February S, VMS 



HORTICULTURE. 



169 



AMERICAN CARNATION SOCIETY. 



The Convention Story Concluded. 



On Wednesday eveuiug alter the 

 reading of S. S. Skidelsky's paper on 

 what the grower should expect from 

 the introducer of a new seedling, Fred 

 Burld took the floor and contributed 

 some pertinent views on this subject. 

 He claimed that because of the differ- 

 ent conditions of soil and environment 

 which a variety must meet after leaving 

 the introducer, the latter could not be 

 fairly held responsible for the behavior 

 of a variety after dissemination. F. R. 

 Pierson argued that honesty and a 

 candid understanding between dis- 

 seminator and buyer is at all times 

 the be.st policy. He took the ground 

 that medium-sized varieties are enti- 

 tled to more attention than has been 

 accorded them by the Society. He fav- 

 ored indoor culture and asserted that 

 the buyer of a novelty should be will- 

 ing to assume some responsibility. 



W. N. Rudd, who was scheduled to 

 say something on what the introducer 

 should expect from the growers, ad- 

 vanced the opinion that the introducer 

 of a novelty is lucky if allowed to live. 

 "If the buyer will pay his bill, that's 

 all we ask of him." Fair dealing, he 

 said, should be the liasis of all tran- 

 sactions. The introducer has a right 

 to expect that the buyer will treat the 

 cuttings right. The introducer should 

 be given credit for honesty, and not be 

 compelled to prove himself not gutlty. 

 There are very few instances, he said, 

 where a man has started out with a pur- 

 pose to swindle in the introduction of 

 new carnations, and charity should be 

 exercised in all cases of dissatisfaction. 

 F. R. Pierson followed, referring to 

 the great work which the introducers 

 have accomplished and the lack of ap- 

 preciation. The habit of unfavorable 

 reflection upon the introducer and im- 

 plied censure of his honesty was not 

 justified by the facts. 



The previous announcement that 

 the flowers on exhibition would be dis- 

 tributed to the public on Wednesday 

 evening brought a large and expectant 

 crowd, mainly ladies, to the hall, and 

 when the signal was given it did not 

 take long to divest the tables of every 

 vestige of" the great carnation show. 

 The fun-maker could not resist the 

 temptation which the situation af- 

 forded, and announcement was gravely 

 made from one of the tables that pot- 

 ted plants would now be given away in 

 the upper hall. A wild stampede up 

 the stairs to the hall where the Carna- 

 tion Society's meeting was in progress 

 followed, and the resultant confusion 

 on the one side and hilarity on the 

 other filled the fun-makers' hearts 

 with comfort and joy. 



The Banquet. 



The banquet given by the Florists' 

 Club of Washington on Thursday 

 evening, January 30, to the American 

 Carnation Society and ladies was, as 

 briefly mentioned in our issue of last 

 week, an occasion long to be remem- 



bered.. After President Bisset had 

 voiced the welcome of the local club 

 to the visitors, the first toast, "Our 

 Country and President," was. re- 

 sponded to by Hon. Wm. E. Andrews, 

 Auditor U. S. Treasury. He applauded 

 the presence of handsome women and 

 beautiful flowers and followed with a 

 speech overflowing with patriotism, 

 nag and country. It was a stirring ad- 

 dress and evoked enthusiastic ap- 

 plause. 



The next toast, "The American Car- 

 nation Society," was responded to by 

 President Fred. Lemon. He said that 

 the subject was one close to his heart. 

 He referred pleasantly to the interna- 

 tional character of the mem- 

 bership and to the beneficent 

 work being accomplished by the 

 society. He closed with a good 

 word for his successor and the place 

 of meeting for next year. President- 

 elect Patten, who followed, was given 

 ■X rousing reception and made an ele- 

 gant little speech. J. H. Dunlop, on 

 behalf of the Canadians present, also 

 spoke appreciatively and was accorded 

 great applause. 



