J 



Vol. VI. 



82.00 a Year. 

 24 Numbers. 



CHICAGO, MARCH i, 1898. 



Single Copy 

 10 Cents. 



No. 132. 



AMERICAN CARNATION SOCIETY S EXHIBITION 



Carnations. 



SEVENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION Op THE 

 AMERICAN CARNATION SOCIETY. 

 The seventh annual convention of the 

 American Carnation Society was held in 

 Chicago February 17 and IS, and not- 

 withstanding the predictions to the effect 

 that the 1898 gathering of carnation 

 growers would be a small one, the men 

 interested in the work of the society began 

 to arrive early, and before noon of the 

 first day a thoroughly representative 

 meeting was assured. With few excep- 

 tions all the prominent authorities on 



carnation matters attended in person, 

 and most of the others had able advo- 

 cates on hand. 



The exhibition hall presented the usual 

 scene of activity on the morning of the 

 opening day, but although cases of 

 flowers from Massachusetts were strewn 

 freely among cases from California, Ohio, 

 Indiana, Pennsylvania and other states, 

 there was nothing approaching confusion 

 and in the course of a few hours the 

 exhibits were ready for the judges. The 

 display was fully as extensive as arry the 

 societv has had, and the blooms of far 

 higher quality than those seen at earlier 

 exhibitions. 



The improvement was particularly 



noticeable in the stems, which in the case 

 of such varieties as Mayor Pingree, Mrs. 

 McBurney and Jubilee apparently left lit- 

 tle to be desired in this respect. The 

 flowers were larger and purer in color; 

 but while solid progress is evident here, 

 the improvement has not kept pace with 

 that of the stems. It will be obvious 

 from this — from the fact that stems of the 

 right character are no longer among the 

 impossible things— that greater attention 

 must now be given to the development of 

 size, color and form in the flowers. 



Perhaps the most extraordinary feature 

 of this exhibition was the arrival of a 

 large case of blooms in excellent condition 

 fi-om John H. Sievers, of San Francisco, 



