How art may assist nature is admirably shown in the accompanying photographs illustrating My Lady Chrysanthemum in her natural state, and the same bloom dressed and cupped for show purposes. It will probably never have occurred to the majority of people that such dressing is a most important matter in preparing blossoms for exhibition, and it will be news to them that the preparation of this toilet is a matter requiring the greatest skill, and is only to be undertaken with complete success by the horticulturist who has made a special study of chrysanthemum growing and showing.
Such a one is Mr. Southard, who is at present growing prize blooms of all kinds for Mr. Kenyon, of Sutton, Surrey. Mr. Southard is one of the most successful growers in this country of the Japanese national flower. He is an exhibitor whose triumphs in the past are represented by innumerable first, second, and special prizes. And he is generally recognised as one of the most expert chrysanthemum dressers to be found in a long day's march.
To him we are indebted for our knowledge of the secrets of floral barbering.
What a science this is may be more readily realised by a glance at our photograph of a set of instruments used for the purpose. These are specially made, and each has a special part to play in dressing the perfect specimen bloom.
[Illustration: A "RAGGED AND UNKEMPT CHRYSANTHEMUM"--WHICH BECAME NEAT AND CHARMING UNDER CAREFUL TREATMENT.]
There are twenty-four varieties of chrysanthemums, but two in particular, the reflex and the incurved, are the subjects of artificial treatment. The accompanying series of photographs show the making of an incurved bloom's toilet from first to last. The first picture illustrates the cutting. To the uninitiated there would not appear to be anything particular about this; but mark one thing. The bloom is cut with a long stalk. This is an important matter: the reason will appear later on. The second photograph of the series illustrates the taking out of a portion of the seedy eye. This is a particularly telling part of the toilet, and goes a long way towards making the bloom show its best.
In the exhibition specimen the petals uniformly cover the flower, but as it appears on the plant it will probably show a considerable amount of centre; unless this is removed it causes an untidy hollow in the middle of the bloom. Portions of the seedy eye are generally removed while the flower is yet on the plant, and the petals then grow naturally towards the centre, and cover the cavity. However, in dressing the bloom it is usual to extract further portions, an operation performed by means of the special instrument shown in the photograph.