July, 1908 



THE CANADIAN H O R T I C U L T U E I S T 



157 



Naming Gladioli 



At the last annual convention of the 

 Horticultural Societies of Ontario, Mr. John 

 Cavers of Oakville, said : "A few years ago 

 -Mr. Groff published the statement that in 

 his judgment the interests of the gladiolus 

 would be best served by its being propagat- 

 ed and disseminated in collections rather 

 than in named varieties." This was pub- 

 lished in the second annual report of the 

 association and recently was brought to the 

 attention of Mr. Groff who replied as fol- 

 lows : 



Kditnr, The CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST; 

 My attention has been called to page 54 of 

 the Annual Report of the Horticultural So- 

 cieties of Ontario, where Mr. Cavers refers 

 ' i my opinion as to the naming of gladioli. 

 - I made this statement some years ago, 

 iirfore half of my hybrids had been orig- 

 inated, it is a satisfaction to know now 

 that my then expressed view was correct, 

 taking the situation and interest in it's 

 hroadest sense. Had I at that time fol- 

 wed the commercial practice of naming 

 • ry variety carrying sufficient difference 

 warrant the distinction, the absurdity 

 : a named list of over 10,000 would be 

 ilicted on the public today. 

 My contention was and still is, that only 

 ose varieties of distinct marking, quality 

 '1 valuable characteristics, should be 

 li'cted for this purpose, while the thou- 

 lids of varieties showing little special dis- 

 etiveness, should be graded into color 

 ivions, and thus produce the best value 

 isible at a nominal cost to the amateur, 

 lio is the final and highest court of ap- 

 -'1. 

 What has been the result? The Continent 



of America has given my hybrids the palm 

 on all important public and private oc- 

 casions, and my United States representa- 

 tive grows today 100 acres, the largest acre- 

 age of high quality in the world. Great 

 Britain and Ireland, Europe and Africa, also 

 Australasia, are steady buyers of "Groff's 

 Hybrids" by thousands. 



Had I waited for the unseemly wrangle 

 with several commercial growers trying to 

 "get on board," the gladiolus would not 

 have been the popular flower it is today, 

 and the variety named "America," although 

 claimed to be the best variety of the intro- 

 ducer under this name, could not have 

 achieved a fraction of the result indicated 

 above. 



As an originator it is possible to accom- 

 plish a fraction of the possibilities of im- 

 provement by hybridization, and to hamper 

 activity by a mass of commercial detail, 

 which is the work of the grower, would 

 mean a material and serious limitation in 

 the results of that work, and results are the 

 standard by which man's work is judged. 



While it is my intention to select many 

 varieties of special quality and value for 

 use in massing, the color sections referred 

 to will be further improved yearly by the 

 addition of thousands of newer types than 

 even before. — H. H. GroflF, Simcoe, Ont. 



Buying Apples by Lump 



W. J. Baker, Warkworth, Ont. 



In the apple business of the past season, 

 I went slowly, packed carefully and did 

 fairly well. Most buyers sowed the wind, 

 and reaped the whirlwind. This going out 

 in the country, when the apples are the 

 size of cherries, and buying- by the lump, 

 is the purest unalloyed gamble that one 

 can go up against. 



If the Dominion Government prohibits 

 buying by the lump, there would be no 

 need for the Fruit Marks Act. On account 

 of lump buying, thousands of apples are 

 packed each year that should not be placed 

 in the package. 



I got a sample copy of The Canadian 

 Horticulturist, and like it very much. 

 Enclosed find $1.00 for a two years' sub- 

 scription. — J. S. Foulds, Martintown, Ont. 



I appreciate The Canadian Horticul- 

 turist very much, and wish you contin- 

 ued success. Enclosed is my renewal sub- 

 scription. — A. J. George, London, Ont. 



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