March 12, 1910 



HORTICULTURE 



371 



iculture is in a distinct class by itself and cannot be 

 developed along lines which other businesses have 

 adopted to find outlets for their ever increasing produc- 

 tion. The existing conditions that confront the grower 

 will, however, sooner or later require just some such 

 methods as are being practiced by big manufacturers. 

 The styles and fads must be created. Through some 

 sort of campaign of education the public must be made 

 interested in flowers so that they will be adopted for 

 more general and frequent usages, than is the case now. 

 It must be shown that the home can be made more cheer- 

 ful when liberally surrounded with plant life and that 

 no social event of any kind is complete without flowers 

 and foliage. The styles must be revived to make it non- 

 fashionable for the well-gowned woman to appear with- 

 out the corsage bouquet, either in her street garb or in 

 the ball room gown. The well-groomed man must wear 

 his carnation with his business suit ; the afternoon 

 caller or matinee idol should not be regarded in proper 

 form without his violet boutonniere; nor should he be 

 considered in correct dress if his evening wear is not 

 adorned with the rose. Such customs can again be 

 brought into vogue if the florists will only get together 

 and make the public "acquire the habit." Many in the 

 trade will probably say that such a proposition is not 

 feasible, which, on the other hand, if it is possible of 

 accomplishment, (and there is no reason why it cannot 

 be through a proper campaign) will undoubtedly mean 

 an increased consumption in the cut flower market. It 

 is only necessary to walk on Fifth Avenue, in New York 

 City, on a fine afternoon, or watch the women enter 

 the theatre, matinee or evening, to note how the fashion 

 for the wearing of flowers has again been revived — but 

 you will not observe the product in which you are in- 

 terested. You will instead witness that the wearers are 

 parading with artificial roses, violets, or orchids. The 

 style for flowers is here again, but the way was left clear 

 to the makers of imitation flowers, by the growers of 

 real flowers, to work up a market for their ware. No 

 one will deny that where the artificial is now so freely 

 worn, there certainly must be a way of forcing pref- 

 erence for the natural, and this task should not be dif- 

 ficult if it is attempted through an organized system. 

 To bring about this result, ridicule will readily arouse 

 those who have ' adopted the artificial creation to the 

 fact that the real and not the bogus should be part of 

 the adornment of the well dressed. We are told that in 

 a western city, recently, the flower dealers paraded a 

 number of darkies, masquerading in the costumes of so- 

 ciety and liberally covered with the made flowers, on 

 the fashio.nabe thoroughfare during the hours society 

 was on parade. - The effect is said to have been that the 

 artificial fad was doomed in that locality. What the 

 florist trade requires is that all its members from the 

 growers to those of the humblest retailer become awake 

 to the fact that business, in these days of great produc- 

 tion, must be created and then developed. In every 

 line of industry whether it is in the manufacturing, or 

 coming from the soil, publicity and judicious advertis- 

 ing is accomplishing ihis in many directions where a 

 few years ago any such attempted methods would have 

 been regarded as foolhardy. The problem of the florist, 

 to create ready and profitable markets for his produc- 

 tions, is a matter that can be solved. Concentrated en- 

 ergy skillfully directed, is the solution. 



Dianthus barbatus 



— ^:^^/^' 



During the later part of last June when passing 

 through one of our northern sea coast summer resorts I 

 saw in a distance off the street a very bright display of 

 flowers. The grounds rising, the bed had as background 

 a low branching clump of native spruces. The contrast 

 of the vivid colors against the dark evergreens behind 

 was simply grand and I noticed even people in carriages 

 stopped on the road for a few minutes to enjoy the 

 pretty floral spectacle. Horticultural curiosity led me 

 to tresspassing and upon coming nearer I beheld an 

 extraordinarily well grown bed of Sweet Williams daz- 

 zling in all shades from almost black to snowy white. 

 Aside from reminiscences of the past with her old vil- 

 lage and farm gardens abroad wandering through my 

 mind, I wondered how it often happens that in the pres- 

 ent mania for novelties we overlook plant species of 

 sometimes even high ornamental merit, simply because 

 in our imagination they appear out of fashion or other- 

 wise too antiquated. 



Dianthus barbatus is a biennial just as effective for 

 garden planting today as it was a hundred years ago. 

 In fact, I have of late noticed quite a number of decided 

 improvements, both in form and shades, which make 

 Sweet Williams still tlie more desirable. Seed offered 

 by reliable firms in separate colors to a high percentage 

 comes true. It is best not to sow it any later than in 

 May. Seedlings should be pricked off in flats first and 

 therein gain sufficient strength to be planted in the open 

 ground about a foot apart. Sweet Williams need pro- 

 tection during winter. Around New York and further 

 south coarse straw and spruce or pine boughs may be 

 suflScient but, in the New England States a leafcovering 

 is best. Dianthus barbatus is easily transplanted the 

 following spring and may be used for ornamental gar- 

 den planting without the least fear of loss. Single va- 

 rieties are often obtainable in colors but are rarely abso- 

 lutely true. Our illustration shows a small plot of the 

 auricula eyed, with a few double white mongers in. 



North,-'ast Ilarhor, Maine. 



