New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-01
THE PROTEIN CHRYSANTHEMUM

The chrysanthemum enjoyed nothing to ap-
nroech it's prrsent popularity in this country a
score of years ago, and yet IT. held pace VI
honor in our grandmothers' gardens, and chrysan-
themum exhibitions were held in few cities ike
Boston and Philadelphia more than half cen
tury ago. This year the hOrticulturists oil Eu-
rope have celebrated the hundredth anniversary
of the introduction of the flower into that CONT
mentor rather its Teintroduction-for exactly
century before, in 1859, Breynius had made record
in his Prodromus" of six distinct varieties
which were at that time grown in the gardens
of Holland. The Dutch gardeners failed TO APP
preciate their prize, however. and the plant was
lost. no one knows when; but certainly when the
chrysanthemum appeared again, IN 1883, 1t was
as much Of novelty as was the dahlla, when
was introduced the same year. or course 1t had
been favorite garden flower in the East for gen.
eratons before. and it is found painted on the
early porcelains of China and wrought in silver
on the Imperial sword-hilts of Japan more than
700 years ago.
II is the genuine value Of the flower which is
the basis Of its universal popularity. II has
grown in appreciation on its merits, and perhaps
the most striking of these worthy characteristics
is it's astonishing ability to blossom out into novel
forms It's history since Europeans began to cul-
a
and startling variations from the known types
were suddenly unfolded. While men were adj
miring the great incurved Chinese sorts, the neat
little pompon or button chrysanthemum-the
Chusan daisy Of the French-appeared and be-
came the parent of new race Then the anem-
one-howered varieties opened unannounced, with
n central rosette surrounded by broad run OF
ray horets After these came the so-called Jap
enese sorts, with an indescribaby hayward dis
position of the petals, and all these forms have
bean combined into such endless variety, with
the peculiarites of each so sOftcned or lnen>hed,
that even in n moderate collection we look for IN
finite diversity of form, and yet we never see a
flower which trespasses the limits OF perfect
proportion and symmetry.
Last year the Mrs Hardy brought out a new
surprise in growth Of down upon snowy petals :;
this year tho same soft pubescence breaks out
an mink variety showing that we are to have
a new and distinct race of flowers with velvet
man, One would think that the last variation
had been reached, but for a fortnight past there
have been blooming in Mr.. Peter Hendersons
window, in Cortlandt-st., two varieties at least
with quite rs marked an individuality as Mrs
Hardy possessed. One of these has very narrow
petals gathered together like those OF loose
headed thistle, only they are longer and curve
gracefully outward toward the ends. Each one
of the forets is twisted so tightly that it looks
like perfect little tube. In color the noretS
are a brownish crimson toward the base
and deep yellow toward the upper end,
tbe two colors being separated sharply by dis
tinct line. which in every foret is equidistant
from the base The second variety, also from
japan. in the same window, has the central petals
tightly coiled, so that only the upper surface
is visible which is also quite a new departure
Both flowers are pretty as well as novel, and
when this new blood is mingled with that OF the
older sorts We may expect transformations stu
more amazing, if indeed any freak of this multi
form flower can hereafter be so wild as to amaze
any one.