304 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



FEBRUARY 23, 1S99. 



are many inferior and worn out vari- 

 eties on the market. 



A long list or varieties may give 

 some prestige as an advertising me- 

 dium, but its usefulness ends there. 

 There are aliout 3,000 named varieties 

 of roses, and yet less than a score of 

 varieties seem to meet and fill the 

 popular demand. A recent English 

 work recognizes over S60 named varie- 

 ties of dahlias, as a partial list only, 

 and yet I venture the opinion that 

 after 100 of the more distinct varie- 

 ties were selected from this list the 

 remainder would be found to consist 

 very largely of duplicates of the list 

 selected, or of colors so inferior that 

 they would be undesirable. 



The grower should retain only the 

 best, and not try to multiply many va- 

 rieties of the same color. Clear, 

 bright colors, with good stems and 

 forms, give the best satisfaction. Fan- 

 cy or variegated colors also have 

 their admirers, and in shows and large 

 collections play a very important part; 

 but this class is but little used for dec- 

 orative work. W. W. WILMORE. 



Denver, Col. 



THE FLORISTS' REVIEW 



G. L. GRANT, Editor and Manager. 



PUBLISHED E\'^RY THURSDAY BV 



THE FLORISTS' PUBLISHING CO. 



520-535 Caxton Building, Chicago. 



334 Dearborn Street. 



Subscription, fi.oo a year. To Europe, $2.00. Sub- 

 scriptions accepted from those in the, trade only. 



Advertising rates: Per incn, |i.oo; i4 page, S13.50; 

 full page, f 27.00. Discounts: 6 times, 5 per cent; 13 

 times, 10 per cent; 26 times, 20 per cent; 52 times, 30 

 ;>ercent. Discounts allowed only on consecutive mser- 

 tions. Only strictly trade advertising accepted. Adver- 

 tisements must reach us by Tuesday to insure insertion 

 in the issue of the following Thursday. 



Copyright iSqq. 



CARNATION IMPRESSIONS. 



A full report of premiums and cer- 

 tificates will appear in anotlier col- 

 umn; at least, I have every reason to 

 believe it will, as the editor and pub- 

 lisher, Mr. G. L. Grant, himself, was 

 present. What interests the readers 

 of the Review mostly is what are the 

 best existing varieties; who took pre- 

 miums on older varieties is of less 

 consequence. While, however, on this 

 subject, it is most important to note 

 that varieties introduced two and 

 three years ago were shown in better 

 form at Philadelphia as to size, form 

 and stem than the day that their own- 

 •ers first staged them and asked for 

 certificates. To expect any great de- 

 parture from existing varieties is un- 

 reasonable and illogical. In the selec- 

 tion and improvement of varieties be- 

 longing to any species, the process Is 

 slow. If we sought only a stout stem, 

 or may be only great size of flowers, 

 or perhaps a perfection of color, or 

 an intensity of fragrance, greater de- 

 Telopment in any of those lines could 



have been produced, but the standard 

 of today asks not for one of these 

 qualities', but the highest development 

 of all, and if a new seedling is defi- 

 cient in any one of the qualities of 

 stem, form, color, substance, or size, 

 the owner may as well not bother to 

 introduce it, for there are varieties 

 now existing that cover all these 

 great essentials in the Divine flower. 



From observations at Philadelphia 

 it seems that culture has much more 

 to do with quality of flower than 

 heredity. Daybreak is now at least 

 ten or twelve years old, and you see it 

 in many places a very medium-sized, 

 weak-stemmed flower, yet it is the di- 

 rect parent of our largest and best va- 

 rieties. Daybreak, when well grown, 

 is still distinct and grand, and possi- 

 bly tlie best all around commercial 

 carnation grown if you take the coun- 

 try at large. Several varieties were 

 exhibited at Philadelphia so like Day- 

 break that very properly no great no- 

 tice was taken of them, although 

 beautiful flowers. 



