NEW CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
105 
v NEW CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
W ITH our opening pages we gave a plate of Pompon Chrysanthemums, and we now give a few more 
gems from the same sources, viz., Messrs. E. G. Henderson and Son, and Mr. Salter of Hammer¬ 
smith. The kinds now represented are very pretty examples of the Anemone-flowered Pompons, and 
also Mr. Salter’s seedling, Versailles Defiance, a large kind of so much merit that it obtained a certificate 
of excellence from the National Floricultural Society in the autumn of last year. Mr. Salter is the 
only raiser of seedling Chrysanthemums in this country, and that only from seed saved in the south 
of France or Italy; for it is found that Chrysanthemum seed will not ripen in our dripping climate 
except under circumstances,—those of dry stove heat,—which cannot be afforded as a mercantile specula¬ 
tion. At Welbeck, a few years back, Mr. Tillery succeeded in ripening seed in the Pine stove, but we 
never heard that anything remarkable emanated from his labours. 
The Pompon Chrysanthemums may certainly be classed among the choicest of flowers for winter 
garniture; for, blooming as they do 
“ When chill November’s surly blast 
Lays field and forest bare,” 
they come when flowers are doubly welcome and loveable. The improvement that has been made in 
the Pompon varieties since their introduction is quite remarkable, for if the drawings representing 
the seedlings of last year, sent over by M. Miellez, of Lille, are to be relied upon, perfection of form 
is really attained ; the serratures upon the end of the petal have almost disappeared in some varieties, 
which are assuming a broad, full, and hemispherical form. To be perfect, each flower should form at 
the least two-thirds of a ball, have stout, full, broad, and smooth petals, without either notch or serra- 
ture upon them, and these must be symmetrically formed, and then the florists’beau ideal of perfection is 
attained. It must, however, be admitted that, though the rule-and-compass plan of judging flowers is 
good, there are those who consider these laws too arbitrary for general observance ; and we are among 
those who consider that brilliant colour, with even moderate form, is very preferable to perfect form 
with indifferent colour. Our standard for a useful and generally saleable plant is fine habit, profuse 
blooming, and rich brilliant colour, and then if the rule-and-compass plan of perfect form and substance 
can be added, we ask nothing more; but perfect form without either colour or fine habit of plant is not 
to be tolerated, except by the rigidly tight-laced in floricultural sophistry. 
Of the introductions of this season, which M. Miellez’s plate lays before us, we would particularly 
point to Lais, a brilliant crimson maroon flower of exquisite form ; Aramis, plum colour, tipped with 
rose, and slightly incurved at the tips; Graziella, straw white tipped with cherry-colour ; Jason, bright 
canary yellow ; Jonquille, bronzy golden yellow; Sathaniel, bright rose, white centre ; Justine Tessier, 
pure white, small; Rose Pompon, quilled rosy pink with light centre; Beaute Toulousaine, lively 
carmine or flesh colour; Tacite, creamy yellow, tipped with cherry-colour; President Decaisn, pale 
flesh colour, rather large; Alveoliflorum is an Anemone-flowered variety, with, if the drawing 
is correct, bluish lilac rays ; Quassimodo and Phoebus are two pretty and distinct flowers of the 
yellow section. All the Pompon Chrysanthemums are pretty, but our continental friends run 
their varieties so close, that in select collections many of them are valueless. Most of these 
varieties are inclined to grow dwarf and compact, and we think they might be had in very 
compact bushy specimens in the following manner ;—We would procure a quantity of bottomless 
pots of the 4-inch size, and having planted the stools or old plants in a good rich border, we would, 
towards the end of July, peg each shoot down horizontally to the surface of the ground, and placing a 
piece of slate or tile under the point, would place a pot over it, so that the shoot in its after progress 
could grow upright through the pot. In this state they might remain for a time, but towards the 
middle we would, taking advantage of a sunny day, strip the leaves from the lower part of the shoot 
within the pot, give it a slight twist to lacerate the bark, and then fill the pot half full of good rich 
soil. Into this the branch would root, and, having still the support of the old plant, would grow very 
robustly. As the plant progressed, the pot might be filled with compost, and it could also be assisted 
with liquid manure both to the old plant and the young one. Towards the end of September, we should, 
