Evening journal., 1889-11-14
AUTUMN'S FLORAL QUEEN,
HISTORY OF THE cHRYsANTHE.
MUM OR GOLD FLOWER.

Cultivated for Ages in China and Japan.
Glasses Produced by tho Florists When
introduced to Cultivation-one OF
Americas Floral Fayorites.
The show Of chrysanthemums, given
by the florists of this city, which opened
to day in the odd Fellows Hail. it is be-
lieved will serve to intensity the interest
already felt in this charming flower.
European and American gardeners have,
in the last half century, far exceeded the
Japanese and Chinese gardeners in the
improvement of this, the unquestioned
floral queen Of autumn, although China
and Japan are its native habitats, and
the Celestial gardeners are generally ac-
credited with being the most cunning
worlxmen of the guild in the world.
The name chrysanthemum comes from
two Greek words signifying ''gold
flower from a species found in Greece,
named Chrysanthemum carinatum, with
golden yellow blossoms.
Properly speaking, the Chinese crysan-
themum is not chrysanthemum, but be-
| longs to genus known to botanists as
the Pyrethrum, the distinction being IN
the seed. Chrysanthemum, however, It
was named by Linn@us, the founder OF
systematic botany and IS chrysanthemum
/ the world at large knows 1t.
There are two aLatinct species, known
to florists as large lowered and small
| lowered or ponpons. From these
| through the skill of the horticulturist,
have sprung many classes. Among
/ them are those which have flowers like
/ the normal FORM and are called anemone.
| lowered, although in various colors
| Another class again are those which have
the tubular disc horets changed to strap
shaped. as in the ray forets, or fiutted,
or quilted, OF varying length, from short,
straight.speading forets to long, droop-
/ ing, twisted or irregularly incurved ones
! These are called Japanese. third class
is known as the incurved, and is charac-
terized by globular form and regular
outline. The forets are broad, smooth,
regularly arranged and rounded at the
tips. Another class have the horets
fairly horizontal, and are known as re
fexed.
The first chrysanthemum, SOL far as
| known, was introduced into England
about 1894, and was lowered for the first
time in November, 1895. It was deep
crimson color, and but two inches In
diameter.
The chrysanthemum was introduced
into France by M. Blanchard of Mar.
seilles, in 170S, when, for the first time,
improvement began He had three shades
Of color.
In 1S43 Robert Fortune, British trav
eller and horticulturist, went to China
for the London horticultural Society and
three years later returned with the pom
pons. which he called ''Chusan daisies >
In 1S4S he went again, this time TO col
lect tea plants for the East India Ditec
tors and in 1862 he sent TO England the
Japanese varieties.
When the ponpons appeared great
demand for chrysanthemums sprang up
In 1860 one European hortieulturist had
750 varieties, and to day it is believed
there are not less than 200 kinds in cul
tiyation.
In China and japan the chrysanthe
mum must have been cultivated for ages
Koempher, who wrote of Japan in 17lS
made note Of it, in which he says that
1t was everything in cultivation Il
China. that 1t has been for ages a populai
flower Is shown from the fact that it af
fords there general type Of architec
tural ornament. II appears also to hav'
had place in the ancient history O
that country, for one of the nRtiona
honors conferred is the "Order Of the
Chrysanthemum.
In this country the chrysanthemun
has had it's ups and downs in popula
favor. Soon after European gardener
began actively the work Of producing
new varieties, Robert Buist, John Dick
Robert Scott and John Sherwood becam
heavy importers, and the flowers at onc'
became the craze among the people o
Philadelphia. Then the taste for then
declined until, it is stated, 1t was diff
cult to sell any plants at all. In recen
years, however. there has been revivs
OF the old love.
The chrysanthemum will endure a con
siderable amount of frost, but usual
severe winters will kill them. The plan
is Of easy culture, and may be rapid!
increased by dividing the plants in April