212 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



JANUARY 25, 1900. 



and many a good trick is remembered 

 and laughed over about how one would 

 try to get them away from the other. 

 Hinsdale was the first pink carnation 

 that came to the market in great 

 quantity, and for many years it was 

 the best of all for table decorations 

 and bouquets. We like to remember 

 this variety; how lovely it could be 

 arranged with its plentiful buds and 

 a foliage. Yes, most of the million- 

 aires' tables of those days were deco- 

 rated with a centerpiece of Catherine 

 Mermets or Bon Silene roses, and 

 coasters of Hinsdale carnations, and 

 they made a better effect than many 

 of the things we see today. 



But few varieties introduced in the 

 '80s amounted to anything. Anna 

 Webb scarcely succeeded in replacing 

 Crimson King: Portia was good, but 

 there was Lady Emma; Garfield be- 

 came a favorite with some; Grace 



flowers have gradually risen to such a 

 state of perfect idealism as to place 

 them in a different class altogether. 

 American hybridizers and growers 

 have simply surpassed — yes, far ex- 

 ceeded — the rest of the world's expec- 

 tations or dreams concerning this 

 flower. A perusal of some of the lead- 

 ing catalogues issued in Europe at the 

 present time will show you that the 

 old, old varieties are still listed, and 

 a comparison of their methods and 

 products with ours would be to look 

 down from the Pike's Peak of our ad- 

 vanced science to their tortoiseshell of 

 self-satisfaction below. 



There are some who believe that if 

 many of the discarded carnations were 

 properly introduced and cared for, far 

 better results would have been ob- 

 tained from them. Then again, facts 

 seem to prove that varieties deterior- 

 ate. This seems to be one of nature's 



Anton Then's display at the Chicago Club Meeting. 



Wilder, introduced in 1881, got to be 

 the most popular carnation until the 

 advent of Wm. Scott. Grace Wilder at 

 one time was all the rage; it was look- 

 ed upon as a marvel in color. This 

 one flower alone succeeded in revolu- 

 tionizing the color tones in decora- 

 tions; it created the fad of pink 

 luncheons and teas; dresses were spe- 

 cially imported from Paris to match 

 its beautiful flush; debutantes and 

 reigning belles demanded it for bou- 

 quets at receptions; houses of it were 

 specially grown to order. We remem- 

 ber the Patriarchs' balls at old Del- 

 monico's. We used to have wire 

 frames made in the shape of curtains 

 on the windows; these frames were 

 mossed very lightly, then covered with 

 smilax; over that short carnation 

 foliage, and then the whole was made 

 a mass of Grace Wild3r carnations. 

 Often as many as ten thousand of 

 these flowers were thus used for one 

 of these memorable events. It seems 

 such a short time ago, and yet one of 

 OUT dear friends keeps telling us we 

 have two grey hairs. 



Well, most of those in the business 

 today are familiar with the carnations 

 of the past decade. Since 1890 these 



laws applicable and in force through 

 every sphere of creation. Plant life is 

 but a parallel of human life and we 

 must sooner or later recognize it as 

 such. Intelligent growers will not con- 

 tinue to grow from their own stock 

 year after year, until exhausted vital- 

 ity induces them to condemn the vic- 

 tim and not their shortsightedness. 



Lizzie McGowan, sent out in '90, was 

 the largest carnation of that time. 

 The large boutonniere originated with 

 this variety and it was in many other 

 ways responsible for the demand for 

 larger flowers. All will agree that 

 there has been more money made out 

 of Wm. Scott, introduced in '93, than 

 of any other variety, and though it is 

 fast losing quality, we fear it will be 

 some time yet before one will appear 

 to equal it in every way. 



A great deal of the credit for the 

 advancement in excellence and popu- 

 larity of the carnation must be given 

 to the American Carnation Society; 

 their success goes to prove that all 

 special lines of commercial flowers 

 need a protecting and encouraging 

 hand to advance them. The rose has 

 fallen into disfavor because growers 

 can only offer a few varieties. What 



makes the carnation so popular today 

 is not quality of flower alone, but 

 rather the extensive variety of them; 

 this makes them adaptable for all pur- 

 poses, and though one kind or color 

 may pay better than the other, it is 

 absolutely necessary to the future of 

 this flower that there shall always be 

 many tones and colors to choose "from. 

 Once let it become like the rose and 

 the same result will surely follow. 

 Never were there so many new carna- 

 tions as there are offered this year, 

 and it looks as if there will be even 

 more in the first of the next century. 

 These claimants to fame are all beau- 

 tiful, and it is with much regret we 

 think that many of them must meet 

 the fate of others that have gone be- 

 fore. 



There are many ways to look at the 

 subject before us. The introducers of 

 new varieties seem to have one ambi- 

 tion nowadays: get a certificate and 

 sell rooted cuttings. That is, of course, 

 commendable. Some growers aim to 

 produce top grade flowers only; that 

 is also good; but we should remember 

 that there always was and always will 

 be a place for average good flowers, 

 which in these ultra high fed days we 

 are apt to sneer at. There are many 

 sorts of highly reputed gems offered 

 now which would be useless only that 

 they produce the largest flowers; it 

 requires special houses, special treat- 

 ment in general, to produce the ideal 

 carnation of today in a remunerative 

 way; you cannot afford to sell them 

 cheaply, and oh! my friends, there 

 are millions we wish to sell to who 

 cannot afford to pay the price. Let 

 them do without, some will say; but 

 that is a selfish and ignorant view to 

 take. When we have calculated on 

 how much we can get for our stock, 

 we should look down the other side 

 and figure out how cheaply can we 

 produce them without hiring slaves or 

 eating dry bread. We believe there is 

 and will always be room for the two 

 classes of carnations — the fair sized 

 and free flowering, and the extra fine 

 ones. 



You must know that there has been 

 many a good thing that never was 

 awarded any recognition until it was 

 compulsory, and there are numerous 

 carnations today to our knowledge 

 which would be ignored by society 

 judges, and yet from a retail stand- 

 point they are far superior to those 

 laden with awards. You, yourself, are 

 capable of being the best judge; if re- 

 sults are satisfactory, that is all you 

 need; don't di^ard a good thing be- 

 cause it fails to be approved of by an- 

 other, for variety is really the spice 

 of life in this case. One of the ob- 

 jects of the American Carnation So- 

 ciety reads, "to increase its use as a 

 decorative flower." It would appear 

 that their idea of doing this is to pro- 

 duce fine flowers, for out of the large 

 amount of money offered as prizes by 

 that society not a dollar — no, not even 

 a paltry certificate — has ever been of- 

 fered to encourage the use of carna- 

 tions as a decorative flower. And 

 what has made that flower so popular? 



