H O R 1 1 C U L T U R £ 



August 12, 190r. 



attractive among the pink shades. Buttercup is the 

 ))est yellow of them all, and, next to Chautauqua, stands 

 unfavorable weather the best. Triumph, the dwarfest 

 canna, was not in good shape, the first blooms being 

 just gone. Gardner's Tom Thumb is, I think, still 

 dwarfer and a fine thing. Chameleon, a curious mix- 

 ture of yellow, orange, pink, white, and apricot, said to 

 liave been very popular at St. Louis, did not impress me. 

 West Grove is a grand variety with fine branching 

 habit, deep pink, large trusses, and a prodigious bloomer 

 and should be better known. Cloth of Gold is doubt- 

 less a mighty nice canna when at its best but it bleaches. 

 We admired our old friend, Florence Vaughan, in 

 passing and believe it will be a moon or two yet before 

 Florence abdicates her high place as an all-round 

 canna. Luray, a deep rose variety, was droopy in the 

 hot sun, but we were assured it usually looks fine. 



President Cleveland is a good all-round variety, better 

 than McKinley, which is not as good a bloomer. We 

 noted one lot labelled Lovett's McKinley which was 

 good and free, but Mr. Wintzer said it was not the 

 true ]\lcKinley. 



Pillar of Fire may be described as a much improved 

 Bouvier, a vivid bright crimson, and never droopy like 

 Bouvier. Philadelphia and Marlborougli are also 

 improvements on Bouvier. King Humbert away up as 

 to size of flowers and fine foliage but not all that might 

 be desired as to constitution or freedom of flowering 

 and does not clump up well. George Washington, a 

 vivid crimson, is notable for its fini.sh and fine habit. 

 The old Alsace is interesting only as the parent of Mont 

 Blanc, six generations removed. The same may be 

 said of Qiieen of Holland which used to be liked as an 

 orange with a bronze leaf, but the orchid-flowering 

 \arieties have superseded it. Betsey Ross, the clearest 

 (if the pinks and the dwarfest; same size as Crozy but 

 bigger leaves and larger trusses. Martha Washington 

 is in the same class, slightly darker pink, and with 

 larger flowers. Mile. Berat, a dark pink with long, 

 uarrow petals; not in it with Betsy Ross or Martha 

 Washington. Braudywine is a fine dark-leaved sort 

 with deep wine red flowers and spreading habit. 

 Supersedes Egandale. Mrs. Kate Gray the tall orchid- 

 flowering scarlet was good in its day, but succumbed 

 to Pennsylvania as the latter did in turn to the mag- 

 nificent Louisiana. Giant Crimson was a good one ten 

 years ago and is still one of the striking red sorts. Cal- 

 ifornia, otherwise known as Klondike, is a unique shade 

 of golden-orange, but it bleaches and cannot be placed 

 now among the first raters. 



We noted among the seedlings, 20G0, a very fine 

 ruby red. This is its seventh year, but enough stock 

 has never been available to warrant sending it out. 

 Thousands of others have either been thrown away or 

 held in abeyance awaiting evidence of worthiness. This 

 firm has sent out over sixty varieties and has a number 

 of new ones for dissemination in the near future. Mr. 

 Wintzer says he has not nearly reached the height of 

 his ambition yet, but any one with his record on the 

 canna might well rest satisfied. I would like to say 

 something more about the achievements of Mr. Wintzer, 

 but I know wliat a horror he has of the latest 

 epidemic — Burbankitis — and would therefore err rather 

 with an insuftieienov than a redundance. 



The Value of Scientific Training 



Editor of Horticulttire: — Dear Sir: Having often 

 noted your evident interest in agricultural education, 

 it has occurred to me that you might possibly welcome 

 a few brief notes from one who knows some of the mis- 

 understandings which the general public has in regard 

 to such education. 



While my thoughts in the main run in the defense of 

 Ibis theoretical training. 1 find it impossible to refrain 

 from criticising those wjio. having had the opportunity 

 for aci|uiring such knowledge, wholly rely ujion it in 



dealing with problems so little understood as the forces 

 of nature. 1 shall make no attempt to give you my 

 views on the value to agriculturists of higher education 

 in general, but will confine myself strictly to those 

 sciences which have a direct and practical bearing on the 

 production of plant life. 



There has been considerable criticism, no doubt much 

 of it justifiable, in regard to the actual results accom- 

 jilislied by many agricultural college graduates who 

 have engaged in agricultural and allied pursuits. Now, 



