I -.'It 



HORTICULTURE 



November 15, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



Established by William J. Stewart In 1904 



VOL. XXX 



NOVEMBER 15, 1919 



NO. 20 



FUBLLSHKU WKEKI.V BY 



HORTICULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

 78 Devonshire Street, Boston, Mass. 



EDWARD I. FARRINGTON, Editor. 

 Telephone Fort Hill 3691 



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Entered as second-class matter December 8, 1004, at the Post Office 

 at Boston, Mass., under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1807. 



As a rule the florists are in better shape as 

 Coal regards coal than they were when the war 

 situation caused a shortage. Many of them made an 

 extra effort during the summer to get in 

 1 heir supply and they can smile at strike conditions. 

 Soft coal has been remarkably plentiful for several 

 months past and could he bought at comparatively rea- 

 sonable prices. Practically all of the larger growers 

 stocked up well in advance of cold weather. Some of 

 the smaller growers, however, have planned to buy as 

 they went along. The strike, whether short or long, will 

 cause them some trouble. On the wdiole, though, the 

 trade will not be badly affected and it is not likely that 

 production will be greatly curtailed. 



It was indeed a shock to go into Horticultural 

 As to Hall in Boston last Sunday and find but half a 

 shows dozen lonely looking chrysanthemums in place 

 of the scores and hundreds which were wont to 

 be shown there in the good old days. The chrysanthe- 

 mum show was formerly considered one of the best of 

 the year and a big attendance was always counted upon. 

 The visitor could but murmur this year, "How have the 

 mighty fallen." 



It is true that the private greenhouses of New Eng- 

 land do not contain the plants now that were to be 

 found there before the war. It is also true that the 

 scarcity of labor, an uneasy coal situation and heavy 

 taxes caused many owners to curtail operations, and 

 \vha1 is more to the point, perhaps, lose interest in the 

 shows. While it might not have been possible to have 

 such a show as in former years, yet a creditable exhibi- 

 tion might have been held if the inclination had been 

 shown. It would be better to keep the hall closed, how- 

 ever, than to open it for such an exhibit as that just 

 staged. 



Apparently conditions on private places do not clear 

 up as rapidly as we should like to have them. Some of 

 the estates around Boston are running with a third less 

 help than before the war. Only the other day we heard 

 of an owner who was cutting down his alreadv abbrevi- 



ated force. Perhaps all this cannot be helped, but there 

 seems to be a sort of apathy a.s regards horticultural 

 matters. It would be a great pity if there should be a 

 drifting away from the making of gardens and the laying 

 out of estates or if a permanent indifference should de- 

 velop to public exhibitions and the kind of friendly 

 rivalry which has done so much for horticulture abroad. 

 Somehow the lines of the poet thrust themselves into our 

 memory : 



111 fares the land, 

 To hastening ills a prey, 



Where wealth accumulates 

 And men decay. 



I f anything were needed to show the growing 



A new interest of the public in the flower business, it 

 idea would be illustrated by the action of the Buf- 

 falo Courier in establishing a Flower Depart- 

 ment. This is the first instance, we think, that such 

 an innovation has been undertaken in this country. The 

 idea is to make the department of real service, and of 

 course this will help the trade by greatly stimulating 

 the demand for flowers of all kinds. The announcement 

 made by the Courier reads as follows : 



"The Courier has instituted a department of flowers. 

 The flower editor will inform you each week in regard to 

 seasonable matters pertaining to flowers and plants for 

 the home. 



"The use of flowers for festive occasions such as Ar- 

 mistice day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, Valentine's 

 day, Easter and Mothers' day, as well as for dinners, re- 

 ceptions, weddings and other social occasions, will all be 

 treated at the proper time. 



"This department aims to be of real service and any 

 questions pertaining to flowers and their use on any 

 occasion will be welcomed by the flower editor and an- 

 swered in the order of their receipt." 



Accompanying this notice is a long and well written 

 letter by Mrs. Ella Grant Wilson dealing with chrysan- 

 themums, their history and their improvement. Here 

 is a plan to which the florists should give their hearty 

 support. Perhaps a similar arrangement can be made 

 with papers in other cities. At any rate the papers can 

 be induced to publish articles from time to time which 

 will be of no little value in popularizing flowers for all 

 occasions. 



A national 

 flower 



The choice of a national flower still re- 

 mains to be argued about, and the claims 

 of different flower- are frequently put 

 Eorward with convincing assertions. 

 Seldom, however, is the matter gone into so deeply as 

 by the women of Syracuse, N. Y. They present the 

 following reasons why the columbine should be the 

 nation's flower: 



The columbine grows in every state in the union and 

 its habitat is from Florida to the Rockies. Its blooms 

 are red, white and blue on separate plants, of course, 

 and its petals resemble horns of plenty filled with 

 honey, which is emblematical of the United States. 

 Inverted these petals resemble the claws of the American 

 eagle, emblematic of being ready to protect its prosper- 

 ity. The blossoms intact shows a five-pointed star and 

 the leaves of the plant are thirteen lobed. indicative of 

 the original thirteen states. It adapts itself to beautiful 

 floral landscaping as well as to artistic design and paint- 

 ing. Unlike the golden rod, it is not a weed, but a 

 hardy plant which year after year brings forth its 

 beaut v. 



