The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-07
over 700 PLANTS
Thousands of Blazing Blossoms
at Flower Show.
Every Variety of Chrysanthe-
mum Is Represented.
MADE IN TOPEKA, U.S.A
All the Flowers Are Grown by
Residents of Topeka.
Proceeds of Show Will 60 to
Park improvement.

notwithstanding the fact that the
weather conditions this fall in this local ,
ity have been more unfavorable for the |
culture Of chrysanthemums than they |
have at any other time within the last |
seven years. there is on exhibition at |
No. 81 Kansas avenue. a collection Of
these graceful, featherlike blooms that, |
for brilliancy of color, beauty of form |
and extensiveness of varieties, is far su-
perior to any other collection that has |
ever been displayed in Topeka.
These flowers are on exhibition under |
the auspices of the West Side Forestry
club, which is an organization of some
thirty women living in the Sixth ward,
who banded together some eighteen
months ago for the purpose of inprov-
| ing the typographical conditions Of the
locality by the establishment of a public
park in the triangular plot of ground
/ formed by Horn and West Sixth streets
and Willow avenue. At the solicitation
of this club the city has decided to Gre
ate a park there and it is known as
Willow park, but the city has not much
money to spare for the Improvement of
1 the park and the women of the club de-
cided to lend their aid in raising enough
money to make the park one Of the
beauty spots of the city As early as
I
plans for the present chrysanthemum
show, and the money they receive from
admissions to the show and also from
the sale of the chrysanthemum plants
and blossoms will be devoted to the i'm
provement of the park.
That their efforts have met with sue
cess as far as a fine exhibition Of flow
ers is concerned is made evident by
visit to the show. In January all Of the
members OF the club secured chrysan-
/ themum seeds and plants and have work
ed with them through most OF a year
lculturing them with care and zeal and
the results have been beyond their e11-
pecta tions for the cold weather of Oc-
| tober was anything but favorable for
/ the final development of the plants and
/ blossoms.
There are more than seven hundred
plants on exhibition and they include
talnost every variety of the chrysan-
ithemum that is grown. Some of the
blooms are so beautiful and so great in
size that many of the persons who
have visited the show have expressed
the opinion that they We're secured at
Kansas City or some other place,
where there are extensive greenh Ouses,
for the purpose of the exhibition
This is not so. Every plant and flower
on exhibition was raised here in To-
peka and its vicinity and this fact
alone makes the show quite a remark
able one when the beauty and variety
of the exhibition is considered.
Entering the rooms where the show
is being held the effect is rather daz-
zling. Chrysanthemums of all sizes
and Of all the colors of the rainbow
with the possible exception of blue, are
banked high along the walls and I'LL
large tables down the center of the
room They present a Kaleidoscope
effect and it is hard work for one to
pick out what might be considered the
most beautiful of the countless brill
liant blooms that surround on all
sides. OF course some are giants in
size as compared with others, but
many of the smaller ones have touches
of coloring that are a delectation to
the senses of beauty.
Perhaps the flowers that attract as
much attention as any and may be
considered as beautiful as any in the
exhibition are of the "Enfant des
Mondes" variety. These are a pure
snow white. The petals curve in
graceful folds towards the center and
the edge of every petal is feathered in
d most delicate fashion.
For wonderful coloring and size as
well a specimen of the John Schrimp-
ton" variety is bound to attract the
attention OF every one. It is eighteen
inches in circumference and its petals
curl in. The inside of these petals are
a deep red and the outside a light
"copper" bronze, and the mingling of
these two shades, as the blossoms nod
in response to a touch. is beautiful
new variety of the plant that has
never been exhibited in this vicinity
DGIOIG Is Cdii9Q the Ba0Gn ROWGll.
and is of a deep magenta color that is
fine, and a plant containing a dozen
blossoms of a pale lavender shade is
pan ticularlly pleasing to the eye Among
} many of the large blossoms is one Of
the Golden Wedding class that is is
inches in circumference; one of the
Golden mine" variety Is inches in cir
cumference; and a white Timothy E3-
, ton," Il inches in circumference. These
three and the John SchrimptOn'' were
grown by Mrs. T. c, Biddle, the wife
of the superintendent of the state hos
pital There is a deep lavender bios
som of the Mrs. Combs variety. that
measures % inches in circumference
5 All in all the exhibition is a particu-
, larly fine one, in fact the finest ever
l seen here and it compares more than
faVOrably with a good many chrysan-
themum shows that have been given in
much larger cities in the country.
The exhibition will be open morning,
afternoon and evening up to and in
Guiding Thursday night and from the
l way the people of Topeka are showing
their appreciation of the exhibition and
the opportunity to secure handsome
plants that viii bloom for a long while
i, vet, there will not be many Of the 700
/ plants unsold when the show closes.
, Quite a number have been sold already
i but these and the others sold win be
kept on exhibition until the show closes.
There were no prizes offered for the
largest or most beautiful flowers that
might be exhibited and the women of
the Forestry club mad nothing OF this
sort to stimulate them in raising the
plants They have worked merely in a
l public spirited way to raise money for
the new park and their efforts have met
with such success in growing beautiful
flowers that they are sanguine of fnan-
| cial success in disposing Of them.
Mrs W. A. Johnston is the president
of the club; Mrs. 0. E. Walker, vice
= president Mrs. T. D. Graham. recording
re