22 



The Horists' Review 



AuousT 26, 1921 



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GROWING OUR OWN 



HOW AMERICA HELPS HEBSELF. 



Quaxantine's Eesult. 



The drastic dnd sudden promulgation 

 of Quarantine 37 by tte Federal Hor- 

 ticultural Board, preventing the impor- 

 tation after June 1, 1910, of so many 

 plants and bulbs that had come to be 

 considered necessities by the florists, 

 nurserymen and amateur horticulturists, 

 causes the question of the development 

 of American products to become one of 

 the most important and vital questions 

 we have before us today. 



In the matter of orchid growing, con- 

 siderable progress has already been 

 made in producing seedling orchids. 

 These, the committee understands, can 

 be brought into flower in about eight 

 years from seed. Many of our largest 

 growers are already successfully at 

 work on this important flower. 



Azaleas are also being grown in va- 

 rious localities successfully, but as these 

 are slow-growing plants, it will take 

 time and patience to produce them in 

 sufficient quantity. 



Hybrid tea roses also are being 

 budded here extensively and, before 

 long, will be grown in sufficient quanti- 

 ties to meet the demand, as there is no 

 doubt that roses of all kinds can be 

 grown just as well here as in Europe. 



Fertile Fields. 



The committee's attention has been 

 called to the extensive cultivation of 

 palms in California. California, with 

 its wonderful climate, is already pro- 

 ducing a great many seeds, plants and 

 bulbs that were formerly imported and 

 that are important nursery and florists' 

 products. Tennessee, also, with its fine 

 climate, is already producing a great 

 many plants and bulbs that luxuriate in 

 its fertile soil — Lilium candidum, gla- 

 dioli, spirajas, etc. In the mountains, 

 native azaleas and rhododendrons lux- 

 uriate. Here would probably be a fer- 

 tile field for the production commer- 

 cially of the finer hybrid varieties. 



In Massachusetts, young rhododen- 

 drons, azaleas and mountain laurel are 

 being grown by the tens of thousands, 

 and in various localities throughout 

 New Jersey rhododendrons, azaleas and 

 other plants of this character ai^e being 

 extensively propagated. 



We have heretofore been dependent 

 upon Germany and other countries of 

 Europe for pot-grown lilacs, but some of 

 the finest lilacs that have evei been 

 grown are plants that have be^i spe- 

 cially grown and prepared here and 

 have given much finer results than those 

 usually obtained abroad. 



There is a great opportunity in this 

 country for the development and im- 

 provement of different plants developed 

 under our own climatic conditions. In 

 introducing varieties from Europe, they 

 were produced under different climatic 

 conditions, which were not always 

 suited to our climate. Take, for instance, 

 forcing roses. Ten years ago most of 

 the varieties were varieties of foreign 



Report of Frank B. Plerson, chairman of the 

 pommittee ob the development of American prod- 

 ucts, presented at the S. A. F. conTention at 

 Washington August 16, 1921. 



origin, but today the most important 

 varieties which we are growing are of 

 American origin and a great improve- 

 ment over the varieties which we were 

 growing a few years ago, showing the 

 great opportunity that exists for the 

 patient and intelligent production of 

 improved varieties developed ^ere, un- 

 der our own climatic conditions and 

 standards. 



A great improvement has also been 

 made especially in the hybrid Wichurai- 

 ana roses, which are particularly suited 

 to our climate. Some wonderful results 

 have been obtained along these lines, 

 showing the possibilities which, we be- 

 lieve, are only the forerunner of what 

 may still be accomplished. 



Th« gladiolus offers a great field for 

 improvement and has become one of 

 our most important summer flowers, 

 owing to the greatly improved varieties 

 that have been introduced, and we be- 

 lieve much more can be done along this 

 line than has been accomplished. 



