April 20, 1907 



HORTICULTURE 



525 



AFTER ADJOURNMENT. 



Our seismometer indicates the pres- 

 ence of another brain storm in one of 

 the cloisters of the Rhinelander Build- 

 ing, with impulse ninning north-east 

 and sciuth-west. 



It would be a wise thiug for the growers 

 liereabouts to visit their New York com- 

 inissiou men and see what is doing in the 

 marliet before shipping. They might re- 

 ceive belter returns. — Khinebcck nrws in 

 Poughkeepsie Eagle. 



"This is wisdom's part." 



We hear that there was a strilte at 

 a florists' establishment in Indiana 

 a few days ago. So far as we can re- 

 member this is the first instance of 

 a strike in the florist trade and we 

 hope it will remain as a solitary- in- 

 stance. There never was a grievance 

 yet that could not be remedied without 

 this baneful recourse. Cut it out, 

 boys. 



Cleveland florists and imdertakers 

 are indulging in a little scrimmage 

 over the question of prices and the 

 commissions paid to the undertakers 

 on funeral flower orders. Flowers at 

 funerals are all right and fitting but 

 the less the florists have to do with 

 the undertakers the better it will be 

 for the florists. There is only one 

 time when humanity cares to come 

 in contact with the undertaker; there 

 is only one business on which they 

 wish to visit him, useful man that he 

 is, and the florist who wants to get 

 and hold his share of the trade of 

 cheerful flower buyers will keep the 

 undertaker, his wagon and other 

 paraphernalia well in the background. 



That's an amusing war which the 

 citizens of Topeka, Kans., have under- 

 taken: a concerted attack on the 

 dandelion, in which every one of the 

 45,000 inhabitants from the govenor 

 of the State down, are expected to 

 take part. Tuesday of this week was 

 appointed by proclamation of the 

 mayor for the onslaught. The State 

 House was to be closed for the day 

 so that all the officers and assistants 

 could wage war on the pests in the 

 State House grounds assisted by 100 

 boys from the Reform School under 

 inspiration of a baud of music. The 

 dandelion does muss up the lawn 

 some, we agree, but if there were no 

 dandelion-besprinkled fields one of the 

 greatest charms of the spring days 

 would be lost. The drug stores in 

 Topeka doubtless have been sagacious 

 enough to stock up on lame-back 

 remedies. From what we know of the 

 dandelion, it is "good at a fight." 



A TALK ON BERMUDA. 



At the horticultural seninar April 

 8th, Mr. G. A. Bishop, instructor in 

 floriculture, Massachusetts Agricultur- 

 al College, gave a very interesting ac- 

 count of Bermuda and the business of 

 growing lilies, onions and potatoes 

 there. He told about the ravages of 

 the lily disease and how they were 

 now overcome to a large extent. He 

 spoke about the difficulty of keeping 

 pure stock of Harrisii and of the intro- 

 ductions of various strains of IjOngi- 

 florum and other varieties. He told 

 about the difliculties experienced in the 

 truck growing and shipping trade. As 

 Mr. Bishop was engaged for several 

 years in this work in Bermuda, he was 

 able to give a very accurate as well as 

 entertaining account. 



THE MUSINGS OF McGORUM. 



I have just received my share of the 

 free seeds; the chickens seemed to like 

 them and the change of food seemed to 

 make them thrive. I am surprised that 

 certain of our silver-tongued orators 

 from New York didn't get after the 

 President about this thing when in 

 Washington. There would have been 

 a chance to have made their names 

 everlasting by doing something that 

 would have been a practical help to 

 the trade, instead of wasting their time 

 writing volumes about one little word. 

 Suppose that the Washington members 

 of both houses should pay full rate 

 ix)stage on all seeds, would they be so 

 eager to send them? 



In a daily paper not long ago I no- 

 ticed there was a vacant space 

 left in the Roosevelt hall of the fol- 

 lowers of Munchausen. I hereby elect 

 .Tob to fill that vacancy. Job wishes 

 to know why 1 didn't exhibit at the 

 Boston show. In the words of a friend 

 of mine that show is at present an ex- 

 hibition mainly for private gardeners. 

 Is it any fun in exhibiting when there 

 is no contest? I leave it to Job and 

 others to tell the reason, but the lead- 

 ing light on the special prizes at the 

 fall show is a private gardener and 

 a pencil pusher, more power to his 

 elbow. 



The editorial in last week's issue of 

 your New York contemporary contains 

 some startling things, yet amusing. 

