802 



HORTlCUI„TURE 



March 9, 1907 



VICTORY HAS MADE GOOD 



PlaceyourorderBeaHy for rooted cuttings. Prices $6 per lOO, $50.00per lOOO. DISCOUNT FOR CASH WITH ORDER 



CUTTMAN & WEBER 



The Wholesale Florist Grower 



of New York Lvnbtook, L.i., N.V. 



43 W. 28 St., 



CARNATION COMMENTS 



E. A. Stroud of Overbrook, Pa., 

 gave a talk before the Florists' Club 

 of Philadelphia on February 5, em- 

 bodying his views on the Toronto Car- 

 nation Meeting, and his opinion of 

 the varieties shown there and their 

 respective merits. In the course of 

 his remarks he said: 



I am more than ever convinced that 

 a line must be drawn between what 

 may be termed the exhibition and the 

 commercial carnation, just as we class 

 our chrysanthemums. I want to im- 

 press members with the fact that the 

 prize awards are very misleading. The 

 question of how many flowers per 

 square foot, and how these flowers 

 are cut through the various months 

 of the year, are facts which can be 

 gained only through experience. 



I will take the carnations in their 

 colors starting with the white sec- 

 tion. 



Whites. 



Alma Ward stood out prominently. 

 It certainly is an exquisite flower and 

 has improved considerably since 

 shown at Boston. It is particularly 

 adapted to the New York market, 

 where it can command the price of 

 which it is worthy. I suppose you no- 

 ticed that this variety was awarded 

 the silver medal; the gold medal was 

 withheld because the judges did not 

 consider any variety up to the stand- 

 ard required by a gold medal, and 

 I might add that, taking all the ex- 

 hibits, none was at its best, owing 

 doubtless to the unfavorable weather 

 all over the country the week pre- 

 vious. 



White Perfection, well spoken of by 

 many, is a fine, large flower, a good, 

 clean white and an improvement over 

 Lady Bountiful except in stem. I 

 have some doubts as to its keeping 

 qualities. 



White Lawson comes such a poor 

 color and so short-stemmed early in 

 the season that it is not just all that 

 is desired. The whites were poorly 

 represented. I do not recall a vase 

 of Lady Bountiful, which was so prom- 

 inent at the Boston show. The gen- 

 eral impression among the trade is 

 that it lacks petallage, is neither 

 early enough, nor free enough. There 

 is a great opening for a new white 

 and I wish some one would originate 

 one to fill the bill. 



A new white called Georgia looks 

 as though it might be a good thing 

 commercially. It does not have the 

 size of White Perfection, but has a 

 better stem and, I should judge, is a 

 free bloomer. 



The Reds. 



Robert Craig still holds first honors, 

 according to the judges. It is no 

 doubt a fine red, and where a fancy 



jiriee can be obtained, it would be 

 profitable to grow. 



Beacon was well represented by Mr. 

 Fisher, Cottage Gardens, and the 

 Strafford Flower Farm. We think well 

 of Beacon. The habit of the plant is 

 similar to Enchantress and shows ex- 

 cellent breeding. It is free, healthy 

 and of good size as to flower. I have 

 heard some criticism as to its color. 

 Personally I see no objection to it, as 

 my experience with red carnations has 

 proven that the orange-reds are better 

 keepers and shippers and without the 

 habit of bruising, as do Cardinal, 

 Adonis and Flamingo. I am satisfied 

 with Beacon and expect to grow a 

 quantity next year. 



Victory was not shown extensively. 

 It has the same good qualities as Bea- 

 con in regard to its keeping qualities 

 and color. If it has any faults it may 

 be considered a trifle weak in stem 

 and form of flower. 



A new red of merit was a seedling 

 from Bassett & Washburn. As I saw 

 it on the table it looked like a good 

 commercial variety. 



Red Chief, exhibited by F. Dorner 

 & Sons Co., while a good color, showed 

 a weakness of stem which made it 

 undesirable to me. This fault, I un- 

 derstand, was owing to the climatic 

 conditions. I was informed that Lady 

 Bountiful, when first shown as a seed- 

 ling, looked much the same way. 



