Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-06


ment in Europe that Chinese found
a little yellow weed by the roadside
and took it home to his garden. He expert
mented with it-ard, lo The chrysanthenlum.
Even a mere 1900 years ago posts were ex-
hausting their Vocabularies in its praise, and
artists and porcelain makers chose 1t for their
motif.
There was q Chinese King-an aStonlshingly
terrific villain-wko lived in the dim, misty
DAYS of lcng ago OF course, he was afraid to
die When he heard that on an island some
miles east of China there grew rare plant
which yielded a juice giving everlasting life,
for to the Oriental the chrysanthemum has
always been symbolic of long life, he wanted 1t.
And he wanted it more than riches or power!
But, unfortunately for this royal gentleman,
only good people could touch the chrysanthe-
mum plant or it would become useless SO the
King sent q wise man and 300 youths and
maidens in quest of 1t. They never returned.
No one knows whether they ever found the
chrysanthemum for they established q king
dom on the island and stayed there. And that
island We know as Japan.
When japan borrowed her culture from
China some thousand years ago she also took
that ccuntry's chrysanthemuEn to her heart and
adopted 1t as her own national emblem. In
deed, she emblazoned 1t on the Mikados sword.
And to be q member Of the Grand Order Of
the ChYysanthemun . japanese must be OF
high rank
One Of the yearly functions q the Japanese
court Is O chfySantnemum party neio on the
ninth day Of the ninth neutrality-suspicious..
The Emperor and the dignitaries take part In
this celebration which consists OF feaSting and
composing poems to the flower. Undoubtedly
It Is because Of such prominence Of the chrys-
anthemum in Japanese life and art that in
western minds this flower is associated with
Japan rather than China, Its original ny
bridizer.
Chrysanthemums reached Europe in 1889,
when one Monsieur Blancard, MarSeille mer-
oh eli fNS hiF1o
Then merchants visiting China began bringing
home new varieties until by 1924 there were
q different kinds growing at the Horticultural
Gardens. Chiswick England. The following
year 700 specimens of thsse 81 varieties had
developed to blooming size, and England staged
her first mum show.
American interest was first whetted about
1881 although the Massachusetts, Horticultural
Society had exhibited some back in 1880. Just
in the last IS years interest in NUNS has
picked up amazingly until today chrysanthe-
mum show-mania is actually sweeping the
world. In Washington, D. c., the United
States Department of Agriculture holds daz-
cling mum show every year. and no one would
dream of missing this treat.
IN Uncle Sans experimental mum garden
] near Arlington. on the opposite side Of the
Potomac River from Washington. one may see
and rows Of manyhued blooms every
Plant Industry have decided that the beauty
which the hardy chrysanthemums add to the
landscape of the South during late Fail could
be extended to the North il early Towering sorts
with suficient hardness to Withstand the rig
orouS Winters Of the region can be developed
In fact, their work has resulted In the develop
ment Of some early boomers including q Wide
range of form and color. which they plan to
make available to northern gardeners.
They also made the unique discovery that
the NUNS Towering season varies according to
daily exposure to light; that is the chrysan-
themum in Towering in the Fall, is not await
ing cooler weather but shorter days. And
they can prove 1t, too
Taking cuttings of late variety Of chrysan-
themums, they exposed them to 10 hours Of
daylight-from $50 am. to $3.50 pm. During
the remainder Of the day they kept all light
dark houses. And the plants given this treat
ment have consistently Powered as early as
July IS or in early August, while NUNS receiv-
ing the full daylight did not flower until the
middle Of October. Wouldn't this be fasci-
mating experiment for the amateur gardener
who wishes to hasten delayed conditions Of
towering?
Blooming during September, October and
November, o time Of year when the majority
Of flowers are waning or have disappeared en-
urely the chrysanthemum with It's wide range
Of hardy perennial varieties suggests many pos
Sibilities. Why not have o mum garden that
Is appealingly different?
Try them In borders or beds or in big mass
paintings. One could interplant them with
earlier flowers. or move them Ia 10 follow the
Canterbury bells and foxgloves. Many people
grow them during the Summer IN IN out-of-