all known flowers, I had not forgotten the 
flower that is now before us, but I was less sensible than 
I ought to have been of the immense range of its varia¬ 
tions, both in form, and size, and colour. But when I 
look seriously at the matter, I perceive many visible 
connecting links between the several groups, and these 
are to be traced only by a careful diagnosis, which shall 
distinguish between actual differences and mere modifi¬ 
cations and variations. An elastic cord may be one foot 
long and one inch thick, and in that form of great 
strength; but when stretched a touch might snap it, 
yet it is the same cord, and if we are careful not to 
break it, it will return to its original proportions and 
qualities, and so prove its identity. I would submit 
the Chrysanthemum to some such test, but the moment 
I contemplate doing so, a difficulty arises that appears 
insuperable. We may stretch the flower as we stretched 
the cord, and in fact we have stretched it in every way 
imaginable, but we cannot restore it to its pristine 
form. We know something of analysis in this business, 
but nothing of synthesis ; we have no record of any 
floral favourite that has been much modified by man 
being actually bred back to its original form of a wild 
flower. I remember at the first Primula Conference, 
Mr. Lynch, of the Cambridge Botanic Gardens, under¬ 
took to breed back the Auricula to the wild form out of 
which it originated, and all that can be said further on 
the subject is that the promise made years ago remains 
unfulfilled, and I will venture to say will so remain for 
ever and ever. The experimental test must be useful 
in this inquiry, but it cannot be final ; there remains 
for us only the inductive method, and in aid of that we 
have a body of facts of the highest interest and value. 
It will be proper to begin with a few elementary par¬ 
ticulars for the advantage of friends here who have not 
given any special attention to the structure of the 
flower and the general character of the plant. The 
Chrysanthemum is a compound or composite flower, and 
may be roughly described as a cluster of distinct 
flowers fused together, and fixed on one centre or 
receptacle. We find in a typical flower of any of the 
higher classes of indigenous plants a calyx of green 
leaves, a corolla of coloured petals, male organs or 
stamens crowned with anthers that diffuse a fertilizing 
pollen, and female organs or pistils crowned with 
sensitive stigmas that receive the pollen ; and by the 
stimulus thus communicated to the ovary at the bases 
of the styles or stems of the pistils, the growth of 
fertile seed is promoted, and the proper work of the 
flower is thus completed. If you take a flower of a 
wild Rose, you will easily discover all these parts, and 
they combine to represent what I will call unity, for 
the one flower is one flower, and all its parts relate to 
one centre, and the use of every part is in some way to 
contribute to the production of the scarlet hep or berry 
in which the seeds are formed. In the flower of a 
single Chrysanthemum, the corresponding organs are 
all to be found, but modified in form and arrangement. 
The characters that first strike us are the corolla, as we 
may call it, that forms the boundary, and the stamens 
and pistils that form the golden disc. When we 
remove one of the supposed petals we find it to be 
tubular at the base, and enclosing an imperfect pistil, 
which is often a mere thread without stigmas. Now we 
know that this is not a petal, but a kind of imperfect 
flower, and we call it a ligulate or strap-shaped floret. 
Analysing the disc by cutting the flower through verti¬ 
cally we find on the receptacle a closely arranged set of 
tubes or narrow cups that terminate above in teeth, and 
below in corresponding ovaries. In each of these tubes 
are stamens in a bundle, and through the bundle or fasces 
rises the pistil crowned with two horns that are veritable 
stigmas. No w we learn the meaning of the arrangement. 
Each tube is a complete flower, the tube itself being 
the corolla, and the stamens and pistils within rendering 
it properly hermaphrodite, and capable of seed produc¬ 
tion, which the strap-shaped organs of the margin are 
not, for the pistils there are mere signs, and apparenlty 
accomplish nothing. We term the strap-shaped outer 
adornments, florets of the ray, and the tubular flowers 
