June 2, 1917 



aORTlCUIyTURIi 



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^^Cold Feet 



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I iidor the aljo\c liradint; ymi have an editorial note 

 ill your issue of j\lay IMtli about the action of the Lenox 

 Horticultural Society in aliandoiiing its tlower shows. 

 Xow "cold feet" inijdies tear or even cowardice and 1 

 hasten to repudiate and correct such an erroneous iui- 

 IJression. 



Not "cold feet" hut warm-hearted, red-blooded 

 patriotism u?as and is the underlying motive in our 

 action. "Xulli Secundus" has ever been the motto in 

 horticultural matters anil our motto in patriotism is 

 the same. You must remember that the Lenox gar- 

 deners are farmers as well and they are growing from 

 one to twenty acres additional to their usual cropsS of 

 potatoes besides extra cow beans and many other food 

 crops, and this (owing to the labor shortage) with re- 

 duced staffs of men. 



Another error — you seem to think that this camr 

 from our employers, but not at all. We did it entirely 

 of our own volition — because we consider it decidedly 

 unpatriotic to be devoting time, labor, money and skill 

 to growing Howers for exhibition when the same items 

 should be put into the growing of food stuff. The gar- 

 deners of the Berkshires would scorn to have a flower 

 show that was not "of the best" and it is manifestly- 

 impossible to have it so under existing conditions. You 

 refer to the fact that flower shows were held regularly 

 through the Civil War period. That proves nothing, 

 except that the people never realized as a whole what 

 sort of a problem they were ''up against." Had they 

 quit flower shows and other unnecessary things at the 

 beginning of the war and devoted their whole strength 

 to the winning of the fight it might have been over in 

 half the time. We in this iieighborhood have grasped 

 the fact that we should not consider our own petty 

 interests but rather the whole nation's interest. Not 

 "Business as Usual," but "Everything Unusual," is the 

 slogan of the Lenox gardeners as interpreted by 



Moisture Loving Primulas 



Under this heading are included many delightful sub- 

 jects, adapted for moist situations. Although all mem- 

 bers of the genus Primula vary considerably, regarding 

 soil and location, yet, a great number can be grown in 

 cool, moist or bog situations. If grown in liold masses 

 they form a very attractive feature. 



The commoner varieties, viz., P. ja]ionica and P. pul- 

 verulenta, do not require much comment. They form 

 large superposed whorls of clear purple flowers, produced 

 on spikes 12 in. to 18 in. long. Xo bog garden is com- 

 idete without them, and once established they require 

 no further attention. 



Amongst the diminutive, but by no means the least 

 attractive varieties. Primula Cockburniana and P. sik- 

 kinumsis rank as foremost. Masses of the fonner, with 

 their dainty heads of orange vicing with the golden-yel- 

 low bell-shaped perianths of P. sikkimensis is entranc- 

 ingly attractive. Another little gem is P. rosea and its 

 variety grandiflora. The flowers are rose-red, more or 

 less drooping. This is one of the best of Alpine pri- 

 mulas. 



Primula denticulata, its cousin Cashmiriana and its 

 varieties are also very attractive plants, having flowers 

 varying from light blue to deep purple. There is also 

 an alba form of P. denticulata. If left undisturbed they 

 form large clumps which give fine effect. 



Primula siberica, a plant with lilac colored flowers, is 

 a more tender species and its hardiness in this climate 

 is theoretical. 



Those mentioned, with the exception of Cockbumiaua, 

 ran be treated as perennials. Cockburniana is best 

 treated as a biennial, as a large per cent, of that species 

 (lie annually. For compost a mixture of equal parts, 

 loam, leaf -mould and sand is preferred. All the species 

 pi'oduce seed abundantly. In winter a light covering of 

 drv leaves is beneficial. 



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Slim ''mile. Mnsi 



A WORKER APPRECIATED. 



We are glad to learn that ('has. G. 

 Patten, the noted pomologist, has sold 

 his propagating plant to the Iowa 

 Agricultural College. We both belong 

 to the Minnesota Horticultural So- 

 ciety and are of the same age — 84. 

 He has probably done more than any 

 man to move the fruit belt north. 

 For fifty years he has been hard at 

 work, and an immense burden was 

 resting on him and he had much 

 anxiety for the future. Said he: "I 

 am where I can't let go. I can't stop 

 in the midst of my work and I am not 

 strong enough to go ahead." It is 

 well the state has stepped, in to save 

 the results of half a century of hard 

 work and important experiments. He 

 has done good work with his plums 

 and has been at work on bliglit re- 

 sisting pears. Mr. Patten is a rever- 

 ent christian — a soldier of peace, and 

 he will soon leave the world far bet- 

 ter than he found it. We are glad he 

 can rest by the margin of the river 

 till he is promoted to the higher hor- 

 ticulture "Where everlasting spring 

 abides and never withering flowers." 

 C. S. Harrison. 



■V'ork, Neb. 



THE FOOD QUESTION. 



If the "raise eats" program keeps 

 on the following little squib meant in 

 fim may really have more truth than 

 poetry in it: 



THE WEDDING. 



It w:is the swellost weddiiij: tlint 



M;inliatt;ui ever saw: 

 The lirlile'.s boiuiiiet was eauliflnwer 



With shower effect of slaw. 



The decorations formed a bower 



Of cabhafies anil beans. 

 With spinach and asparagus 



And other garden greens. 



.\igrettes of slender scallions triniiued 

 The bridi'sniaids' bats of lace. 



Ani\ in the best man's left lapel 

 A radish fonnd a place. 



The wedding cake was decked with beets. 



Ciu-limbers and tomatoes. 

 .\nd princely was the bridegrooms gift — 



.\ barrel of potatoes. 



— Minna Irving in The Sun. 



We generally have more food in 

 this country than can be used and why 

 it should be different this year, passes 

 comprehension — especially as the ship- 

 ping facilities on the high seas is 

 short. A better slogan would be: 

 "More boats and business as usual." 

 G. C. W'.\TSOX. 



WHITE-PINE BLISTER RUST. 



The fact has been determined by the 

 Seoretary of Agriculture that it is 

 necessary, in order to prevent the 

 further spread of a dangerous plant 

 disease known as the white-pine blister 

 rust (Peridrnnium strobi Kleb.), not 

 heretofore widely prevalent or dis- 

 tributed within and throughout the 

 L'nited States, to quarantine immedi- 

 ately the States of Maine, New Hamp- 

 shire. Vermont. Masachusetts, Rhode 

 Island, and Connecticut. 



Now, therefore, I. David F. Houston, 

 Secretary of Agriculture, under the 

 authority conferred by section S of the 

 plant quarantine act of August 20, 1912 

 (37 Stat, 31.5). as amended by the act 

 of Congress approved March 4, 1917 

 (Public No. 390, C4th Cong.), do here- 

 bv amend Notice of Quarantine No. 26, 

 promulgated April 21, 1917, effective 

 on and after .lune 1. 191", and by this 

 amendment do order that from and 

 after the date hereof no five-leafed 

 pines or black currant plants shall be 

 moved or allowed to move interstate 

 to points outside the area comprising 

 the State of Maine. New Hampshire, 

 Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, 

 and Connecticut. 



