398 



HORTICULTURE 



March 31, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



AN ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL 



DEVOTED TO THE 



FLORIST, PLANTSMAN, LANDSCAPE 



GARDENER AND KINDRED 



INTERESTS 



HORTICULTURE PUBLISHING CO. 



II HAMILTON PLACE, BOSTON, MASS. 



Telephone, Oxfoid 292 



WM. J. STEWART. Editor and Manager. 



The rose industry as followed by the 



Lengthening the growers for cut flowers has had to 



rose list submit to more or less derision 



hitherto on account of the restricted 

 number of varieties grown for market. "Beauty 

 Bride and Maid" have been harped upon as a reproach 

 and an evidence of narrow unprogressiveness and not 

 without reason. The awakening seems to have come at 

 last and he would be a rash man who would venture to- 

 day to predict the number or the names of the varieties 

 which will be included in the regular stock of the 

 average florist three to five years hence. 



The complaint frequently heard to the 



Explaining the effect that no inducement is held out 



absence of to the small grower to take part in 



the small the flower shows seem to have no foun- 



«xhibitor dation as applied to the American Rose 



Society at least. The fact is that there 



were scores of classes in the Boston schedule, many of 



them inserted for the express purpose of interesting the 



small growers, for which there was not a solitary entry. 



We would cite, for example, Division B, open only to 



growers having less than 40,000 feet of glass, limited to 



twelve cut blooms in twenty-six classes, one of which 



was an unlimited class as to variety shown, in which 



but three classes were competed for, although the prizes 



were certainly liberal enough. It would seem that those 



who are seeking an explanation of the absence of the 



small grower from the boards are decidedly on tin 1 



wrong scent, in this instance at last. 



How to secure a sufficiently stable finan- 

 The financial r .j a i foundation to enable a bodj such 

 problem in as the American Rose Society to plan 

 the societies ahead and carry to a success its legiti- 

 mate .-Hi i\ ii ies i> a problem not easy of 

 solution, as many a well-meaning society has sadly 

 realized. In the discussion on this subject at the Rose 

 Society meeting last wed; enthusiasm in words ran 

 high as nil various occasions in the past. But it takes 

 something more than orator] and resolves to extract the 

 necessary hard cash ami substantial subscriptions for 

 permanent funds are much simpler as a mental proposi- 

 tion than a tangible reality. There can be no argument 

 as to the desirability of a permanent fund — it is almost 

 indispensable to the life of an organization, but the 

 amount required to produce an adequate annual income 



ai three or four per cent, interest seems an insurmount- 

 able difficulty and it is not likely that many of our 

 societies will soon see the day when persistent impor- 

 tunity for annual dues can be relaxed. Unselfish, hard 

 working officials and unselfish, almost partisan loyalty 

 on the part of every member is the winning combination 

 in club and society life under present conditions. 



It is one of the wonders of the ag< — 

 The fertile r ] le greediness with which the daily 

 florist and the press devour any sort of a yarn con- 

 pliant press cerning the method of development or 

 the market value of a new flower. The 

 number of florists who have scornfully "refused" offers 

 of from six to forty thousand dollars for new carnations 

 ami otherwise "throw bouquets at themselves" is growing 

 apace. It is certainly a rare tribute to the presumed 

 integrity of the average florist that the daily press, with 

 its scepticism as regards other things, is so ready to 

 accept without question whatever a florist may hand 

 out. 



"Suspicion sleeps 



At wisdom's gate and to simplicity 



Resigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill 



Where no ill seems." 



But when suspicion wakes, as she is very liable to, 

 then look out for trouble. 



There has been more or less discussion 

 The green among floral patrons and outsiders gen- 

 carnation orally over Hie coloring of cut flowers. 

 Of course the green carnations on St. 

 Patrick's Day started the talk, but it has turned to 

 other instances of coloring by similar methods. No man 

 has yet either by experimenting with the natural flower, 

 or by copying in oil, successfully imitated the work of 

 the Great Creator, nor can he hope to do so. The 

 Almighty has reserved for Himself that power. Green 

 carnations or any other artificially colored flowers are 

 hideous deceptions, and certainly deserve the criticism 

 which has been so freely bestowed on them and their 

 despoilers on and around St. Patrick's Day. It is a 

 business which should be stopped and the florist trade 

 owes it to itself to take the initiative. Man is given 

 brain power to develop flowers to their highest and best 

 hut he fails miserably when he attempts to change by 

 artificial means the delicate coloring allotted each beau- 

 tiful blossom. 



The influence of cultivation in rose de- 

 Some of the velopment was well demonstrated at the 

 surprises at Boston exhibition. A prediction that the 

 Boston C11 p f or the best vase of roses in the hall 



would be won by a vase of Chatenay 

 would have seemed wild, yet that was what happened 

 and the judgment was not questioned, although the 

 American Beauty at its very best was in competition. 

 Another rose that surprised everybody was Gen. 

 MacArthur. Those big velvety petals, flowers full 

 double to the centre, superb leathery foilage and four- 

 foot stems, together with the unsurpassed fragrance of 

 the variety, were an object lesson that will not be for- 

 gotten. As to Richmond, it is no exaggeration to say 

 that the majority of those present had never seen Rich- 

 mond before. They had seen plenty of flowers from 

 Richmond plants hut these had uiven no idea of the 

 possibilities with this queen of American productions. 

 Rose growing for the cut flower trade has been given a 

 healthy stimulus by these examples of what may be 

 accomplished through intelligent cultural methods. 



