File:The American florist - a weekly journal for the trade (1901) (17951564130).jpg

Title: The American florist : a weekly journal for the trade
Identifier: americanfloristw23amer (find matches)
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: American Florists Company
Subjects: Floriculture; Florists
Publisher: Chicago : American Florist Company
Contributing Library: UMass Amherst Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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694 The American Florist. Dec. 14, Several attempts have been made to classify the chrysanthemum but all the classifications are comparatively worth- less, because of the great variation in form. The great distinctions in the past were those of the Chinese and of the Japanese types, which, for a time, were very marked but are now practically lost. However, a lew distinctions are worthy of note, among which are the Incurved, reflexed, pompon and anemone. In the last named the distinction is quite marked, in that it has two forms of florets, the ray and the disk, but as the different varieties merge from one to another, any classification must neces- sarily be short lived. The wide range in size and form of the florets is extremely interesting to any who still cultivate the old varieties. We are impressed with this fact when we compare the broad florets of Waban, which when spread out measure one and one-eighth inches, with those of Shasta and Fimbriatum, which are not larger than coarse thread. We are equally interested when we note the vast difference between the long, pendulous florets of Golden Dragon, with those of some old Chinese varieties; or the twisted and almost shapeless florets of Loma Doone, when compared with the regular florets and symmetrical bloom ol Diana. Taking all this into consideration we can see that a classifi- cation of any kind is almost impossible. The advance made in the development of the chrysanthemum has not only been in size of bloom, but also in modes of culture. A great many of the first-class, old varieties, if grown under the new systems, would be far superior to what they were a few years ago. The matter of training specimen plants has also attracted considerable attention in the past few years. At first they were allowed to grow in a wild, straggling manner peculiar to neglected plants. This was due, possibly, to the fact that
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the old varieties had a more vigorous constitution, and were better able to support themselves than were the highly developed varieties of the present time, which have been developed chiefly for size of bloom. This lack of constitution necessitated the staking and training of the plants, which, carried to excess, resulted in the abominable creations of the last decade, among which were fans, umbrellas, globes and many other ridiculous things, the productions of seemingly untrained minds, and lastly, but by no means the least of these evils, that vegetable hedgehog, the trained bush plant, which can be placed on a par with the stunting and starving of trees practiced in the past by the semi-civilized Japanese. This style of training has called down on the craft, the ridicule of the cultured mind. It is certainly refreshing to note that this state of affairs is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Training is absolutely necessary, but it can be done intelligently and instead of producing an object that gives us pain, it is in our power to produce a thing of beauty. The umbrella has given way to the natural standard, the fan has disappeared and the hedgehog has developed into the specimen which is to be seen at some of the best chrysanthe- mum exhibitions of the day. While we criticise the system of training practiced in the past, we should remem- ber, that everything must have a begin- ning, and we in the present would be unworthy of our predecessors it we did not excel! in this respect. With the single exception of training, the workers of the past deserve abundant credit, because the advance made between 1870 and 1890 was infinitely greater than the advance made in the last ten years, so that while criticising these modes of culture, we should honor and seek to emulate the example of the heroes of the past. Casket Pieces. The two designs, photographs of which are reproduced herewith, were arranged for a casket, as may be readily seen. They were intended to come together, thus covering the whole lower part of the casket, one-half of the wreath being filled quite heavily with roses, sloping toward the foot under which the stems of the large flat bunch went, the bunch being held intact by a large leaf of kentia. The designs lay over the lowerhalf of the casket gracefully and were quite different from what is usually seen. The baby prim- roses and other delicate flowers were pot plants packed in moss; the roses only were cut. The Asparagus Sprengeri among the roses, being such a good keeper, there was very little wilting. A number of the roses were in glass tubes of water. C. B. W. The Shaw Banquet at St. Louis. The twelfth of the annual banquets to gardeners, florists and nurserymen pro- vided for in the will of the late Henry Shaw, was held at the Mercantile Club, at St. Louis, December 7. It was one of the greatest successes in the series, covers bting laid for 100 persons in the taste- fully decorated dining hall, although the St. Louis florists who gathered aboutthe board were inclined to view the flowers askance from the fact that the club, which provided the decoration, went outside their number with the order. One thing, however, which was examined I with approval was the vase of Gerbera

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