But enough of this. The writer has 

 little desire to cast ice water on any 

 aspirant, but I still repeat that cult- 

 ure is of more consequence than the 

 acquisition of new varieties. And to 

 invest in a new variety, you should 

 find out what soil the raiser was using 

 with his variety, whether stiff or light, 

 a black muck of Kalamazoo, or the 

 fine loam of Long Island. A very sim- 

 ple explanation will give you a better 

 idea of what I mean. In our own 

 neighborhood of Buffalo the soil varies 

 every few miles. In the strong clay 

 soil of Lancaster, a few miles east of 

 Buffalo, Daybreak grows to perfection 

 and Scott doesn't. Another 15 miles 

 east there is a dark but very friable 

 loam largely impregnated with lime, 

 and there Scott is good and Daybreak 

 is small. I only give this as an illus- 

 tration that few of us are so situated 

 that we can do justice to all, and what 

 we can grow well should be our 

 choice. The matter of temperature and 

 watering is comparatively easily 

 learned and he is not a student or de- 

 serving of success if he does not fol- 

 low out the instructions of men of 

 greater experience. But soil is differ- 

 ent. We can feed and stimulate by 

 manure, yet it will not alter the tex- 

 ture and natural ingredients of the 

 soil. 



The display c f the superbly grown 

 flowers, both tlie standard varieties 

 and those introduced this winter, is 

 almost beyond conception. I shall put 

 at the head of all Mrs. Lawson, now 

 too famous to require any initials. In 

 size, stem and form it is ahead of any- 

 thing yet produced, and what's the 

 matter with the color? Really noth- 

 ing. 



Of all the perfectly formed flowers 

 of the largest size, perfect in sym- 

 metry, fullness, substance and its fine- 

 ly variegated colors, John N. May's 

 Oiympia is the queen. It is undoubt- 



edly the finest formed and largest car- 

 nation yet introduced, and the only 

 fault was a slight tendency for the 

 immense flowers to bend the stems. 

 In form and size it is a great improve- 

 ment on the well known Mrs. Bradt. 

 When Mrs. Bradt was first shown at 

 Cincinnati two years ago, the flowers 

 hung over the side of the jar like a 

 nepenthes, but look at them as grown 

 by Ward or Dailledouze. 



C. W. Ward had a grand vase each 

 of Maceo and Gomez. In form, sub- 

 stance, size and stem they are grand. 

 Maceo, most perfect, is several shades 

 darker than Gomez. They are both 

 acquisitions to the maroon section. 



G. H. Crane, which showed up so 

 well at , Chicago, was again seen in 

 grand order. It is doubtless The scar- 

 let. The raisers, F. Dorner & Sons 

 Co.. showed two grand vases, but the 

 long journey had robbed them of their 

 bright color. As shown by C. W. 

 Ward it was grand in every respect. 



The Marquis, shown by L. E. Mar- 

 quise, of Syracuse, is a magnificent 

 pink, and earned the certificate of 

 merit. 



J. Whitcomb Riley also gained a 

 certificate, and well it deserved it as 

 grown by Dailledouze Bros, it is about 

 perfect, and in form, size, substance 

 and stem is perfect up to present 

 ideals. Its color only can be criti- 

 cised, not quite enough color to be 

 called a variegated and too much color 

 to pass for a white. 



Those mentioned above all scored 

 sufficient points to receive a certificate 

 of merit, and they had to be about 

 perfect and up to the ideal to do that. 

 No allowance was made for a long 

 journey, poor packing, or any other 

 accident. They were judged just as 

 they appeared. While they may be 

 honestly said to be an improvement 

 on any previously disseminated varie- 

 ties, do not forget that many of those 

 introduced in 1897 and 1898 were 

 shown in grand form by more than 

 one grower. White Cloud was superb 

 in every way, and some vases of Flora 

 Hill and Evelina were very fine. Old 

 Jubilee, whicli we hear many com- 

 plain of, loomed up superb in bright- 

 ness, size and stem. Mrs. James Dean, 

 New York and Mrs. Bradt are all 

 grand in every way. New York strikes 

 me as indispensable with every grow- 

 er. 



Mr. Rudd brought Cerise Queen -all 

 the way from Chicago, 52 hours on 

 the journey, and Mr. Rackham 

 brought it from Detroit. It is one of 

 the very best carnations, and both 

 gentlemen say their best money mak- 

 er. One hundred blooms of Mayor 

 Pingree traveled from Chicago and 

 took first prize for yellow. Enough 

 said; space forbids me to mention 

 many other varieties. 



One, however, I have quite over- 

 looked, and that is Melba. shown by 

 John N. May and Robert Craig & Son. 

 If it were not for the advent of Mrs. 