Dahlias are growing in popularity, 

 and while a few men have been doing 

 something with them, there is room for 

 vast improvement. Some one who has 

 the genius and time can do some good 

 work along this line. There is nothing 

 that would pay the American grower 



better than to produce new varieties 

 suited to our climate, especially those 

 that will bloom during our dry season 

 and ■jvill produce long stems and keep- 

 ing qualities. 



At Arnold Arboretum. 



Your committee wishes to call par- 

 ticular attention to the wonderful work 

 of the Arnold Arboretum in connection 

 with Harvard University, Jamaica 

 Plains, Mass., under Prof. Charles S. 

 Sargent's direction. Through the work 

 of Ernest H. Wilson, here has been 

 gathered a wonderful collection of new 

 and rare plants from China, Japan and 

 the far east. It is fair to say that Mr. 

 Wilson has secured more valuable new 

 plants than all the collectors who have 

 preceded him. This wonderful collec- 

 tion of new plants is available to any- 

 one and the Arnold Arboretum should 

 be a Mecca for those who are interested 

 in the development of new plants. 



Your committee would suggest that 

 the S. A. F. set aside a space at its 

 annual conventions for the exhibition 

 of new discoveries and products that 

 were heretofore imported from foreign 

 countries, or other plants that are now 

 being grown here that will serve as 

 substitutes for those that we are fa- 

 miliar with. This would show the prog- 

 ress that we are making in the produc- 

 tion of plants and bulbs in this country. 



Your committee would also suggest 

 that a larger committee be appointed, 

 as the ground to be covered is so ex- 

 tensive; say, two from the Pacific coast, 

 two from the middle west, two from the 

 east and two from the south. 



A BOOK YOU NEED 



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CATALOGUE OF PLANT NAMES. 



Completed by Nomenclature Committee. 



Due largely to the preoccupation of 

 the members, it has not been practicable 

 to hold a meeting of the committee on 

 nomenclature during the year. The 

 work committed to it, however, has 

 had the attention of the members and is 

 in a forward state. 



The Society of American Florists has 

 cooperated wholeheartedly with the 

 American joint committee on horticul- 

 tural nomenclature, of which the chair- 

 man of your committee is also chair- 

 man 



A devoted, public-spirited subcom- 

 mittee of the American joint commit- 

 tee, made up of Harlan P. Kelsey, 

 Frederick Law Olmsted and Frederick 

 V. Coville, have during the year sacri- 

 ficed their private work and private 

 interests to the completion of the pre- 

 liminary manuscript for the official cat- 

 alogue of standardized plant names, 

 and in June that committee announced 

 that the work was in process and would 

 be published as soon as it could be pro- 

 duced mechanically. 



Aim of Catalogue. 



This great catalogue of plant names, 

 primarily designed to make buying 



Report of J. Horace McFarland, chairman of 

 the committee on nomenclature, presented at the 

 S. A. F. convention at Washington August 16, 

 1921. 



easier, will, it is believed, stand as a 

 monument of intelligent interest in com- 

 mercial horticulture for years to come. 



In its scientific names it does not 

 set up a new code or attempt to assume 

 scientific authority. It does take the 

 current name seemingly in the judg- 

 ment of the subcommittee best adapted 

 to represent the plant in question, and 

 so far as is humanly possible at this 

 time, attaches to it a common name 

 which will be of actual service. 



The official catalogue will contain in 

 one alphabetical order both the ap- 

 proved scientific and common names, 

 and familiar names not approved, the 

 whole being made available by complete 

 cross reference. The distinction be- 

 tween the approved and unapproved 

 names is a typographic distinction, and 

 will be appreciated by those who use 

 the catalogue without reference or com- 

 plication. 



To this great list, more comprehen- 

 sive than anything of the sort produced 

 anywhere else in the world, there is 

 being added in an appendix authorita- 

 tive lists supplied by the special flower 

 societies. 



Varietal Lists. 



For example, the American Iris So- 

 ciety supplies its carefully prepared 

 and presumably accurate list of varie- 

 ties of irises in American commerce. 

 The American Kose Society, the Ameri- 

 [Coocluded on page 49.] 