 That paper has always classed itself as 

 a purely trade paper, but in a certain 

 catalogue of books, I find it is listed 

 to anyone who has the money to 

 buy it, and at a cut price. Probably 

 the editor is ignorant of this fact. It 

 is listed along with The Foolish Book 

 and The Cat Journal, both of New- 

 York. I wondered where all its Bible 

 talks were coming from. It has prob- 

 ably been read and discussed at some 

 old ladies' sewing circle, and tho Bible 

 talks have possibly come from a mem- 

 ber of the Oil Magnate's Bible Class. 

 Strange, isn't it? We may expect to 

 hear Job saying he is the author of the 

 saving "Let there be light." 



ROBERT T. McGORUM. ' 



DAHLIA ROOTS vs. CUTTINGS. 



Editor HORTICULTURE: 



While what J. K. Alexander says in 

 your issue of 13th concerning roots of 

 dahlias being more satisfactory than 

 green plants is true, yet even an ama- 

 teur need not be afraid to plant green 

 plants in fear that something will hap- 

 pen to the young growing plant, or 

 that the tubers will not winter. Like 

 Mr. Alexander, the writer has tested 

 the various methods of propagating 

 and times of planting and reached the 

 conclusion some years ago that for 

 general purposes single eye divisions 

 of dahlia roots planted late were best. 

 But when it comes to novelties and 

 when one. be he professional or ama- 

 teur, wants to be up-to-date, then by 

 all means buy green plants, for these 

 only are available; or content one's 

 self with following on behind the 

 times. 



The small dealers who are pushing 

 the sales of green plants of novelties 

 need no defense, all credit to them, 

 and to seedling raisers who give us 

 something new to look at when ex- 

 hibition time comes around. 



ALEXANDER MacLELLAN. 



WHOLESOME CHESTNUTS. 



The variegated vinca is much in de- 

 mand for window boxes, tubs and many 

 other forms and arrangements of plant 

 decoration. The best plants for many 

 purposes are to be had in 4-in. pots, 

 but for those having much of the kind 

 of work indicated to do plants in 3 or 

 3 l-2in. pots will be very handy be- 

 cause usually after all the other plants 

 are in place in a box or tub there is 

 but little room left for the vincas 

 which are usually put in last. For 

 such purposes usually the main object 

 is to have the vine long enough; diam- 

 eter is not of much moment. 



There is yet a little time left for the 

 propagation of some kinds of bedding 

 plants such as coleus, alternanthera 

 and the like, but in the case of the 

 former especially it cannot be too often 

 said that invariably it will be found 

 cheaper to purchase nicely rooted cut- 

 tings from some large grower who has 

 special facilities for the production of 

 that class of stuff in immense quan- 

 tities and at extremely low figures. 



Don't forget Memorial Day. Try to 

 have something at once obviously ap- 

 propriate and distinct for the occasion. 

 We have not heard of any such thing 

 so far but who knows but you may be 

 the one to strike it, and make a good 

 thing out of it. In any event have 

 some nice plants in bloom for the occa- 

 sion and announce the fact so that 

 others not having such may know 

 where to get them. 



In planting flowering shrubs it is al- 

 ways well to bear in mind the Impor- 

 tance of having a prolonged season of 

 Ijloom. With that object in view, 

 species and varieties should be chosen 

 that will bloom from early in summer 

 to as late a period as plants that are 

 in other respects suitable are known to 

 flower On small areas of home 

 grounds shrubs planted singly or in 

 small groups are often desirable and 

 sometimes a necessity, but in cases 

 where much space is to be embellished 

 more effecting, pleasing and elaborate 

 ornamentation will be the result if 

 shrubs are planted in large masses, or 

 long, continuous and, if need be, in- 

 terruDted borders, using species and 

 varieties of one kind in the planting 

 as much as possible. 



A curve in a road by which a man- 

 sion is approached should have near 

 it something to justify the curve. 

 Where a curve is considered desirable, 

 if there is not already something of 

 the sort there, a specimen tree or a 

 group of shrubs should be planted. 

 Flower beds are very pretty, but it has 

 often occurred to us that they might 

 look just as pretty and more appro- 

 priate if, instead of scattering them 

 all over a beautiful green lawn, a place 

 should be found for them where they 

 could nestle closely together. That 

 may not be a good term to use, but the 

 object is harmony of effect as well as 

 a regard for the fitness of things, both 

 of which are often ruined by patches 

 of geraniums, coleuses and the like, 

 where no mortal man would reason- 

 ably expect them, but which if prop- 

 erly and appropriately placed would 

 be a source of pleasure. 



Orlando Harrison sa>s that the York 

 Imperial and Grimes' Golden apples 

 have been found the most profitable 

 on the western shore of Maryland. 



