154 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
THE C HY S A N T H I^: MU M. 
It is but little more than a century since the nations ot 
the West first became acquainted with the plant, but it is 
now almost as much of a craze in this country as travelers 
tell us it is in Japan. Exhibitions, of course, aid this, along 
with the florists, who grow such vast quantities and expose 
them in the markets in every considerable city. The single 
stem idea has much to do with this craze undoubtedly. 
Although chrysanthemums have been favorites like many 
other plants, no such furore existed until blossoms measuring 
from six to eight inches, and in rare instances almost a foot, 
in diameter were grown. In the fall of 1883 the first chry-s- 
anthemum show exclusively was opened in Horticultural 
Hall, Philadelphia, and from that time dates the new era. 
The idea spread, and Chicago a few years after, with other 
western cities, followed suit. The possibilities of the flower 
seem boundless. The perfection it has attained in new varie¬ 
ties and types seemed scarcely possible a few years ago, and 
there are men who thought themselves good judges who at 
that time thought the limit had been reached. But com¬ 
plete new forms are constantly springing up, and no one can 
say what the flower is not capable of producing under culti¬ 
vation. 
Charles E. Shea, the distinguished English cultivator 
and exhibitor of chrysanthemums says in an article in 
The Gardeners Magazine on “ The Chrysanthemum of 
the Future 
It is inevitable, when one institutes a naental comparison be¬ 
tween the chrysanthemum of even so recent a period as half a dozen 
years ago and the chrysanthemum of to-day, that the mind should 
take flight into the realms of speculation, and endeavor to create 
in fanciful imagination some picture of the possible chrysanthemum 
of the future. We know with what giant strides has, in the im¬ 
mediate past, improvement followed on improvement in the chrys. 
anthemum. One has but to look back to the list of “best varie¬ 
ties for exhibition ” selected but a few years ago to realize how 
completely have the old standards of excellence passed away, and 
what a vast chasm separates these varieties from the magnificent 
productions of to-day. And is there any reason to suppose that we 
have arrived at a halting place in this matter ? Surely no. In 
Europe and in America, not to speak of the old Asiatic homes of 
the chrysanthemum, enthusiastic amateurs, gardeners, and nur¬ 
serymen are sparing neither brains nor money in seeking to fur¬ 
ther improve a flower which, at the present time, almost rivals 
the rose in popular esteem. What is to be the outcome of all these 
labors A few stray speculations upon the subject may help to 
indicate some of the directions in which further improvements are 
most likely to be found. 
In the first place, let us enumerate those qualities or attrib¬ 
utes upon which the excellence of the flower must mainly depend. 
These are diameter, depth and solidity, form and character, and 
color. We may first deal with the question of diameter. What. 
,then, has been the progress made during the last decade in this 
direction V One has but to turn to the earlier editions of Mr. E. 
Molyneux’s work on the chrysanthemum to obtain a record of the 
standard dimensions of the exhibition varieties of the day. Then, 
six inches in diameter was more than the average of the “best 
twenty-four” Japanese. To-day we have Etoile de Lyon, Viviand 
Morel, Sunset, Mrs. E. l>. Adams, Primrose League, E. Molyneux, 
and a host of other colossal varieties. What may be the maxi¬ 
mum diameter attained with these varieties by skilful growers in 
various parts of the country I am not prepared to say, but, speak¬ 
ing for myself, the greatest diameter that I have achieved has 
been with Sunset. The N. C. S. “certificate'’ flowers, which I 
gave to Mr. Cannell, were, with petals extended, sixteen inches 
across. As I write, I have a bloom of Primrose League which mea¬ 
sures in diameter on the plant, and without support, just eleven 
inches. In the direction of possible diameter in the future what 
limit can be placed, and at what date must the N. C. S. be com¬ 
pelled, by the exigencies of the situation to give practical effect 
to the resolution of its own conference on the “ show-board ” ques¬ 
tion, are speculations which may well present themselves to the 
mind. 
Again, “depth and solidity.” Take Baronne de Prailly, et hoc 
genus omne, where are they to-day as regards the show-board? 
And even Meg Merrilies and its golden sport are in the balance. 
Whether the excision of the lighter and, as some think, more 
graceful forms is altogether an advantage must remain a matter of 
taste, and de gustibus non disputandum ; but the fact remains that 
the typical modern show bloom has attained such massive propor¬ 
tion in depth and solidity that improvement in this direction 
would seem almost less possible than in that of mere diameter. 
Next “ form and character.” We have already the Japanese, 
the incurved, the reflexed, the various forms of the anemones, the 
pompons, the single, imbricated, fimbri^-ted, multiform. We 
have the flat, strap-shaped petal, as in E. Molyneux; pendulous 
and twisted, as in Boule d’Or; erect, as in Sarah Owen; quilled, as 
in Lilian B. Bird; thread-like, as in Alice Carter; forked at the 
end, as in Meg Merrilies. Where, one would feel inclined to ask, 
does there appear room for a fresh departure in the direction of 
form and character of flower ? But, nevertheless, we may safely 
aver that Nature has yet many a surprise in store for us, and that 
the chrysanthemum of the future may offer to the eye new forms 
of loveliness, even eclipsing those which her bountiful hand has 
already dealt out to us. 
In “ color,” rich and manifold as are the hues which tint the 
royal robes of Queen Chrysanthemum, we were warned, even so 
late as the last season, by the advent of W. Seward and J. Shrimp- 
ton, not to be too hasty in assuming that we already possess the 
whole of Nature’s floral color-box in our existing varieties of chry¬ 
santhemum. We have already some striped varieties, but in this 
direction, if existing specimens are to be our guide, it may be 
questioned whether any further progress is to be desired. But 
may we not hope to se<^ combinations of colors within the same 
flower? I think so. But what of the “blue chrysanthemum”— 
the “ Golden Fleece ” of our floral world—can it be expected to 
expand its petals to our view ? This question fitly leads us to the 
second aspect of our subject, the methods to be employed by those 
who are the collaborateurs with unconscious Nature in working out 
the problem of the creation and survival of the “fittest.” Well, 
as to the “blue chrysanthemum,” many experts aver that we 
must be content to “hope on, and hope ever,” in vain. But the 
unlikely and unforeseen are not necessarily the impossible, and it 
is best, until the opposite shall be conclusively demonstrated, to 
accept nothing as impossible which is worthy of achievement. 
How, then, may we hope to reach the blue chrysanthemum? 
Will it be by awaiting a sport? It is true that botanists are dis¬ 
posed to accept the conclusion that the primitive colors of flowers^ 
and of the chrysanthemum certainly (chrysanthemum, the “ Gol¬ 
den Flower”), was yellow; and it may be argued that, inasmuch 
as from this (or whatever the true) original point of departure 
other members of the floral kingdom have evolved blue flowers, 
why not the chrysanthemum ? To this it must be answered that 
such a consummation may not be impossible ; but it must be con¬ 
ceded that the progress, so far, in this direction has been very 
slow, for neither in sport nor seedling, so far as I am aware, have 
we yet recognized any tendency in the direction of a shade of blue. 
Certain fundamental colors appear to exhaust the potential of 
variation of the chrysanthemum, as of the rose, and in neither 
case is blue included in these colors. Within the limits of these 
fundamentals any combination would appear possible, and there 
are here alone abundant materials for fresh surprises for us, but I 
am inclined to the belief that if we are to attain to the blue chrys¬ 
anthemum, we must look in other directions for the fons et origo of 
the wanted tint. 
