Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-11-11
KING OF PLOWERY KINGDOM,
HUNDREDS OF CHRYSANTHEMUMs
REIGN AT THE ARMORY.
Careful and Artistic Distribution of
$4,000 BlOoms-Colors Beautiful
ly Blended-JudEes Will
Award Prizes To-day.

The usually uninviting appearance Of
the Third regiment armory, Twelfth and
Troost avenue, with its bleak walls and
stiff military accoutrements, has been
transformed into such a blaze of glory as
has probably never before had an equal
comparison in Kansas City. The members
of the Kansas City Florists Club have
been carefully planning for this. the second
annual chrysanthemum show, for the past
year. Plants of the rarest and most ex-
pensive varieties were purchased from the
leading florists of America and carefully
experimental with in hopes Of successful
ly propagating something which could be
placed before the worshipers of the queen
of autumn flowers. as being still more
wonderful and novel than all the rest. AL
though. strictly speaking. the florists OF
this city have been baffied in their efforts
to propagate distinctly new species. they
have brought the almost numberless varie-
ties to their highest state of cultivation.
The exhibition opened YESTERDAY after
light until evening. when Kansas city's
society folk was well represented and the
spacious galleries on either side of the
t hail and the pathways through the great
| beds of chrysanthemums and palms were
| we'll filled with admiring visitors. Looking
| from the galleries the first impression of
| scribable mass of brilliant colors has been
dumped promiscuously over the interven-
ing floor space. This. in fact is the eff
: feet produced by careful and artistic dis;
tribution of the 5000 blooms. The general
scheme of arrangement has been to have
the eye follow from the balcony down a
and frazzled chrysanthemum blooms. to a
| low center. From the corners OF the
building and around the sides palm leaves
and needlepines of the rarest designs are
arranged about the walls. In the corners,
scenery representing old stone dwellings
partially covered with vies. has been
placed. In ore of these a comfortable
smoking room has been provided. and from
the veranda of the same dwelling an or
chestra emits strains from the best COM
posers. Under the galleries are the stalls
! purchase bloom Of his liking to bedeck
his person. or the amateur grower can
select his winters stock for his residence
conservatory.
All the leading florists Of the city have.
besides contributions to the general dis
play. private exhibitions and stand among
their collections Of their best , varieties varieties
pertaining to particular bloom. but ready
to &C into the whole history OF the chrys-
anthemnm. telling you that 1t is native
country about. fifty years ago: that ten
years ago a chrysanthemum bloom four
inches in diameter was considered giant.
that last year one of six or ten inches
was a marvel. while he now shows you one
that Is fifteen inches.
ington; D. NJ Reichard. Of St. Joseph. and
George E. KessIer, of this city, win have
the difficult task Of awarding the prizes
to the florists for their different exhibi-
!. The special feature Of to-morrow's exhi-
bition will be cut flowers. chrysanthe-
abe every
to the most elaborate and correct style,
viii be set. This table win be reset fol
Saturday as a bridal table.