The next toast, "Washington, Our 

 Capital," was assigned to Hon. Robert 

 X. Harper, President of the Washing- 

 ton Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Har- 

 per kept his audience in glee with 

 anecdotes and claimed that Washing- 

 ton is destined to take a leading place 

 in the commercial world as it has al- 

 ready done in other respects. He en- 

 larged upon its agricultural, manufac- 

 turing and transportation facilities 

 and magnificent opportunities for 

 trade development, and recalled the 

 fact that in the recent financial dis- 

 turbances it was undisturbed. Profes- 

 sor Taylor then contributed some capi- 

 tal recitations, receiving several re- 

 calls. 



Prof. David G. Fairchild next re- 

 sponded for the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment. He told of some of the work 

 accomplished and forecast the plans 

 of the future. With an army of over 

 yooo em])loyes — young men full of en- 

 thusiasm and vigor — it is working out 

 ideas for the benefit of the horticul- 

 tural profession and the American 

 people. 



"Horticulture" was the toast as- 

 signed to Robert Craig. He made 

 kindly reference to the journal pub- 

 lished under that name, the selection 

 of which title he characterized as reach- 

 ing the very highest apex. With char- 

 acteristic eloquence he then spoke of 

 the glories of the Garden of Eden, of 

 horticulture as the greatest of all arts, 

 which is keeping pace with the pro- 

 gress of the world on all lines. He 

 paid a fine tribute to the "Grand Old 

 Man of Horticulture," who has pre- 

 sided over the Botanic Garden with 

 such skill for so many years, the value 

 of whose work we can nardly realize. 

 He also referred to the enthusiasm and 

 the splendid record of the American 



Carnation Society in its twenty years' 

 existence. 



"The Horticultural Press" was the 

 next toast and Wm. J. Stewart re- 

 sponded. He spoke of the birth and 

 growth of this most important ally of 

 the horticultural profession within the 

 past quarter of a century and pre- 

 sented its claims for the support and 

 affections of everyone making horticul- 

 ture his life work. There is no agency 

 so indispensable today and none that 

 gives so much return for so small a 

 cost. On behalf of the New England 

 members of the Carnation Society he 

 expressed the happiness all felt in con- 

 templation of the fact that New Eng- 

 land had been honored by the selection 

 of one of her sons, one whom every- 

 Ijody loved and who was well worthy 

 to be the standard bearer of the So- 

 ciety for the coming year. 



Wm. F. Gude then responded to the 

 toast "Our Guests." His speech was 

 full of genial cordiality and well-ex- 

 pressed the hospitable feelings of the 

 Washington brethren. 



"The Ladies," the last toast 

 on the program, was ably handled 

 by C. W. Ward after the toast- 

 niaster had given a most poetic 

 introduction. Mr. Ward enlarged upon 

 the charms of beautiful character, 

 which far outshone physical attrac- 

 tiveness, and proved himself an elo- 

 quent exponent of this ever-delightful 

 theme. 



The closing exercises included the 

 presentation of the cups, medals and 

 other trophies of the exhibition to the 

 fortunate winners. 



NEW ENGLAND CONFERENCE ON 

 RURAL PROGRESS. 



The second annual New England 

 Conference on Rural Progress will be 

 held in Boston, at the oflSce of the 

 Secretary of the State Board of Agri- 

 culture, on Friday, March 6, 190S. The 

 success of the meeting of last year 

 seems to have demonstrated the value 

 of this conference. It is hoped that 

 representatives of all the important 

 rural associations in New England will 

 send delegates. 



The general subject of the confer- 

 ence wUl be "The Teaching of Agri- 

 culture in the Public Schools." This is 

 a most opportune theme and will be 

 treated by experts who will take up a 

 thorough discussion of elementary 

 agriculture as a subject of study 

 in the grades, the place of sec- 

 ondary agriculture in the public 

 high school, separate schools of 

 agriculture and federal aid to the 

 teaching of agriculture. 



KENYON L. BTITTERFIELD. 



Amherst, Mass. 



Enclosed find $1.00 for which please 

 send me HORTICULTURE for one 

 year as it is just what I have been 

 "looking for and fills the bill. 



M. G. A. 



Morristown, N. J., Jan. 2, 190S. 



