The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-11

THE CRRYs ANTHEMUM.
It's Development by Chinese Garden
ers-The Chrysanthemum in Fable.

It's Development by Chinese Garden
ers-The Chrysanthemum in Fable.
From the North China Herald.
The chrysanthemum has many varieties.
1t has yellow. white, red, purple, or var
iously colored flowers. The native horti-
culturists have found it comparatively easy
to modify its appearance and color. There
is an old statement that the S0ochow gar
deners take it when it is a foot above the
ground and pluck off the terminal bud at
the top. After few days the one bud
originates two. These again are decapitated
and similar result follows so that
when autumn arrives the number of flowers
on one stalk is very great, and they grow
into a sort of round hemisphere like a cart
covering
1t was the early discovery that modifica-
lions in the flowers could be produced in
this way that led the Chinese to attach so
much Importance to this flower. 1t was
about A. d. 400 that it bee Ame a special
garden favorite and was valued by the
poets Tan Yuen Ming of that time was
very fond of it, and search specially in his
poems has resulted in the fact that he classed
it with the pine for endurance. The petals
remain in their place after winds and storms,
and it was this feature in the flower which
he admired. The Chinese represent yellow
asters after year or two are apt to change
back to yellow. In some varieties the flow
ers are deciduous, and in others not so. A
pale yellow changes to white after the
plant has lowered with unusual luxuri-
arce; and white, In the same way,
when exhibiting tendency to
variation, becomes red Such
flowers wither on the stem. When the
petals are far apart they are apt to fall
early, and after the full period of blossom
ing they gradually drop Off If wind and
rain should come and shake them they all
fall off together and cover the ground. Such
| minute observation of a flower as this is an
example of the pains taken by the Chinese
| in the study of nature. The Soochow gar
deners mentioned mean, of course, the gar
| deners of the great plain of which Soochow
| is the capital, and Sanghai with Taltsang
and Kiarg-yin are particularly noticed as
| having climate or soil, or local skill in
| horticulture, which greatly favors the va
riabllity of the Chinese aster. From the
statement made it is probable that
| there is no part of China where there
| is more success in cultivatlng the
| China aster, or more variety in it,
than in the gardens of these cities. There
are coarse and fine varieties. Some chry-
| santhemums grow to 10 feet in length, and
| some disks are as large as saucer. Two
| colors appear on the same flower. These
| are called coarse varieties. The finer in
| clude velvety sorts and those which are
| cylindrical in shape. or turn to the west, or
| identified like wolves teeth. Those which
are most valued in China are flowers which
begin with being small and grow larger,
| and petals which are close set, numerous and
| fresh III color.
The chrysanthemum flower is tabled by
the Chinese to nave the power of confer
ring immortality. To obtain the result it
must be eaten with the fruit of the wutung
by the believing. In Szechuan there is IN the
Confucian temple of the capital of the
province an image of the genius of chrys-
| anthemum. The being represented Is said
to be girl who drank the wine Of the
chrysanthemum flower in the Han palace,
and thus became immortal Those students
who pray to her are successful In the ex-
amiuations. In cave of the same city
there is a painting drawn upon the wall
of woman holding chrysanthemum in
her hand. Before her is represented
monkey. She is called The Lady
of tho Chrysanthemum," aud students
who pray to her have remarkable dreams
The intimations conveyed in these dreams
are wonderful to relate, sure to come true,
say the native accounts. The chrysanthe-
mum sinense has probably for two centn
ries been well known in Europe. The flo
rets, whether of the ray or the disk are
never blue, but they appear with almost
every other possible color. The books say
that the Cbiiese must for long ages have
been carefully improving the plant, and
that their great richness in development
aud IN variety Of properties has risen from
sporadic popularity and intermixture with
allied species unknown in Europe. This
last effect would be caused byii sects bring
ing with them in their visits to the flowers
the pollen Of neighboring plants.