Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-24
date shoppers, who arc adorned with the
bniG flowers; f,f he Orient

!
! bold flowers Of the Orient.
Several florists have gone crazy If
i their atrlmpt to propagate a bright blue
| chrysantnemun, Il we.l-known Washing
| looked at the mUlti-colored crowd on +
| street. IF we only had blue chrysan-
I themum and a hrignt-green one. the hor-
! ror would be complete The F street
/ the ballet in an extravaganza company.
JAPANESE AND AMERICAN AIMS
DIFFER.
The chrysanthemum has won its con-
| quests in America during the last quarter
Of a century. In apan the gardeners pay
more attention to the plant than to the
flower They devote their attention o
dwarfed. well-shaped plants and shrubs.
But the American florist was not salts
fed with japanese methods. He learned
some things from French gardeners about
growing Jumbo flowers and improved the
French methods. a dainty blossom was
entirely out OF harmony with American
ideas and American fortunes, and the
New York flower growers determined to
give the public what It wanted. Plants
were reduced to one steam bearing one
bud. and in lighthouses blossoms were ma
tured which rivalled wash-tuh in size
and surmounted stalks large enough for
iireWo0d.
Then the work of popularizins the
the proper thing for fall decorations. Il
could be grown ut a time when the
florists We're not busy, and proved to be
Il desirable flower with which to open the
winter season. it was in all its glory at
the season Of horse shows and came to
be inseparaby associated with them.
Football struck the country broadside.
Colegians adopted the chrysanthem mum,
and its reputation was firmly established
One florist in Washington grows $50 dis
tinct varieties OF the chrysanthenlu1n. IN
discussing the flowers grown for the re-
tail trade, he said. however that most
SS,t T.S.ft1
Of a half dozen standard varieties which
afford the colors most in demand. Every
dealer has a standard white. red pink.
yellow. and lavender Chrysanthemun.
and strives to keep few variegated
flowers.
THREE CHRYSANTHEMuM MONTHS.
September, October. md November are
the great cbrysanthemum months The
flowers arc choicest in those months.
and fashion has decreed that they shall
be used only then. Many florists man
age to keep a stock of the great flowers
until Christmas time. but the bclated
specimens are not as choice as those
which blossom early in autumn. The
chrysanthemum season closes with the
Thanksgiving football game. Smart peo-
pie esehew the flower after the last
Thursday in November and turn to the
rose
Efforts to popularize the cllrysanthe-
mum as winter flower have failed.
Some florists have been successful in
most of the winter months. out the ex-
pense of producing the flowers out OF
season is so great that they must be sold
for several times the price they bring in
autumn. The public refused TO pay a
high price for a flower out of season, and
florists were forced to accept the die
tates of fashion and join with the MILL
ner III her effort to supply seasonable
wares.
The demand for carnations varies less
with the season than that for any other
flower a prominent T street florist re-
marked yesterday. 1T is not associated
with some season. as most other flowers
are. The cali for carnations continues
through the year. Roses come next in
popula rity. They are III demand a al
seasons, but the winter season is when
they are especially popular Volets are
always associated with spring, and have
their great run then. Sweet pease are
The late spring and summer flower. I
carry sweet pease throughout the year,
but don't have a call for them once a
week Orchids have their inning during
the winter.