October 20, 1917 



HOIfTICULTURE 



423 



An Appeal to the Grower 



Tlie Editor of Horticultuue iu last week's issue 

 gave the grower;- a pretty strong tallsing to. 1 fiill_y 

 agree with his sentiments. Xnw let ns stop arguing 

 who is to pay for publicity. Action is needed, and 

 needed immediately. It seems to have come at last — 

 this action. We are all in the same boat, grower and 

 retailer together. 



Did you ever hear Wallace Pierson's story about the 

 ilog sitting on a bur and howling? If not, get hini to 

 tell it to you the next time you see him. It strikes home 

 to our case. I could not tell you the story. If I tried 

 to I would only make a mess of it, but it tells in an 

 illustrating way the story of our needs. Now Brother 

 Grower look up your ledger and you will notice how bad 

 you need publicity. Here is a chance now started by 

 |)ublic-sj)irited men to give it to you on very reasonable 

 liasis. It will be co-operation nation-wide. It wiU go 

 to the smallest grower and town in the country. Now 

 don't be a slacker. Help to make this a success. Pay 

 this little money wliich is needed of you according to 

 your means. I have subscribed for $100. My place 

 covers 100,000 s(|uai-c feet of ground. Now figure out 

 what you can do in proportion to this and send your 

 sul)scription to the Secretary of the 8. A. F., John 

 Young, o3 W. 28th street. New York. Y'ou will be 

 asked in a very short time to jiay about .'iO per cent of 

 this and the rest some time in the future. This should 

 not be hard on anybody for the great benefit which it 

 will bring to your luisiness. The agitation for economy 

 all over the country will huit flowers more than any- 

 thing else if we don't counteract at once with. the proper 

 publicity, for flowers are not luxury but absolutely 

 neeessan- to civilization. This S. 0. S. signal should 

 go to every gi-ower, and e\ery grower should get on the 

 band wagon now and make a success of this great under- 

 takinar. Now all together. 



Seed Growing for America 



Editor Horticulture: 



The timely editorial appearing in Horticulture two 

 weeks ago regarding the present and future seed supply, 

 no doubt has been given a deal of thought and con- 

 sideration. Tliere is no other phase of horticulture 

 which seems more important at present than this one. 

 \\"ith an embargo on practically all foreign seeds and 

 with the increased demands for good seeds, the present 

 situation is not very encouraging, nor does the outlook 

 for the future importation look very promising. To re- 

 lieve this embarrassing shortage of good seeds will mean 

 a great deal of work and effort on the part of Ameri- 

 cans. However, the situation is not too difficult to over- 

 mnie and if we all do our share in this behalf our effort 

 will be crowned with success. Many of the garden seeds 

 are now jirod\iced in this country, but unfortunately 

 we have been dependent more or less on the foreign 

 countries for a large proportion of them. Some of the 

 seed firms have already done geat work along this line 

 and have shown us that some of these seeds formerly 

 imported can now be grown successfully in this country, 

 and unquestionably practically all seeds needed in this 

 country will eventually be grown here. 



The colleges no douM can do a great deal in develop- 

 ing the industry of seed growing, and the Department 

 (if Floriculture at M. A. C. is ready to do all it can to 

 eiR-ourage the development of this art. Many problems 

 come up in connection with an undertaking of this sort 

 and it is only with the heartiest cooperation of seed 

 growers and others interested in the seed trade, that we 

 can make this a success. May we therefore, ask these 

 people to give suggestions and help us wherever pos- 

 silde. The time to begin this work is now. and let us 

 all do our share. Sincerelv vours. 



I^Of:h/n 



ijn. 



Cii!.. Aiiilicrsf. .1/ 



,,^^ cp. 4. y^-^eX/^ 



PROPAGATING BEDDING PLANTS. 



Editor uf IIORTICILTIKE: 



WiU you have the kindness to give me 

 more or leas reUable information on the 

 best time to propagate the following plants 

 for next summer bedding out purposes'; 



Fuchia, Heliotrope, Ageratum, Geranium, 

 for stock plants and for bedding plants. 



In other words, I wish to know when Is 

 the best time to make cuttings for stock 

 plants so that I could make from these 

 plants cuttings again for bedding out. And 

 when is the best time to make cuttings for 

 bedding purposes so that by May 20th they 

 would be of a good size for planting in the 

 open. Yours very respectfully. 



•T. 1). 

 New York. 



It depends somewhat upon how 

 many you want, but you should start 

 at once to prepare your stock plants 

 and keep propagating continuously all 

 through the winter, keeping the stock 

 always free from insects and never al- 

 lowing It to stop active growing and 

 become hard. A temperature from 62 

 to 65 degrees should be maintained 

 tor the class of plants mentioned. 

 Soft cuttings struck from January on 

 are the best from which to get the 

 final stock. March cuttings arc the 

 best for bedding out. 



George O. Brown of Baltimore 

 served as judge of poultry at the big 

 Maryland fair for the 30th consecutive 

 year. 



THE WINTER COURSE AT COR- 

 NELL UNIVERSITY. 



The short winter courses in the New 

 York State College of Agriculture be- 

 gin November 7th and continue until 

 February 15th. This is a rare oppor- 

 tunity for young men on greenhouse 

 ranges or engaged in any line of^ 

 horticultuYal work to get information 

 regarding tlie technical and scientific 

 features of the subject at a low cost. 

 The tuition is free to all residents of 

 New York State: non-residents pay a 

 tuition fee of $25. Board and room 

 may be had at a comparatively low 

 figure. Courses are offered in nearly 

 all branches of agricultural work. For 

 the horticulturist there are courses in 

 Agricultural Chemistry, Plant Breed- 

 ing, Insects, Plant Diseases, Soils, 

 Fruit. Flower .and Vegetable Culture, 

 Forestry and many other subjects. In 

 flower growing there are special 

 courses for both the amateur and the 

 professional. Marked emphasis is 

 laid on the commercial aspects of the 

 work. A booklet giving full informa- 

 tion regarding the courses may be had 

 by writing Dean A. R. Maun. College 

 of Agriculture, Ithaca, New York, or 

 to the Department of P^Ioriculture. 



ANOTHER NEW NEPHROLEPIS. 



Our cover illustration shows a new 

 and promising "Boston Fern," which 

 is to be introduced by F. H. Dressel, 

 of Weehawken, N. J., this season 

 under the name of "President Wilson. ' 

 The plant is very robust and it main- 

 tains a compact and bushy habit re- 

 gardless of weather conditions, and 

 throughout the summer, when the 

 older varieties have a tendency to 

 grow long and lanky. The fronds 

 have a leathery texture and the pin- 

 nae are crisp and wavy. The new 

 comer has been awarded two certifi- 

 cates of merit and the verdict of New 

 York retailers and growers who have 

 seen it is uniformly favorable. 



PUBLICATION RECEIVED. 



"The Cyclamen Milte" is a useful 

 bulletin on this notorious greenhouse 

 pest by G. F. Moznette. It is a re- 

 print, from Journal of Agricultural 

 Research, published August 20, 1917, 

 and now jjuMished in iiainphlet form 

 by authority of the Secretary of Agri- 

 cultur.' Kvery plant grower should 

 send ii> the department for a copy of 

 this bulletin. 



