70 



HORTICULTURE 



July 26, 1919 



there seems to be no way by which 

 the introducer of a new horticultural 

 product can control its propagation or 

 sale after it once leaves his hands, 

 either by purchase, gift or "theft." 

 For this very reason the commercial 

 horticulturist of mature experience is 

 often loath to attempt the introduc- 

 tion of a novelty, however certain he 

 may be impressed with its merits. 



Legislature in our country may 

 some time be so enacted as to en- 

 courage the introduction of new things 

 horticulturally more directly from a 

 view point of a more stable cash re- 

 turn. Let us hope that such legisla- 

 tion is not far distant. 



There are those in the trade whose 

 experience leads them to believe that 

 they have profited, broadly speaking, 

 by the liberal use of various publicity 

 methods in introducing horticultural 

 novelties of real merit even though a 

 careful checking up of accruing sales 

 of the novelty itself may not have, in 

 many instances, shown up on the fav- 

 orable side of the ledger. It is a dis- 

 tinction with a very definite business 

 asset to have been the introducer of a 

 tree, plant or seed with really merito- 

 rious qualities and usually carries with 

 it a substantial general reward. The 

 beautiful hardy garden lily from 

 China recently introduced and the al- 

 together lovable Rosa Hugonis, as well 

 as several other recent introductions 

 which could be mentioned, are in- 

 stances to point. It may be that pos- 

 sibly none of these introductions have 

 strictly vindicated themselves as pro- 

 fitable introductions from an immedi- 

 ate cash standpoint, but what a splen- 

 did publicity asset it is to any con- 

 cern who deliberately, under existing 

 circumstances, is far seeing enough to 

 liberally devote both time and money 

 in bringing to the attention of the 

 horticultural world a really valuable 

 introduction. 



There are too, even among the horti- 

 cultural fraternity who depend for 

 their livelihood on the income derived 

 from their business, those who not 

 only intensely love their business, but 

 believe that theirs is a great oppor- 

 tunity to assist in making the world 

 more useful and beautiful and who 

 are constantly willingly sacrificing 

 both time and money and personal 

 effort with this end in view. To this 

 class the introducing of a truly meri- 

 torious novelty is not one altogether a 

 question of dollars. After all, does 

 not our present lack of legal protec- 

 tion of objects horticulturally lift the 

 whole field of horticultural research 

 out of the realm of mere commercial- 

 ism and give the entire country a 



more free opportunity to try out new 

 things and more quickly determine 

 their actual local merit, than would be 

 the case were there legal restriction 

 interfering with their dissemination. 

 As to the plant breeder himself, the 

 question of profit from any monetary 

 si a nil point, is often quite a secondary 

 consideration. Possibly Louise B. 

 Wilder, writing in Garden magazine 

 for July, is not aware that there are 

 many enthusiastic nurserymen and 

 other plant dealers who will gladly ex- 

 tend their list of offerings to an al- 

 most unlimited extent provided that 

 sales can be realized which will, even 

 to a limited degree, compensate them. 

 The American buying public, up to 

 now at least, has represented a very 

 different standard as compared with 

 the European purchaser. Great Bri- 

 tian expecially, where so large a pro- 

 portion of the people, from the small- 

 est hamlet owner up, take the great- 

 est interest in an extended list of in- 

 teresting plants, that a substantial de- 

 mand exists, and the plant merchant 

 very naturally stocks up accordingly. 



It is quite natural that the compara- 

 tive few here in America who really 

 want to purchase extended lists of un- 

 usual varieties have been impressed 

 with some of the European catalogues 

 and have accordingly sent their orders 

 across the water, an easy thing to 

 have done. This practice, in itself 

 alone discouraged the American 

 plantsmen in carrying long lists. Now 

 that plant import prohibition is in 

 force, conditions will be somewhat 

 different. Just as soon as the public 

 wants any special thing in the plant 

 line and in quantity enough to make 

 it an attractive business proposition 

 to the merchant, it is quite sure to be 

 available. 



It is hardly correct to charge the 

 very limited lists offered by the aver- 

 age nurseryman to the "blindness of 

 the dealers." It is quite the reverse, 

 the "dealers" suffering with "blind- 

 ness" are the ones who have allowed 

 their enthusiasm to overrule their 

 good judgment and have, though their 

 own personal enthusiasm, propagated 

 an. extended list of varieties only to 

 find that the demand for these 

 amounted to practically nothing. 

 There is good reason to hope and be- 

 lieve that here in America an increas- 

 ing number of plantsmen will yearly 

 find it worth while to add to his list of 

 varieties, however, but if the past is 

 any criterion, much of the profit of his 

 effort will need to be charged up, as 

 is the case with the introduction of 

 novelties, to general reputation and 

 the love of doing it. rather than to any 

 immediate profit that will show up as 



a cash credit on an accurately kept 

 ledger. 



Erxkst F. Coe. 

 New Haven. Conn. 

 The Elm City Nursery Co., 

 Woodmont Nursery, Inc. 



BOSTON'S CONVENTION PARTY. 



There will be something doing this 

 year at the S. A. F. convention, to be 

 held at Detroit, August 19, 20, 21. 

 A Boston party is being made up to 

 go via Boston & Albany to Buffalo, 

 where the day will be spent in sight- 

 seeing. Buffalo is but a short way 

 from Niagara Falls. From Buffalo to 

 Detroit by steamer, arriving at 8 

 o'clock Tuesday morning, August 19. 



Train leaves South Station, Boston, 

 Sunday, August 17, at 4.45 p. m., Fram- 

 ingham 5.19, Worcester 5.55, Spring- 

 field 7.20, Pittsfield 9.11, Albany 10.40, 

 arriving at Buffalo 6.50 a. m. Monday. 



Boat leaves Monday 6 p. in., arrives 

 Detroit 8 a. m. Tuesday. 



Fare to Buffalo $16.11 



Lower berth 2.70 



— $18.81 



Fare from Buffalo to 



Detroit, boat 4.32 



Stateroom, two berths, 

 accommodating two or 



three people 3.50 



7.82 



$26.63 



Meals a la carte. 



To those who wish to go direct, a 

 train may be had leaving Boston Mon- 

 day at 2 p. m., arriving at Detroit at 

 8.10 next morning. Fare all rail $24.- 

 28; lower berth $4.32. Reservations 

 should be made at once. Hotel Statler 

 will be the headquarters of the so- 

 ciety. 



Notify E. Allen Peirce if you wish 

 to be included in this party that reser- 

 vations may be made early on train 

 and boat. 



The New York delegates leave via 

 D. L & W. Ry. at 8.30 August 17. 

 arriving in Buffalo at 7.30 Monday 

 morning, and going on with the Bos- 

 ton delegation. 



LADIES' S. A. F. 



Mrs. C. H. Maynard gives notice to 

 p.mend the Ladies' S. A. F. Constitu- 

 tion ami By-Laws Article VI. Section 

 4, by adding after words President and 

 Secretary, "She shall give bonds in 

 such sums as the Executive Board may 

 from time to time deem sufficient. The 

 expenses of furnishing such bonds to 

 be assumed by the society. 



Mks. H. G. Bebning, Secy. L S. A. F. 



