HORTICULTURE 



September 9, 1905 



horticulture: 



AN ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL 



DEVOTED TO THE 



FLORIST, PLANTSMAN, LANDSCAPE 



GARDENER AND KINDRED 



INTERESTS 



HORTICULTURE PUBLISHING CO. 



II HAMILTON PLACE, BOSTON, MASS. 



Telephone, Oxford 292. 



WM. J. STEWART, Editor and Manager. 



A correspondent in The Journal of Horti- 



That culture says, "I am still hoping, but 



blue rose hopelessly, to see a blue rose." Why hoping? 



We have heard American rosarians express 



a similar longing and confess we never could reconcile it 



with the good taste these gentlemen were assumed to 



possess. The blue rose belongs in the same class as the 



four-legged chicken or other lusus naturae of the circus 



side-show. Take it away. 



The story of the rediscovery of Cypri- 

 The zest pedium Fairieanum has quite a touch 

 of discovery of romance in its make-up. The horti- 

 cultural world is to be congratulated on 

 such achievements but we feel almost glad that the fierce 

 tribes and dangerous reptiles still stand guard over a 

 portion of the earth's surface. The novelty and satis- 

 faction of acquiring these new and rare things will 

 depart forever when shorn of the elements of privation 

 and danger. It will be a weary day for humanity when 

 it realizes that there is nothing on the earth out of 

 reach, nothing left to be discovered. 



The query "Should this Society coun- 

 About tenance the substitution of popular 



nomenclature appellations for cumbersome and often 

 unpronouncable foreign names of new 

 plant introductions?" which emerged from the "question 

 box" at the recent convention in Washington received 

 rather superficial handling, considering its importance. 

 If influential members have convictions on the problem 

 of accurate nomenclature, of which the above question 

 covers only a small part, they have not yet expressed 

 them in any but a very general way. Yet the time must 

 come when not only the Society of American Florists but 

 other organizations will be called upon to unite on some 

 central authority that shall be the recognized oracle, 

 whose rulings on the nomenclature of plants sliall be 

 universally accepted. 



That growers of flowers for the 

 Packing flowers wliolesale markets in the large con- 

 fer market tres have yet much to learn regard- 

 ing the handling and packing of 

 their product is apparent to everyone who has oppor- 

 tunity to see goods unpacked as they come in to the 



commission liouses. There are occasional exceptions, 

 of course, and it may be said without fear of contradic- 

 tion that these exceptions are invariably the concerns 

 whose goods are widely noted for their quality and the 

 high prices they realize all the year round. Probably 

 no one influence has contributed so much to the down- 

 fall of the big shipping trade formerly enjoyed by 

 certain cities and the consequent prosperity of fakirs 

 and wrecking of values, than this thing. It would 

 be time profitably spent if nine out of every ten cut 

 flower growers would take a few lessons from the tenth 

 man in the art of flower packing and shipping. 



We have taken occasion heretofore to 



Orchids lefer to the advantage to the florist 



a necessity Jiaving greenhouses of growing a few 



orchids. The demand for their rich 

 blossoms is spreading and is no longer confined to the 

 few aristocratic buyers of the larger cities. Orchids 

 require very little care and practically no room, their 

 presence in an ordinary plant house rarely interfering 

 with other material that may be under cultivation there. 

 Cattleyas may now be had in bloom throughout the 

 greater part of the year by selecting from the many 

 types obtainable from the importing firms at prices 

 within the reach of all. The use of a few blooming 

 plants or a few blossoms of these gems will at once raise 

 a piece of decorative work from the ordinary to dis- 

 tinction and will help to develop a regular demand 

 which can ordinarily be supplied by purchase from 

 wholesale houses which make a specialty of orchids. 

 There is no better way of obtaining and holding the 

 lead over your over-conservative and unprogressive com- 

 petitor than the course above suggested. 



The rapid multiplication of 

 Advancement of the gng private conservatories 

 private gardener. which has been going on in re- 

 cent years has made an opening 

 for the expert gardener stieh as he has never been fa- 

 vored with hitherto in this country. To fill acceptably 

 the position of head gardener today it is required of 

 a man that he be something more than an adept at 

 all-round out-door jobbing. There was a time when 

 but few private estates required any deeper knowledge. 

 A thorough acquaintance with indoor operations in 

 the handling of conservatory plants of wide variety, 

 the production of flowers that will stand the 

 test of comparison with the standards set by 

 the commercial specialists, the forcing of fine 

 fruits and vegetables, must now be added to a long 

 list of out-door accomplishments which are not acquired 

 except through years of experience and study joined 

 to a natural aptitude and fondness for the work. When 

 we add to all this the needed qualification of ability 

 to organize and direct workmen, and properly record 

 it all we have an official for whom the usual salary 

 paid for such service seems ridiculously inadequate. 

 The demand for such men will in time be met but the 

 price must be paid. 



