384 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
of graceful habit, and quick growth; three years 
developes quite a fine specimen plant. The leaves are 
palmatified with numerous divisions and white thread¬ 
like filaments. My Orchids are varieties of Cypripe- 
diums, Epidendrums, and Goodyera. Some of them are 
curious and beautiful, and I am interested in them and 
cultivate them, not because they came from “over the 
sea,” or are more worthy of patronage than less popular 
plants; but, because I am interested in the whole vege¬ 
table kingdom, and value every means of learning 
something new about the habits of rare plants from 
other climes; and there is no school like experience. 
I cannot recommend rare Ferns, Palms, Orchis, etc., 
to amateur florists with only the accommodations of the 
average living room; but since there are so many ami¬ 
able plants that are not sensitive to their situation, then 
why not make a selection of the things that are within 
our reach, and rest content. I should more highly 
estimate a common Geranium, in a healthy thriving 
condition, than the most rare Fern that it has been my 
pleasure to behold, in a sickly state, homesick for its 
native element. 
For all seasons and situations, Geraniums and 
Fuchsias would be my choice from the whole category 
of plants, and the nearer we bring them to perfection, 
the more worthy we make them of the title “choice 
plants." 
Mrs. G. W. Flanders. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM EXHIBITION. 
The New York Horticultural Society has conferred a 
lasting benefit upon society by the encouragement it 
has given Chrysanthemum growers the past two years, 
in the way of liberal premiums, and by keeping their 
hall open for two days and evenings, in order that all 
who would, might see two of the grandest displays of 
flowers ever held in this country. Ihe exhibition last 
season, all things considered, was better than the one 
just closed. This was because the season of 1883 was 
more favorable for the development of the plants than 
the present one has proved. The drought of the past 
August and September was too severe to allow the 
plants to make anything like a perfect growth, unless 
irrigation was resorted to, and that is an impossibility 
when plants are grown by the thousands, as they are 
by some of our leading growers. Notwithstanding all 
this, there were at the exhibition, November 5th 
and 6th, some larger and better grown specimens 
than we have before seen. It pleases us to state that by 
far the finest plants on exhibition were from amateur’s 
collections. This is as it should be, as it shows a grow¬ 
ing taste for this, the noblest of autumn flowers, no less 
than for all others. Nothing pleases us more than to have 
our professional florists beaten with their own weapons, 
and it pleases the florist now less than it does us, be¬ 
cause be sees his skill and patient, untiring industry 
rewarded; the plants he has watched over so tenderly, 
appreciated and better cared for by those who cultivate 
them for their own sakes, than he can do who only 
grows them for the purpose of sale. 
It is pure delight to develop some new form or color 
in a flower by hybridization or by cross fertilization, 
particularly one like the Chrysanthemum, the seeding 
of which is an art that has been considered one of the 
impenetrable mysteries. But doubly sweet is the 
pleasure the hybridist enjoys when wealth and taste 
humbly asks for some of the results of his labor in 
order that he, the amateur, may, by the most liberal 
culture, bring the flowers to a higher degree of perfec¬ 
tion. In this exhibition the amateurs, as we have be¬ 
fore said, took the lead, not as a whole, but in part, that 
part being specimen plants, both in the natural and the 
standard forms. Prominent among this class of ex¬ 
hibitors was Wm. Barr, Esq., of Orange, New Jersey, 
who showed in the various classes, for which premiums 
were offered, about two hundred varieties, representing 
the various sections into which this family has been 
divided. The named sorts in this collection did not 
differ materially from those to be found in the profes¬ 
sional lists ; they were simply the best known sorts, and 
all were remarkably well grown. We are pleased to 
say that the one flower of all on exhibition that pleased 
us most was Fleur de Marie, pure white, of the anemone- 
flowered section. We regret the plant that bore this 
lovely flower was not on exhibition, as it would have 
been but for the reasons we have given in our “ Notes 
and Comments.” 
In order to give a clear idea of the various sections on 
exhibition we will briefly describe them. 
THE JAPANESE SECTION. 
Their flowers so entirely unlike the majority of other 
flowers, seem to be made rather than grown. It is not 
that they conform to one style of irregularity, as we find 
at least six distinct types. Here is one with the flowers 
of almost skeleton outline; the petals are about two and 
a half inches long, and are simply hollow tubes to 
within a quarter of an inch of their extremity, when 
they divide into open spoon-like segments. There are 
no signs of even a curve in this variety, the petals being 
as rigid as the quills of the porcupine. 
The next type is a modification of the former, the 
petals being tubular only half their lengths; they are 
not as rigid, and there is a slightly spiral curve through 
the whole flower. This is represented by only one 
variety, a new seedling, silvery blush in color. This 
was raised by John Thorpe, Esq., who has not as yet 
given it a distinctive name, preferring to wait until it 
has flowered another season, as long observation has 
shown that flowers do not always establish their true 
character the first year, consequently an appropriate 
name, if deserving, could not be given it. The next 
contrast is with those having very broad petals incurv¬ 
ing to the centre, showing only the underside of each, 
excepting that there is a tendency, more or less, to a 
spiral whorl, and that here and there a petal falls down 
without rhyme or reason. The very opposite to this 
are those with the petals reflecting, or rather drooping, 
showing the entire length from the disc, except a few 
that have not yet become unfolded; these are enveloped 
in a compact knot showing a twisted silky crown. 
