«6 



HORTICULTURE 



.January 20, 1906 



horticulture: 



AN ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL 



DEVOTED TO THE 



FLORIST, PLANTSMAN, LANDSCAPE 



GARDENER AND KINDRED 



INTERESTS 



HORTICULTURE PUBLISHING CO. 



II HAMILTON PLACF, BOSTON, MASS. 



Telephone, Oxford 292 



WM. J. STEWART, Editor and Manager. 



It has been suggested, in view of the in- 

 Sports creasing frequency of "sports" among car- 

 versus nations, that thrifty growers may yet find 

 seedlings \{ expedient to confine their list of varie- 

 ties under cultivation to the sports of 

 such sorts as have proven valuable under their especial 

 conditions of soil, atmosphere and treatment. Such a 

 course would certainly reduce the element of doubt and 

 speculation to a minimum 1ml would hardly compen- 

 sate for the sacrifice of the delight of testing new 

 things. 



Within the last few weeks there have 

 Burbank and come to us a number of communica- 

 his critics tums, a few fulsomely laudatory, hut 

 most of them attacking severely the al- 

 leged accomplishments and claims of Luther Burbank, 

 for which we have found no room in our columns. To 

 the best of our knowledge HORTICULTURE was the 

 first paper to turn the light on some of the absurdities 

 of the Burbank pedantry and we do not feel called 

 upon to vociferate in the chorus of criticism now in 

 progress. The lesson impressed upon us is that no num. 

 however clever can afford to override and trifle with 

 the good opinion of his fellow craftsmen. It seems 

 inexplicable that Mr. Burbank did not foresee that, 

 while the public might be Barnumized to the limit, 

 those in his own profession at home and abroad would 

 sooner or later record their disapproval. One ringing, 

 straightforward disclaimer of responsibility I'm- the 

 silly exaggeration, from him, might easily have turned 

 the tide, but it was net forthcoming. 



We bad the pleasure recently of a 

 Knowing why trip through the carnation bouses of 

 and wherefore the Cottage Gardens Company un- 

 der escorl ef Mr. Ward. It was an 

 experience full of absorbing interest, not alone because 

 the stock was in superb shape, but particularly because 

 of Mr. Ward's pertinent observations on each variety, 

 its history, parentage and promise; the reasons for 



this nr that conformation or habit, the influences trace- 

 able back through its lineage — all calculated to stir 

 "lie up to a keen appreciation of the deeper phases of 

 carnation crossing and culture. It is a good sign of 

 any industry when its followers show a disposition to 

 investigate systematically and carefully classify and 

 record results and are able to demonstrate in a lucid 

 manner how these results have come about. Only in 

 proportion as we acquire ability to discriminate be- 

 tween the crude and often erroneous conclusions thrown 

 out by haphazard experimenters and the mature re- 

 sults of careful investigation made in special lines by 

 expert and studious men, can we expect substantial ad- 

 vancement in any art. 



Commenting on a recent communica- 

 Poinsettias tion in Horticulture on the best 

 after cutting method of handling poinsettias so 

 that they will keep well after being 

 cut, A. H. Lange of Worcester, Mass., states 

 that he tinds the best plan is to cut the heads 

 with stems two feet or more in length and to 

 plunge them in hot water immediately, to a depth 

 of fully is inches. The water can lie as hot as 

 90 degrees and its effect is to dissolve the gum as fast as 

 it exudes from the stem, so that by the time the water 

 has cooled off the stems are entirely freed from the 

 gum. On the following morning the steins are put in 

 ordinary hydrant water in a cool cellar or other place 

 where flowers are usually kept and after 24 hours more 

 they will be in condition to stand up well in any decora- 

 tive work for which they may be required. Mr. Lange 

 says further that it is his custom to attach a tag to all 

 growing poinsettias in pots or pans before delivery to 

 customer, on which the buyer is instructed to keep the 

 plant in a warm place and give it an abundance of 

 water. 



How does the present tariff on 

 Increase the duty ornamental nursery stock affect 

 on nursery stock the welfare of the 'American nur- 

 rery and florist trade? It is the 

 expressed belief of many who are well-situated to form 

 a valid opinion that the duty on these goods imported 

 from abroad is much too low. and the American Rose 

 Society has so expressed itself as to the tariff on roses 

 especially. Not only are the foreign roses sold at prices 

 which American growers are unable to meet, but a large 

 proportion of them are so lacking in hardiness and 

 other essentials that their dissemination is a continual 

 menace to the growth of garden-love, buyers in their 

 ignorance of the reasons for failure being discouraged 

 by their lack of success from further attempt at horti- 

 culture. It is maintained that the 1 imposition of a 

 heavy specific duty would tend to the exclusion of un- 

 desirable, low grade material and place the cost of well- 

 grown imported stock at a level which would protect 

 the American grower and open a home market for his 

 products at an adequate price. It is well known that 

 Germany is about to impose practically prohibitive du- 

 ties on this class of goods and it is a foregone conclu- 

 sion that the material thus repulsed will seek outlet 

 here. As Germany buys annually many times as much 

 as America has been buying the eventual effect on the 

 American nursery business is not hard to foresee. The 

 issue calls for vigorous action on the part of the nur- 

 sery trade of this country. 