Mr Haines' red has done poorly at 

 Strafford. If I could grow it the way 

 Mr. Haines does it would be fine, but, 

 unfortunately, I have not yet been 

 able to do so; it does not feel at home 

 at Strafford, and the difiiculty looks 

 to me like a question of soil. I saw 

 it doing beautifully at Mr. Widener's 

 place at Elkins Park. 

 In Pink. 



In the class designated as the Scott 

 shade of pink, Winsor was shown by 

 the F. R. Pierson Co., in quantity and 

 it certainly appeals to me. It is what 

 is wanted in color and, while it may 

 be slightly undersized, and may be a 

 little short in stem, its freedom and 

 color olfset, to my mind, anything 

 that may be said against it. 



Winsome was one I did not examine 

 closely. It seemed a pleasing shade 

 and one that would be desirable. 

 Dailledouze Bros, exhibited a pink 

 sport of Lawson. 



The cerise class, or Lawson shade 

 of pink, was better represented than 

 any other class. The great objection, 

 it seemed to me, was the bluish cast 

 most of them had. Two, the colors 

 of which pleased me, were Afterglow 

 and Mr. Weber's new seedling. Ma- 

 belle. Both of these arrived too late 

 to be judged. Aristocrat is a fine, 

 large flower. Its color did not strike 

 me favorably. Perhaps I am too criti- 

 cal. 



Dailledouze Bros.' new seedling. No. 

 ?A8, which won the bronze medal, is 



a large, fine flower, but, again, I did 

 not admire the color. 



Mrs. C. W. Ward was attractive. I 

 understand Mr. Ward thinks so much 

 of it that it is not to be put on the 

 market. 



Elsa StrusB did not show as well 

 as at Boston. 



Helen Goddard looked good commer- 

 cially. 



Pink Imperial showed good flowers 

 and probably the longest stems in the 

 show. 



Variegated. 



In r,he variegated section was Helen 

 Gould, a sport of Enchantress. As a 

 novelty it will make a place for itself. 



Toreador, by Weber & Sons Co., 

 an improved Prosperity, has good form 

 and much better stem. 



Bay State or seedling No. 9, by A. 

 Roper, is a much improved Mrs. M. 

 A. Patten, and if a free bloomer 

 should be a good thing. 



Patten still holds its own. 



Imperial attracted attention by its 

 magnificent stems. It is a novelty 

 pure and simple. 



Other Varieties. 



In the class for Enchantress shade 

 of pink. Enchantress itself, so gen- 

 erally well known, hardly needs de- 

 scription. There is nothing to dis- 

 place it. One competitor, by Baur & 

 Smith, called May, was a better color, 

 but undersized. 



Some seedlings exhibited by F. Dor- 

 ner & Sons Co., are worthy of men- 

 tion. One, a scarlet, No. 305, I think 

 will be heard from, also seedling No. 

 9,703, a maroon shade, attracted my 

 attention. 



I hope my remarks will be taken in 

 the spirit they are meant. I have 

 tried to give my opinion as the flowers 

 appeared to me personally, and I trust 

 no one will be misled by thera. 



CARNATION NOTES. 



Two fine sports from Enchantress 

 carnation presumably identical with 

 Rose-pink Enchantress have favored 

 at least two Washington growers this 



Peirce Bros.' scarlet seedling Gov- 

 ernor Guild is one of the most satis- 

 factory and popular carnations of its 

 color ever brought into the Boston 

 market. It is a very large flower, av- 

 eraging 3 1-2 inches across and has 

 all the good points of a standard 

 bloom. 



Another scarlet of high degree is on 

 the horizon, a Lawson seedling now 

 in its third year, raised by Elijah A. 

 Wood. In size and color it is all right 

 The stem is from 24 to 30 inches, very 

 sturdy and covered with the blue 

 bloom which makes such a pleasing 

 contra.st with a scarlet flower. 



