Makcii 10. 1004. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



755 



CONVENTION ECHOES. 



THE DETROIT CONVENTION. 



Your issue of last week so fully cov- 

 ers every feature of the late convention, 

 Mr. Editor, that perhaps little of im- 

 portance can be added. Yet the writer 

 was so pleased with every phase of it 

 that he would like to comment on a few 

 impressions. 



President Eackham told the writer 

 that he (W. S.) always saw that the 

 last exhibition far surpassed all pre- 

 vious ones. Perhaps I have had good 

 reasons to say this on previous occa- 

 sions, but never with more sinccritv 

 truth than at Detroit. Think of the 

 evolution, both in quantity and quality 

 of the blooms displayed, since the first 

 exhibition held in Buffalo some four- 

 teen years ago! This marvelous prog- 

 ress has not been made in one or two 

 leaps; it has been steady progress and 

 if you will compare the display at De- 

 troit with the first held by the society, 

 you must admit that there has been 

 ample room for each succeeding display 

 to have eclipsed its immediate and all 

 other preceding exhibitions. 



But it was not alone of the beautiful 

 display of carnations that we shall all 

 have the most pleasant recollections of 

 the Detroit convention, or yet of the 

 right good fellowship and splendid hos- 

 pitality shown us; it was of the business 

 proceedings as well; of the executive 



port of the judges. This is a new rec- 

 ord and is to be attributed to a greatly 

 improved method of judging as well as a 

 great reform in entering and ticketing 

 exhibits. 



Where so many grand varieties are 

 shown, it is indeed difficult to say what 

 we shall grow. Fortunate is the man 

 who can try many of them. One thing 

 is sure, if you cannot give the very 

 newest a trial you can strive to grow 

 your very best, varieties that were sent 

 out last year and two and three years 

 ago, for there were magnificent samples 

 of some that are beginning to be called 

 old varieties. I will not pretend to 

 mention all, or half, the varieties staged, 

 but only those that mostly impressed 

 me, and in doing that many beautiful 

 varieties are missed. 



Fiancee deservedly took the Lawson 

 gold medal. If I were inclined to slang, 

 I should say ' ' She 's a bute. ' ' Indian- 

 apolis is a graml bright pink and showed 

 up well, with a splendid stem. Judge 

 Hinsdale is a splendid white variegated, 

 great form and stem. Lady Bountiful 

 is a beautiful white and so Alba proves 

 itself to be wdieu rightly grown. Ethel 

 Ward is a most beautiful shade of pink 

 and bound to be a favorite. The Car- 

 .:linal took the first prize for 100 scarlet; 

 it's a wonder. The President we think 

 far surpasses all previous efforts of Mr. 



Fred Burki, shown by John Murohie, 



is a most beautiful white. The red 

 sport of Lawson, shown by W. J. Palm- 

 er, was much thought of and demon- 

 strated its fine keeping qualities. W. J. 

 & M. S. Vesey staged a fine pink. There 

 were others. 



Now, if you will look at the premium 

 winners, you will notice some compara- 

 tively old as well as newer varieties 

 carrying oif the honors. Enchantress is 

 alone in its class. Adonis when well 

 grown is yet the grandest scarlet. Law- 

 son, Estelle, Wolcott, old White Cloud, 

 Morning Glory, Cressbrook, Mrs. Nel- 

 son, Marshall Field, Gov. Lowndes, 

 Stella and, of course. Prosperity, all 

 showed up in fine style, which only 

 goes to show that if a variety does well 

 with you it is foolish to discard it. 

 What some may fail with others can do 

 finely. 



That vase of Chatenay roses was a 

 beauty and if we can grow it as Peter 

 Eeinberg does it's a great acquisition. 

 La Detroit had the place of honor, and 

 fine as this rose looked the first day it 

 was far more beautiful the second and 

 when that armful almost smothered Mrs. 

 Vesey at the banquet, the rose had a 

 beautiful setting and there was a mut- 

 ual enhancement of charms. Frank 

 Holznagle's vase of Bride and Brides- 

 inaid roses were of the very highest 

 quality. 



J. A. Peterson 's large-flowered type of 

 Gloire de Lorraine is certainly a fine 

 thing and his Primula obconica were 

 splendid plants. The sweet pea.s shown 

 by William Sim, all the way from Mas- 

 sachusetts, were phenomenal, and the 

 new single violet raised and shown by 

 H. E. Carlton is a beautiful deep blue. 

 And now I must close on exhibits, or. 



Adonis — E G. HIU Co Mrs. Patten.— Tbompson Co. Lawson.— Basaett & Washburn. Harlowarden.— C. C. Co. 



The Four Exhibits in the Class for 200 Blojms, One Variety, at the Detroit Convention. 



ability shown by the president of the 

 society, as well as the manager of the 

 exhibition and all members of the De- 

 troit Club who had duties to perform. 

 We knew well it would be so. 



In spite of delayed trains from sev- 

 eral directions, all exhibits were ready 

 at the appointed hour and the judges 

 could go to work, and they did, and 

 the same evening the secretary was able 

 to give the convention a complete re- 



Ward in the line of crimsons. It is a 

 perfect flower. That grand crimson, 

 Harlowarden, we have apea in better 

 form. We know from experience that 

 it's a splendid crimson and easy to 

 grow. 



The only preliminary certificate was 

 given C. "W. Ward's scarlet. No. 303. 

 We are bound to hear much of this won- 

 derful flower. Watch it. In the cer- 

 tificate class the display was strong. 



you will close me out, and jot down 

 things that made this convention mem- 

 orable. 



That address of welcome by Mayor 

 Maybury was truly a peach of the large, 

 juicy Crawford variety and every sen- 

 tence of it should have been published. 

 There were allusions to the influence of 

 flowers and our association with them 

 in our calling that were touching and 

 beautiful and should make us all proud 



