The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-11-20
CHRYSANTHEMUMS.
The Government Show Ended-Gorgeous but
Unsatisfying-TheR Rose is Queen.

The first Government flower show is
over, and it was a gorgeous success. 1t
lasted about two weeks. and the visitors
who thronged the narrow aisles in the low
little glass house where the beauties were
shown numbered away up into the thou
sands. There was just one flower on eX-
hibition-the chrysanthemum-but it was
there in such varied types and coforlnSs
that there was no chance for mOnotony.
The show was made most unostenta-
tiOusly in one of the propagating houses III
the Agricultural grounds, under the direct
supervision of Capt. Brown, who assisted
in establishing the propagating houses OF
the Government nearly 50 years ago. The
chrysanthemum house is about 100 feet
long. and two people can scarcely walk
abreast down the narrow aisle separating
the bins in which the plants stood, just
as thick as they could be crowded together.
Most of the plants were very tall, and had
few blossoms. Of course, they would be
considered few as chrysanthemums go, be-
cause they generally bloom so lavishly.
Half dozen to dozen blossoms on one
stem. and each plant had a single stem,
not being raggedly bushy, as the plant
grows when unframed.
But the size of the blossoms, and the
riot of color and marking caused reverend
ing comment. Without doubt, n big wine
red, rather fiat and fringed-edge flower,
the DidCk WIS tHC
vOrite. 1t was as big as a tea plate, and
while very double" only the outer petals
were very long. 1t was richly beautiful.
There were myrads of white ones. pearl
white, ivory white. blue white, and, as 4
little boy said. after he had looked his
eyes tired, lust white The pretty pink
beauties ranged from a dainty blush on
the tips of long white petals, through all
the shades of Crushed" reds up to the
magnificent Black Hawk, which was
really velyety black in some lights. And
then the yellow boomers. They We're
splendidly bright, from the ivory tints of
the huge Mrs. Somebody to the glaringly
orange yellow superabundance of a Mrs.
Somebody else, showing every shade of
yellow in the spectrum, and then some. 1t
is impossible to describe the gaudiness of
the great things. They We're all so splen-
didly perfect, and every petal so evenly
placed that n comb-and-brush toilet was
suggested. In among the finest examples
of the florists art We're some seedlings,
and they certainly did look odd. They
were so tall and spindly and half-fnisbed
looking, and the colorings were so crude
compared with the superb blossoms per-
fected by many years Of crossing, that
they got good deal more attention than
they would have received otherwise.
There was not Il 'button" blossom in the
POO varieties, and scarcely plant with
a flower that was less than eight inches
across. 1t was a sight to see, this Gov
eminent Chrysanthcmum show, and florists
discussed it's advantages in gravely serious
scientific terms, but in getting away from
the lavishness of the chrysanthemums. one
passes the rose house, and oh. the joy of it
The rich. rare fragrance of :he Golden
Gates with their shy, half-opened buds.
and the modest tea roses with their delicate
perfume. closed round and over one like
a benediction. You could shut your eyes,
and just feel the presence of the velvet
and ivory buds. And then you knew why
it was that, after all, the Chrysanthemums
with their wealth of bloom and richness
of color did not satisfy the senses. They
| were 'icily regular, splendidy NULL" lack
ing both character and perfume. They
pleased but one sense-the sight. To the
touch they are coarse. and lacking in the
incense-like perfume of the carnation or
| the rose. cannot penetrate the other senses,
and one leaves the brilliant boomers with
a feeling of unsatistiedness.
| After all, one rose tree, one pot of car
nations is worth whole National Con-
servatory of blossoms that one can APP
preciate quite as well in colored litho-
graph, since they appeal only to the eye.