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THE FIVE-YEAR PROJECT OF THE 

 GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA 



An impressive evidence of the extent of popular interest in gar- 

 dening is the announcement of Five-Year Study Projects proposed 

 by the Horticultural Committee of the Garden Club of America. 

 A detailed program has been published, using the genus Hemero- 

 callis as a type, for a complete study of any single group of peren- 

 nials, particularly in reference to practical cultivation, with the pur- 

 pose of assembling data from all parts of the country and ascer- 

 taining the horticultural requirements and regional adaptability of 

 varieties. 



The selection of the daylily is perhaps indicative of the special 

 activity and attention which has centered upon this particular genus 

 in recent years, an activity in which Dr. A. B. Stout of the Garden 

 has been the prime mover and to which he has contributed the re- 

 markable results of his hybridization work. The choice is a happy 

 one because the species of Hemerocallis are relatively few, and this 

 limitation will obviously simplify the study and enable those par- 

 ticipating to do a more thorough job. It has been suggested that if 

 larger genera, such as Campanula or Primula, are to be studied it 

 would be wiser to consider only a subdivision of the group. 



The plan begins with a preliminary examination of available 

 literature, and for this purpose Dr. Stout's book The Daylilies and 

 Circular 42 of the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture are recommended. 

 The first year's work naturally covers the organization of methods, 

 systems of recording, inspection of nurseries and gardens, selection 

 of stock, planting in the spring and again in the late summer for 

 early-flowering varieties, and intensive culture. The second year 

 is devoted in part to promoting interest in the work, with the aim 

 of inducing more individuals to take up the fun, to the increased 

 opportunities and profit of all. At the end of this period a more 

 scientific study of the plant would be desirable, preferably with the 

 advice of a professional. The third and fourth years' work brings 

 in the comparison of reports, and display of specimens. Here, too, 

 the aesthetic possibilities of the flower might be discussed, in refer- 

 ence to flower arrangement and garden design. In the final year 

 it is suggested that local festivals be held and the conclusions pub- 

 lished as a permanent record. 



