Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-18

sIdNM 8MVW years since it was
HIM MMNN introduced into this
w m country; and that it
Is floral darling is
uuuisputed by everybody but Chas
warner, who says that II ALWAYS
MN OF a curtain tassel. and that
eehs II ne Is incapacitated from enter
"e in'o the popular enthusiasm about n
10 10 De feared that MIR Warner at
INC ehrysanthemum show, where this do
| eSue resemblance forced itself upon him
oo"eu himseif to be made the victim of
TIC h.st smile that occurred to him for
'Housh IL Is quite likely he may have seen
oAe ehrysanthemum that looked like
WI '"ih 'assei' ne would also, had he not
oeeh pre1udiced by single idea az he
"eNueo MS way among the various speci
MEMS nave beheld others that resemble,
many other things under the sun besides
.ha' userul appendage to a window shade:
ior that the chrysanthemum is to the
"orio OF blossoms what the hooking bird
IL 10 the world of birds no one can yainsav
VINO mas viewed with unbiased gaze any of
the annual exhibitions of this flower.
Its Mimetic Quality.
ihis mlmetic quality is. of course seen
iioie clearly In the specimens owned by
professional growers, for the same reason
that the peculiarities of any object are
more apparent under a magnifier-the
plants designed for exhibition by florists
Deing pruned early in the season, with the
END that the few buds allowed to remain
develop into the most enormous flowers so
that when one wanders through such a
cohection one can almost imagine oneself
iost In single blossom. and can quite en-
ter into the feelings of a humble bee I'm a
cioVer mead Plenty Of them, too. are as
Iull qullled as clover heads while at the
same time being large as oranges
But clover head and a curtain tasseI
are by no means the only things simulated.
AT local florists the other day a feminine
sAzer IN hfteen minute stroll through
That chrysanthemum paradise confessed
to being successfully reminded of a pond
lily. La France rose, an ostrich plume
an old-fashoned zinnia from her grand
mothers garden, the golden apples Of the
Hesperides (she had read the classics).
and even of lamp mat, and she went on
to explain that much as she despsed the
genus tidy and lamp mat in general this
particular shell pink floral specimen of
that senseless ilk. eight inches across, and
80 delectably fluffy. she fain would have
possessed herself of and carried home as an
ornament to he- parlor.
The chrysanthemum was quite plainly
born for victory, for in spite of being handi
capped In flower lore by the melancholv
Specification Of sighted love, it yet remains
the flower of flowers wherewith to deck No
vember b:idals. and so in the very face of
floral dictionaries has come to mean in
stead triumphant love.
Peculiarly OF It's Scent.
Then, again. its scent which is like moth
ing 30 much as a brew of herbs, is an ex-
emplification of the old proverb that IT is
an i'll wind that blows nobody good for il
blew the chrysanthemum itself into notice.
Not that this autumn beauty would have
always remained in the background had 1t
not been fo- this quality, for the golden
flower" by no means partakes of the mod
esty and retirement of the much praised
violet; but that its triumphs would have
been some years deferred but for it's pun
gent scent Is a matter of history, for it was
this. and this alone, which two hundred
years ago attracted the attention of occi-
dental tourists in Japan to it, who
promptly carried 1t home to the west with
them. under the impression that anything
which smelled so bad must be very good
indeed to make into medicine-their hopes
In this line receiving encouragement from
the fact that the compositae, the immense
family to which the chrysanthemum be-
longs, does include in 1t some herbs of heal
ing.
Its importers expectations were of course
dashed to earth. but this transportation
proved the opportunity Of the chrysanthe-
NUNS life. it reaching Europe at a most
propitlous moment, just at the time indeed,
when the fad for tulips was turning ali
Holland daft and creating a taste for flori-
culture that resulted, first in the produc-
ton of the gorgeous varieties of tulips,
later in the exquisitely colored and scented
ever-bloomng roses, and, lastly, in the roy
al chrysanthemum of today.
For this latter, like tulips and roses Is
essentially a florists flower, that Is, a
flower which through the intervention of
man has been made to take on forms and
colors widely different from its original
types. since when the chrysanthemum was
first introduced into Europe from Japan
double specimens were rarely seen while
the size and color OF the blossoms of TODAY
were things totally undreamed Of
National Flower Of Japan.
The Japanese loved 1t. though, even as 1t
was, single and unheraldeds and had elected
1t their national flower. a single Powered
variety containing only sixteen petals, hay
ing besides been chosen as the imperial or
governmental crest. a selection by which
they have abode to this day.
Then, too, as II to quite insure a place of
permanence In the regard Of the Inhabitants
OF this Asiatic empire, what should fate do
but send their ruler into existence in the
very month of its blooming. SC that now
lis appearance on the scene Is the signal for
a gala time for the entire nation.
Win all this prepOssession in its favor II
Is not to be wondered that Japan can boast
the most unique chrysanthemum show .on
the face Of the planet.
1t takes place annually at Dango-Zaka,
suburb OF Toxic, where preparations are
made for 1t months in advance, even before |
the plants have begun to bud.
skeleton frames representing people, ami |
mais mountains and nature generally are
arranged on little stage inside tent, so
as to portray scenes from legend, history |
and even the latest plays. Inside these
frames chrysanthemm roots are now
placed, the blossoms only being pulled |
through to the. outside. so that the stryc-
ture. when completed, has the effect of be- ,
ing solid mass of flowers |
Thus one can see whole drama done in |
chrysanthemum s-chrysanthemum men and |
women engrossed in the various happenings
incident to humanity, while in the back
ground are chrysanthemum mountains, |
down whose sides dash chrysan themum tor |
rents. that widen out into chrysanthen,um
rivers. Within the last few years, too the
has been called into reouisition
to enhance the illusion.
Every one attends this show and for the !
time that 1t continues the single street of
this little Japanese village is thronged with
admiring visitors.
A duplication of the same sort of thing
has been attempted on a limited scale al the
worlds fair chrysanthemum show, but we |
of the Occident are yet too young in our |
with the flower 10 win from II |
the full pliancy that can its long time lover, |
the Japanese.
It's First Cultivation in France. |