272 



HOBTICULTUBB 



September 27, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



Established by William J. Stewart In 1904 



VOL. XXX 



SEPTEMBER 27, 1919 



NO. 13 



PCBLISHF.D WEEKLY BY 



HORTICULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

 78 Devonshire Street, Boston, Mass. 



EDWARD I. FARRINGTON, Editor. 

 Telephone Fort Hill 8894 



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Sintered is second-class matter December 8, 1904, at the Post Offles 

 at Boston, Mass., under tbe Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. 



It seems to be generally agreed that the 

 Winter prospects for fall and winter business are 

 prospects excellent. One thing is certain, business 

 has opened up two or three weeks earlier 

 than usual, which augurs well for the season's trade. 

 Then, too, the class of plants being supplied to the trade 

 is of unusual excellence. This is the unanimous report 

 of men who have traveled through New England, and the 

 same seems to be true in New York and further West. 

 Plant material has come along well, has been grown 

 with care in spite of difficult labor conditions and prom- 

 ises to be marketed in first class shape. Perhaps all this 

 is to be accounted for in part by the fact that growers 

 have been more inclined to give special attention to the 

 line of stock which they are most skilled in growing. 

 Specializing always results in improved quality. It is 

 interesting to find that Canadian florists are now talk- 

 ing about the azaleas, palms and the like which are on 

 their way to Canada from Europe. It certainly makes 

 the trade in the States feel like going right up in the 

 air and howling. After all, though, that doesn't do any 

 good, as experience has shown. PTobably it will be more 

 sensible to adopt Congressman Davey's plan as outlined 

 in Horticulture last week. We can't help thinking, 

 though, about Mr. Manda's experience when he took 

 some of his choice plants across the line and couldn't get 

 them back again. Then we feel like howling again. But 

 what's the use. And after all, the end is not yet, not if 

 we know anything about the florists and nurserymen of 

 this country. 



It is interesting to read in the Canadian 



The F. T. D. Florist that the Florists' Telegraph De- 



Irv Canada livery Association is taking on a new 



lease of life across the border. There is 

 need of greater expansion as well as greater activity there 

 and members of the association in the United States will 

 be glad to see a further awakening. They have come to 

 realize the great advantages offered by the association 

 and are fully persuaded that the Canadian florists have 

 just as much to gain through their support of the or- 

 ganization. Florists on both sides of the line can and 

 should work together for mutual help and progress. 

 There are well over a thousand members of the associ- 

 ation on this continent at the present time and it is 

 stated that the number is being added to at the rate of 



about thirty a month. The membership is spread over 

 at least 700 towns and cities all the way from the At- 

 lantic to the Pacific. Revised lists are being continu- 

 ally s.-iii din so that they axe always up to date. 



Tin- association is not solely for city florists, as some 

 seem to think. Indeed, the advantages derived by the 

 florist in the small towns are sometimes greater than 

 those of his brother members in the larger places. It 

 means much to a small town florist to have his name and 

 Ins location brought regularly and prominently to the 

 at ten! ion of other florists the country over and in Can- 

 ada, too. This sort of thing is bound to bring business. 

 Sending flowers by telegraph is a rapidly growing cus- 

 tom and is being fostered in many ways. .It is the florist 

 in each town whose name is on the list that is going to 

 get the business as fast as it develops. And the very 

 fact that his name is on the list often helps to create 

 business. 



The movement for a horticultural build- 

 New York i n cr i n N ew York is again being agi- 



Horticulturai tated and in a way which seems likely 

 Ha|1 to bring results. The New York Hor- 



ticultural Society would of course like 

 such a building, with a good hall, and so would the many 

 other societies which meet in New York City. There 

 should be some place where the activities of florists, gar- 

 deners and those in allied lines can be co-ordinated and 

 brought under one roof. New York needs an institu- 

 tion similar to Horticultural Hall in Boston, which has 

 become one of the city's landmarks. So, for that mat- 

 ter, do all of the larger cities of the country. It is true 

 that building costs are extremely high just now, but it 

 is also true that keen interest is being shown in all hor- 

 ticultural matters and that people seem inclined to sup- 

 port projects of this kind. 



In this connection a word may be in order about the 

 shows which bring such institutions to the attention of 

 the general public and help increase the membership as 

 well as contributions. For some reason there seems to 

 have been a falling off in interest on the part of large 

 estate owners, the men and women with large gardens 

 and with greenhouse ranges who have it in their power 

 to make any show worth visiting because of the quality 

 and extent of the exhibits. Of course much of the re- 

 sponsibility may be placed on the war. Stocks in pri- 

 vate houses are still low. There may be no chysanthe- 

 mum show in Philadelphia this fall for that very reason. 

 There are other factors to be considered, though, and it 

 is to be hoped that more of the old time spirit of rivalry 

 will develop the coming year. Even if the head gar- 

 dener or superintendent is encouraged to make an ex- 

 hibit, much will be accomplished. If the owner, how- 

 ever, fails to show any interest, it is difficult to awaken 

 the enthusiasm of the gardener. It is right here that 

 the question of prize money comes in. With owners co- 

 operating and taking an active interest, the situation 

 would be quite different than when the whole thing is 

 put up to the gardener. The work of staging a good ex- 

 hibit requires long preparation, many extra hours and 

 sometimes expense out of the gardener's own pocket. 

 Under such conditions he feels that some tangible re- 

 ward is reasonable to expect. On the other hand, there 

 is a certain feeling in some quarters that the chief end 

 and aim of the gardener is to acquire a little more filthy 

 lucre. It is a question and a situation which demands 

 a more general getting together, but it is unthinkable 

 that the trend of the times should be away from horti- 

 cultural interests or from the giving of such exhibits as 

 bring joy and keen satisfaction to those who show and 

 those who come to see what is shown. 



