16 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, [1894. 



form. I think the Emily Henderson leads all the white seeded 

 whites now in the trade, for it has excellent size and substance, 

 but Mrs. Sankey is a black seeded white and very fine. I am expect- 

 ing that the new Blanche Burpee will, when we get it, beat them all. 

 Indeed, the Lemon Queen is white after the first day, and is larger 

 than Mrs. Sankey, and has the advantage of starting in with a lemon 

 tint instead of a pinkish tint, such as the Mrs. Sankey has. That 

 greenish white makes the most glistening white. There is just a 

 suggestion of pink blood in the Mrs. Sankey. The Emily Henderson 

 is as white as the jasper-white narcissus, and has all the good quali- 

 ties of the Blanche Ferry. It only needs a process of liigh culture 

 and selection to carry it up to the expanded form. 



Now the Sweet Pea already ranks with other popular florist and 

 exhibition flowers. It is interesting to see how one flower after 

 another comes forward for special culture, and not only commands a 

 place as a leading exhibition flower, but becomes the subject of a 

 special literature. One by one our old garden favorites move to the 

 front and form a galaxy of competitive flowers. It is no arbitrary 

 authority that decides what flowers shall thus be put into the front 

 rank for exhibition purposes. Taking the season through we have a 

 succession of prominent flowers, each one of which has its particular 

 season, and during that time, whether for a day, week, or month, 

 they take their turn in holding a sort of aristocratic place among the 

 more plebeian varieties of our gardens. Any flower that commands 

 the first place in its particular season is bound to be promoted to that 

 galaxy of favorites which make up our list of special exhibition flow- 

 ers. And every such flower will have the best skill devoted to it, 

 and the unlimited expense and favor of the enthusiast bestowed upon 

 it ; and every such flower will have its own literature ; and associa- 

 tions will spring up to give it their patronage and protection. Each 

 flower must win its place as the best that blooms in its particular 

 season, and its promotion is then assured. The pansy has its day 

 because it has outstripped some other early flowers. The rose 

 monopolizes our attention for its short period, and nobody thinks to 

 put forward a rival. The gladiolus has a right to say, "My day has 

 come." pjven the aster and the dahlia command their places. And 

 the chrysanthemum bides its time when it can astonish us all. What 

 will you say is the people's flower in July and early August if not the 

 Sweet Pea? Surely for a time it has hardly a competitor. And even 

 though it becomes a drug on the florist's hands, because everybody 

 can have an abundance of their own Sweet Peas, its popularity is on 



