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HORT I CULTURE 



AugiLst 21, 1920 



HORTICULTURE 



EstabUBhed by William J. Stewart in 1904 



Vol. XXXII 



August 21, 1920 



No. 8 



PUBLISHED WEEKLY HY 



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We think it was a goo(3 plan to divorce the 

 Gladdened meeting of the American Gladiolus Society 

 by Glads from the convention of the S. A. F. The 

 gathering in Boston last Saturday and Sun- 

 day was much more satisfactory in many ways than the 

 session held in conjunction with the big convention. There 

 was a better opportunity for good displays, and less con- 

 fusion all around. The fact that the American Society 

 and the Massachusetts Society, in connection with the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society, could get together 

 for a united display, and for the fraternization of members, 

 was a distinct gain. To have the national society meet 

 with any state society is helpful to the latter, and we feel 

 that the gladiolus growers of Massachusetts will benefit 

 materially as a result of these sessions. The gladiolus has 

 become such a popular flower, both with private growers 

 and among conventional florists, that it naturally awakens 

 a great amount of interest when placed on exhibit. Men- 

 tion of the most notable among the newer varieties is 

 made elsewhere, but perhaps a word of comment is not 

 out of place concerning the Primulinus Hybrids. This 

 class has been improved greatly, especially as regards the 

 size of the flowers. Presumably before long they will 

 appear numerously in named varieties. They certainly 

 are among the best accessions of recent years. 



While without doubt the main purpose of 



Show a flower show is to display flowers, yet it 



Decorations seems to us that it would be adding much 



to the popular value of the exhibits if a 



greater attempt were made to decorate the hall itself. Of 



course, this is done, and done very well, at the spring 



flower show in New York, and at some other exhibits, but 



as a rule the committee is contented to stop when it has 



provided tables or benches and holders for the flowers. 



Now take the case of the gladiolus show just held in 

 Boston. Without doubt many of the growers in New Eng- 

 land would have been glad to contribute large numbers 

 of "glads" without regard to variety, for the mere adorn- 

 n]pnt of the hall. The flowers might have been massed 

 in the corners or better still displayed on raised platforms 

 or on shelves, and other decorations might have been 

 added to form a picture of great beauty. This sort of 

 thing, while it might not appeal especially to expert flower 

 growers and those who are familiar with different varie- 

 ties, would certainly attract the men and women who love 

 flowers simply as flowers, and are charmed by artistic 

 effects, even though they may have no expert knowledge 

 regarding the blooms displayed. 



It also seems to us that at the popular shows there 

 should be a more complete labeling of the flowers for the 

 benefit of the uninitiated. With signs marking the different 

 groupings, as for example, the Primulinus hybrids, or large 

 collections of named varieties, seedlings, and the like, the 

 amateur visitor would get a much more comprehensive 

 knowledge of the whole exhibit. Many people go to these 

 shows for the express purpose of choosing blooms which 

 they wuld like growing in their gardens, and sometimes 

 they are handicapped because of the incomplete labeling. 



Some very interesting points were taken 

 Nomenclature up by Professor A. C. Beal. chairman 

 of the Nomenclature committee, at the 

 meeting of the American Gladiolus Society, last Saturday. 

 Prof. Beal had concrete facts to back up the oft repeated 

 statement that there are a great many more names for 

 different varieties than there are varieties themselves. 

 This applies not only to gladioli, but to other flowers as 

 well. He says that when the peony collection was as- 

 sembled at Cornell, it was supposed that there were 1.600 

 varieties, but when the committee finished its work, there 

 were anly between four and five hundred distinct sorts 

 in the entire collection. In other words, there were 1,100 

 good names on the waiting list. In one case a certain 

 variety appeared under eleven distinct names. 



Prof. Beal also pointed out that while it no doubt 

 would be desirably to have some sort of bureau of regis- 

 tration at Washington, as has been advocated, yet the 

 effort to secure and fix distinct names is only a small 

 part of the question. Trial grounds are needed, carried 

 on by selected growers, where all the leading flowers can 

 be established. In the Professor's opinion there should 

 be a central recording office which should register varie- 

 ties after these have been passed upon by experts, either 

 while growing on a trial ground in neutral control, or on 

 exhibition before the members of a special society inter- 

 ested in the flower, or by both means. In this way the 

 possibility of remaining any flower, innocently or pui-- 

 posely, would be reduced at least to a minimum. 



We think that Prof. Beal Is right in expressing the 

 hope that the various societies will keep this matter under 

 their control in so far as the determination of what varie- 

 ties shall be recorded or registered is concerned. The 

 list of gladioli has been growing with gi-eat rapidity of 

 late years, and over a hundred varieties are offered by 

 five or six growers. It has been said that there are alto- 

 gether 600 named varieties. In any event, the list is too 

 long, and it may be that Prof. Beal is right in saying that 

 1:50 varieties ought to be extensive enough. Of course im- 

 provement is desired, but as new and better varieties are 

 grown, it should be possible and probably would be ad- 

 visable to retire the more inferior sorts, and this is good 

 logic as it applies to peonies, dahlias, and other popular 

 flowers. 



