Mav 1."). 1920 



HORTiCULTUKE 



397 



REGISTRATION OF NEW VARIE- 

 TIES. 



Suggestion by a Well Known New 

 England Iris Grower. 



The following appeared in the Gar- 

 dener Chronicle of London: 



Here in America, at least, the sug- 

 gestion of plant patents seems impos- 

 sible, and with the close contact of 

 horticultural interests in the two coun- 

 tries, action in only one would be an 

 insufficient protection. The matter of 

 registration of new varieties is im- 

 portant, not only for the breeder, but 

 for the amateur, who deserves to re- 

 ceive authoritative guidance in the 

 maze of named varieties. There is no 

 difficulty (for the English grower) in 

 acquiring new plants, but it is only 

 the conscientious breeder or introduc- 

 er who offers such as are real im- 

 provements, and even he is open to 

 error, so that control and regulation 

 are desirable, to put it mildly. There 

 should be a central authority with at 

 least sufficient prestige to warn pros- 

 pective purchasers, even though it pos- 

 sessed publicity alone as a measure of 

 enforcement. The possibilities of ac- 

 tual publicity and what it might ac- 

 complish. I do not know, but recom- 

 mendations of deserving firms, breed- 

 ers or varieties are possible, and the 

 undeserving might be listed for the 

 benefit of members. The strength of 

 such action, of course, depends upon 

 the influence of the society in ques- 

 tion; it gives a member the opportun- 

 ity to act wisely. Would not such a 

 proceeding be well within the scope 

 of any society organized for the inter- 

 ests of any one genus of flower? I 

 hope that this question will come up 

 at the first meeting of the Iris Society 

 in New York. Our plans attempt to 

 make it of as much benefit to a mem- 

 ber in California or London as in New 

 York itself. 



Another phase of the subject is the 

 question of merit; in this respect 

 there is often dissatisfaction with the 

 present methods in making awards. 

 I noted it in the comment on a Na- 

 tional Rose Garden, and that is but 

 one . instance. Fundamentally the 

 trouble seems to be that the highest 

 awards are given to plants as they are 

 exhibited, not as normally grown; or 

 at times by Incompetent judges. 



If it were the custom to give only 

 the lower awards at exhibitions and 

 reserve the higher for those in garden 

 tests, much of the difficulty would be 

 overcome. Or, the honorary awards 

 might be withheld and awards of value 

 might be substituted to continue the 

 interest in the production of new va- 



LILY BULBS storage 



GIGANTEUM, RUBRUM, ALBUM, AURATUM 

 MELPOMENE, LILY OF THE VALLEY 



Careful storage, prompt express shipment on dates as arranged 



THE8E 

 BBADT 

 NOW 



GLADIOLUS, TUBEROSES, 

 CANNAS, CALADIUMS 



WRIT* 



FOB 



PBICKB 



VAUGHAN'S SEED STORE 



43 Barclay St., NEW YORK CITY 33 W. Randolph St., CHICAGO, ILL. 



THIS SEASON'S NEW ROSES 



PILGRIM CRUSADER PREMIER RUSSELL HADLEY 



We are receiving dally Bhlpments of thes« new Roses, Ln iarge qaaatltles. Mid 

 eui farnlfih name on short notice. 



We have a large stock at aU times of choice CARNATIONS, CHRYSANTHB- 

 KUMS, ORCHIDS, VALLEY and AMERICAN BEAUTIES. 



T.... Main 626, WELCH BROS. CO. "" ^^^s'^^fN'^'lLli'"^ 



6948 



rieties. As it is, we find that many 

 count as valueless the awards of cer- 

 tain societies. 



These are merely palliative meas- 

 ures, the fact remains that the breed- 

 er is after all dependent on himself 

 alone; I see no other way out, and 

 the following suggestions are of a sim- 

 ilar character. 



Messrs. R. Wallace & Co. do much 

 (I give credit where credit is due) in 

 bracketing the breeder's name after 

 the name of the variety, and this cus- 

 tom is slowly spreading among other 

 specialists of the Iris, but they have 

 all been handicapped by lack of infor- 

 mation as to the origin of many varie- 

 ties. As with other flowers, a society 

 may secure this information, and the 

 custom will become more general. The 

 establishment of a standard form of 

 description and its use may well form 

 a basis for registration through which 

 a breeder can be informed of similar- 

 ity to other varieties. This entails a 

 full description, wherein the descrip- 

 tive terms are clearly defined, and the 

 placing thereof on record with a cen- 

 tral body. As to discarding ohsolete 

 varieties, the symposium method 

 seems adapted. 



I also agree with Mr. Bliss that par- 

 entage should be put on record, though 

 it need not be published for a period 

 of years. Its publication will assist 

 other breeders; in Iris, at least, the 

 originator has a long start of anyone 

 who wishes to follow in his footsteps. 

 In my work it is the untried field that 

 allures; I delight in the uncertainty, 

 the pleasure of anticipation, and I 

 have such faith in the infinite possi- 

 bilities of any but the most simple 

 crosses that competition is but an add- 

 ed pleasure. — Grace Sturtevant, Wel- 

 leslry Farms. Mass. 



FLOWERTERIA PROVES POPULAR. 



El Paso, Tex.— Letting the public 

 make its own choice of flowers and 

 pay for them by dropping coins in a 

 box is being tried here. 



A pergola, situated at one side of 

 the store, has an overgrowth of crim- 

 son rambler with artificial vines, 

 among which are dozens of small 

 lubes filled with water containing 

 loses and seasonal flowers. At the en- 

 trance to the pergola is a card which 

 reads: 



DON'T YOU WANT A BUTTOX- 



HOLE OR CORSAGE BOUQUET? 

 Pick a rose or a cluster of them 



from our luxuriant shrubbery and 



place 25 cents in the coin box for 



each flower you take. 



.N'aturally, theatregoers and others 

 on pleasure bent can hardly resist the 

 invitation to help themselves, with 

 the result the coin box is laden down, 

 not to mention the sales that take 

 place after one enters the pergola and 

 perceives the high-back stalls with 

 glass-topped tables which hold tempt- 

 ing chocolates and bon-bons. 



ORCHIDS 



We (rotr Knd sell nothing bat OKCHIDS. 

 If yon are In the market for this elaM arf 

 plants wm respeotfully solicit your llKjalrls* 

 and orders. Special lists on applleatlo*. 



LAGER & HURRELL, Summit. N. J. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM ROOTED 

 CUTTINGS 



3,000 EARLY FROST 

 1,500 TELI.OW BONNAFFON 

 500 SEIDEWITZ 

 500 WHITE BONXAFFON 

 250 CHIEFTAIN 

 3.50 per 100 $30.00 per 1,000 



W. D. HOWARD MUtFOBD, MASS. 



