April 6, 1918 



HORTICULTURE 



339 



Letters From an Old to a Young Gardener 



Co-operation in Horticultural Experiments 



I suggest that you form a Society for Cooperation in 

 Horticultural Experiments. This year gardeners on 

 private estates will be expected to plant more vegetable 

 seeds to increase the supply of food for home use. These 

 men must be acute observers or they would lose their 

 positions. Therefore if they would cooperate in trying 

 the same experiments, we should have a large body of 

 trained men whose results if published each fall in Hor- 

 TiCDLTURE^ would funiish data that when coordinated 

 would be of first-class value in horticulture. For this 

 season I suggest two experiments, both of which have 

 ono object in common, namely, to discover means of 

 shortening the period of infancy, as this is the time 

 when plants are most subject to malign influences. The 

 importance of the matter has been well shown in the 

 celebrated Swedisli experiments made with grains to 

 hu'Ty them through the period when the attacks of the 

 frit fly are fatal. The first experiment is to test the 

 value of soaking seeds in a weak solution of nitrate of 

 soda. .The second, to determine whether it is desirable 



to add to the natural radioactivity of soil by the use of 

 radioactive substances. The experiments of this kmd 

 are not numerous and the results arc contradictory. 

 Thorium oxide could be used or finely ground carnotite 

 tiefore being treated to remove the radium. 1 found 

 tliis mineral after such treatment useless in my garden 

 though highly recommended. I suggest taking a small 

 part of each kind of seed that will be planted in tlw 

 garden and dividing it into three parts. Soak two of 

 them in the nitrate solution, planting one part in the 

 ordinary garden soil, the other in the radioactive earth. 

 Place the third lot, untreated, in radioactive earth. 

 The controls in each case will be furnished by the main 

 plantings. 



p0st07i. 



llliavwKoUiu^ 



A CALL TO ACTION 



By J-oseph J. Lane, of Garden Magazine and Country Life 



In a rfceiit issue ol Huki icultcre 

 It was a pleasure for the writer to pre- 

 sent some thoughts under the head- 

 ing "Concrete Suggestions for a Na- 

 tional Co-operative Business Building 

 Campaign for Nurserymen." It is grati- 

 fying to report now, that a body of 

 nurserymen elected themselves to car- 

 ry out the plan suggested in outline 

 under the title of "A Co-operative 

 Campaign to Create New Business for 

 Nurserymen." 



Let us give thanks. 



And then^let us proceed to further 

 suggestions, for I believe that the 

 time is right here for us all to put our 

 shoulders to the wheel that the big 

 broad plan of creating more business 

 for all, by co-operating individually to 

 the fullest extent of our abilities, be 

 furthered with the greatest degree of 

 success and rapidity. 



Time is short. Life is only a span 

 of years. Today is the only time we 

 have — these twenty-tour hours which 

 God has given us to use to the fullest. 

 Let us be active. Let us not delay. 



You are a partner in any plan that 

 means bigger business for nurserymen 

 — because bigger business tor nursery- 

 men means bigger business for you. 

 I'll tell you how. 



Let us assume the present campaign 

 for funds rolls up a working capital 

 sufficient to start the work of broaden- 

 ing the appreciation of the general 

 public of things horticultural. Maga- 

 zines and newspapers begin to look 

 upon nurserymen as real live busi- 

 ness men, progressive and agresslve. 

 The bulletins to the press preachin'^ 

 the gospel of an "America Beautiful" 

 have begun to appear in publications 

 of broad circulation, and advertise- 

 ments of nurserymen keep pace with 



the endeavor to cultivate a desire for 

 gardens and grounds of individual 

 beauty and naturalness. And — more 

 of the same sort. Advertisements 

 over the name of^he subscribers to 

 the fund appear in class publications 

 preaching the value of factory plant- 

 ing, the restful and iinancial values 

 of a real planting around the home, 

 the need and results of fruit planting 

 on the home grounds, etc., etc. 



What is the result? First, the nur- 

 serymen themselves by collectively 

 appealing to the public in a propa- 

 ganda to foster a deeper and finer 

 appreciation of horticulture, are en- 

 nobled and drawn together for the 

 common good. Trade differences, nar- 

 rowness and selfish competition give 

 way to the millennium of ceaseless 

 co-operation and unified effort along 

 constructive and creative lines that 

 all may be benefited. And let me 

 say here, that if no other benefit than 

 this came from the expenditure, it 

 would repay every participant a thou- 

 sand fold. 



The public begins to sense the need 

 of nature in their lives. The inherent 

 desire for beauty and soul-strength 

 that lives in all of us is brought to a 

 point of action. By creating a deeper 

 appreciation in the public mind of the 

 service nurserymen render, nursery- 

 men as a group gain confidence in 

 their occupation and pride in their 

 calling. Instead of remaining individ- 

 ual enthusiasts, they become a group 

 having a noble ideal—the creation of 

 an "America Beautiful." And in- 

 creased business begins to come to 

 each of them. Mass publicity has ef- 

 fectiveness that individual propa- 

 ganda never dreamt of. 



The National Campaign of Public 



Education of the value of natural 

 beauty in the lives of our people gath- 

 ers momentum, and lectures begin to 

 spread the gospel under associated di- 

 rection. People hitherto prone to 

 scorn a salesman of flowers or nur- 

 sery products, find invitations in their 

 morning's mail to come and help 

 clients prepare planting lists. 



And if you do business in allied 

 lines, here is where you come in. In- 

 creasing planting of nursery products 

 has as its fundamental thought the 

 creation of a greater appreciation on 

 the part of the American public of the 

 benefits of garden activity. Every new 

 enthusiast for gardens means a cus- 

 tomer for you. Fertilizer, Insecticides, 

 spraying machinery, tools, implements, 

 tractors, greenhouses, etc., without end. 



Every branch of the horticultural In- 

 dustry will be benefited. Will you 

 help in securing the result? The nur- 

 serymen's fund is the means. You are 

 invited to participate. 



We want $50,000 a year for five 

 years, subscribed by May 1. 



Talk has been used — words have 

 been spent. Now is the time for you 

 to act. Money is needed. Ideas are 

 needed. One gives birth to the other. 



You have read the announcements 

 in your trade papers and letters to you 

 from the committee of nurserymen 

 who have set about gathering the fund. 

 Let this be your call to action. You 

 are elected to share in the benefits. 

 Why not share in the program that 

 will gain those benefits? As we con- 

 tribute to the fund individually, Just 

 in that proportion will results of a sat- 

 isfying nature Individually be achieved 

 collectively. 



This Is our call. Are you willing to 

 do your share? Speak up. Now. 



