Show I A GREAT f CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW I. I p ua GUr GUl ELLIOTT MITCHELL I m Perhaps nowhere In the tho world can enn canone canone one find such a varied and magnificent magnificent cent collection of ot chrysanthemums as may be seen every autumn at the Nations Nation's Nations Nation's Na Na- tion's Capitol The chrysanthemum shows of ot Washington have become becom a fixed institution so BO that society society society-dIplo- diplo diplomatic matic circles as well well look look forward interestedly Interestedly interestedly In in- for the opening of or the government government government gov gov- hothouses which display the finest of or Uncle Sams Sam's experiments inthis In Inthis this branch of ot flower growing I x j I jI jI I I H s S b rr c 1 c ct t Y f H V THE TWO STAR CHRYSANTHEMUMS I The rho Mrs Roosevelt A. A Yellow Yellow A Beauty Dazzling 10 White Ball Across and tho the Be Beatrice relay May The annual chrysanthemum show of the Department of or Agriculture under under under un un- der the auspices of ot the bureau of or plant industry of or which Dr B. B T. T Galloway Is chief has just been held In the new greenhouses of or the depart depart- ment The building was one mass of bloom with its several thousand of ot four feet tall on which grew eighteen n different and distinct varieties some som white some yellow while others were pink brown and red This was obtained ob ob- tamed by grafting stems from valuable valuable valuable able sorts on a good stock The first chrysanthemum known t florists was yellow and was grown Ing in Japan It was carried over to China and from that country rapidly spread all over the world The passing years year however wrought wonders and th the chrysanthemums chrysanthemum the autumn queen queen now claims the whole world as its home borne Many of the present generation cau eau remember Low but a comparatIvely comparatively comparatively few years ago the only chrysanthemums chry chry- chrysanthemums I exhibited were to be found in the show windows of florists florists flor flor- and the flower fanciers were taxed sums ranging from one to three T F Ted Teda a y Skim Milk Fed t f Carcases 1 4 plants representing about ISO IRO lift dill different erent varieties Many of ot these are the product of the governments government's gardeners gardeners gar gar- eners artificial and crossbreeding cross crossbreeding crossbreeding breeding valuable varieties bringing about most startling results This year ear the most successful ul of ot the d departments departments department's de efforts Is a magnificent yellow yellow yel yel- low Tow flower fully ten inches in diame diame- ter tel The petals are extremely heavy havy well nell shaped and all In all the bloom bloomis is Js a a huge ball ban of molten gold The flower is not merely one for show V florists who have seen It declare that It Is of ot much commercial value I The Mrs Roosevelt Chrysanthemum I Secretary Wilson was so pleased with this Seedling of or 1905 that he authorized it named Mrs Roosevelt In honor of the first lady of the land But the departments department's experiments along the line Une of or chrysanthemum crossing are not always a success Last spring efforts were made to I cross two varieties varietIes varietIes-Merza Merza and Lieu Lieu- tenant-Colonel tenant Du the the largest largest lar lar- gest of the white and yellow low kinds kinds- with with the hope of or producing producing a combInation combination tion of value When the flower of or the new DeW plant unfolded Itself it presented an ugly mass of or brown red yellow and white and of ot but ordinary size sl It had gone back Other hybrids have hav havea e a 21 tendency to go back to single petal 1 ren varieties nd and to to distinctly different t color from the parents And yet cad each h year ear the efforts of ot the government t gardeners are rewarded even though h they produce one good good specimen by y obtaining a chrysanthemum of or rare ran e beauty and shape Good Grafting A plant at the Departments Department's show ahoy this year which attracted more moretha than tha n usual attention was a specimen abou t dollars for 3 it single blossom Now however when plant experts have simplified the art of or cultivating the lower flower such prices would shock even the he most extravagant minded |