JAPANESE CHRYSANTHEMUMS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 122, 25 May 1891, Page 3

JAPANESE CHRYSANTHEMUMS.

The Gardener's Magazine lately contained tome interesting details uonoerning a chrysanthemum Bbow in Japao, and gave two illuettatioDfl— one of Borne floe plants in large tuba, the other illustration shows a Japanese variety with extra long quills and a relfttlfely small diao. To this the name of tbe great " Bpidarkry " iB given, but it haß more tbe appearance of a huge Bea anemone, with its tentaoles expanded, Tbe annual chrysanthemum show in Japan was one of the two oooaaioDs in whiob the Empress appeared in public We oite from our cod temporary some remarks from an account of one of these shows :— " Under these imperial awnings and tents there are collections of chrysanthemums quite natural, but which do not look as if they were— wonderful ohryßanthemums, in the honour of whioh their MajestitH have invited us—marvellous chrysanthemums, of whioh our autumn borders oan give us oofc the faintest idea. With geometrical regularity they are planted in quincunx form on sloping grouud covered with moss ; eaoh plant ban but one stem, and eaob stem but oue flower. But what a flower I Larger than our biggest sunflower, and always ot eaoh » bwutitnl tint, and of bo nre a foim. Oue baa broad, fleshy floreta arranged with auou regularity as io resemble a huge pins, artichoke ; another imitates a curly leafed cabbage of bronzy* buff ; while yet another of the most dazzling yellow baa thousands of fine, little florets, whioh spread out and druop like a sbeal of golden wire. Borne there are of an ivory-like white, others of pale mauve or else of tbe most splendid amaranth, There are stiiped ones and shaded ones. And some idea of th« work that it takes to produce these enormous floweiß oan be gained by looking closely at the supports which are scarcely visible alongside tbe stems holding up those whioh are too heavy, or else pinohing and arresting the sap of those whioh would open too quiokly. Along the sides of the beds, and always under the name long violet bilk awnings decorated with the heraldio Eiku oreat, are more flower shows ; we might say more fantastio ohrysanthemumß, executed in tbe moat extraordinary manner. Here aro Borne enormouß bouquets as big aa treus, and instead of having only one stem they have a hundred, arranged with perfect symmetry around a central trunk, aud at the end of eaoh branoh a bloom quite open, never past its best, never a bud, but always at tbe same degree of perfection the same day."