We may no longer say with Bryant, "The melancholy days have come," for these are the days of the chrysanthemum shows, and the chrysanthemums of the present day are as much of a specific for melancholy as is the sun-flower for malaria. During the past month, the United States nurseries, of Short Hills, N. J., have been exhibiting the glories of their chrysanthemum house to the members of the press, while during the week of Nov. 10 to 15 inclusive, the general public is invited to feast its eyes upon the modern ten-inch floral wonders evolved from the old "artemisia".

Two noticeable points of this year's exhibition are : First, the almost complete change in the "bill of fare," the varieties prominent last year being scarcely present now ; Second, the prominence given to yet unnamed seedlings. Of course, little can be done in the way of description of these for the benefit of people at large until they receive names by which they may be identified.

Some English growers did not hesitate to say last spring that the deluge of new varieties would work ill to this popular flower because there were so very few of them that were in any way superior to the known varieties. The plants which called out these comments were very largely from French growers; whether American chrysanthemum raisers can be doing better than their French compeers, seems always to be a question in the minds of the authorities, especially English authorities, yet the seedlings shown at Short Hills do seem to show that advance is being made. True, many of the new kinds are coarse, and of an ugly form, showing several rows of petals around an open center; yet many of them are extremely fine, being improvements on named varieties which they resemble in beauty of form or color, or in breadth of petal.

Mrs. A. Hardy, the great card a year ago, was this year relegated to one corner. She is a beauty par excellence, but a wretched grower. The cut blooms of the pink "Ostrich Plume" so heavily advertised last spring, as shown at Short Hills, bear no comparison with Mrs. Hardy in respect to beauty. The size is good, and the hairy surface quite similar to that pioneer in this style, but the color is a dull, characterless pink which does not please.

A heavy bank at the farther end of the house, was composed almost entirely of Mad. Lacroix and Rohallion. The latter is one of Messrs. Pitcher & Manda's Japanese importations. The color is a fine deep yellow ; the long twisted petals are open and flat at the end and the flower is deep. It is a distinct and most beautiful variety, which makes its special corner fairly glow.

Mrs. Grace Hill is similar to Excellent (which some growers characterized last spring as "the best pink yet introduced for general purposes ") but is of finer color, and has greater breadth of petal.

One fine new variety shows a coloring most marvelous - a pinkish gold, very near a pure salmon, and is odd and beautiful, beyond description.

One of the firm's own seedlings, offered last spring at $1 per plant, under the name of Mrs. Hicks Arnold, deserves especial mention. The lower petals of the flower are pink, shading softly to a white center. It is a Japanese, of dwarf growth, and is claimed to be the finest early variety in existence.

Among medium sized varieties, Flora Fewkes (white), Cullingfordii (crimson) and Vieil Or (translated old gold) hold prominent place. No doubt they would give more general satisfaction to amateurs than the show varieties, so many of which are poor growers. Vieil Or, far from being "old gold," as shown here is of the purest golden color, with twisted petals and a fluffy appearance that is very attractive as well as novel in the chrysanthemums.

Last year's western beauty, the " Mrs. Harrison cup" chrysanthemum, Ada Spaulding, was conspicuous by absence, greatly to the disappointment of some of the expectant ones, who expected the cup-winner in great style. - C. S. Valentine.