jANDARTf 18, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review, 



545 



CARNATION OF THE FUTURE. 



[A paper by Peter Fisher, of Ellis, Mass., 

 president of the American Carnation Society, 

 '•ead before the Gardeners' and Florists' Club of 

 Boston, January 16, 1906.] 



' ' The Carnation of the Future ' ' is the 

 subject assigned to me tonight. We think 

 of the past, with its attainments or fail- 

 ures. We live in the present, and see it 

 recede to the past like a scene in a ka- 

 leidoscope. The future is mythical and 

 hazy. No man knows what it has in 

 store for us; we can only guess, in a 

 measure. Looking backward for a mo- 

 ment and judging from what has been 

 and is being accomplished, we may form 

 a pardonable estimate of what will, or 

 may be, toward the development of the 

 * ' Carnation of the Future. ' ' 



To make any true progress we must al- 

 ways have an ideal to work up to, but 

 the ideal carnation is always just a lit- 

 tle in advance of us. We think to grasp 

 it and find something imperfect instead, 

 and as we look again, day-dreaming, we 

 again see our ideal ever ahead, in all its 

 beautiful and varied shades of color, per- 

 fection of form and luxurious growth. 

 This is well, for were perfection attain- 

 able here progress would cease. Imagine 

 if you can a type of carnations, in beau- 

 tiful and varied shades of popular colors, 

 so far in excess of the best of today in 

 point of size as to rival the American 

 Beauty rose, and sold at prices unheard 

 of; this is within the range of possi- 

 bility, we are steadily but surely coming 

 up to this standard. 



In the near future, varieties of carna- 

 tions specially adapted for the purpose 

 will be grown in pans and meet with a 

 ready sale and increasing demand. Dwarf, 

 compact growing, free flowering varie- 

 ties will be the type, in varied shades of 

 color. Think how well-grown specimens 

 of a scarlet, for instance, would sell at 

 Christmas. 



After another season of experience and 

 close observation, I am more than ever 

 convinced that the best carnations of the 

 future will be grown indoors exclusively, 

 much in the same manner as roses are 

 handled today. By this method of cul- 

 ture you will obtain a steady supply of 

 blooms, superior in every way to field- 

 grown plants. But the houses in which 

 the plants are grown should run north 

 and south and not east and west, as dur- 

 ing the hot summer months there is a 

 decided advantage in a north and south 

 as a growing house during summer — and 

 with this thorough root action the differ- 

 ence in number of blooms obtained will 

 scarcely be perceptible, with a decided 

 advantage in quality in favor of the 

 north and south house during hot spring 

 days. 



Benches will be best for this method 

 and those with tile bottoms preferable, 

 as they will be beneficial in retaining 

 moisture and keeping the roots cool. Not 

 less than five inches of soil should be 

 used, as shallow benches require too 

 much watering during hot days, which 

 tends to sour the soil. 



A large, wide, span-roofed structure 

 with continuous ventilation on each side 



of the ridge, and at the sides, will be the 

 type of greenhouse best suited for this 

 purpose. The dissemination of the carna- 

 tion of the future will be along differ- 

 ent lines from that of the past or present. 

 A strict record of its merits and faults 

 will bo kept in tabulated form, at least 

 two years prior to distribution, stating 

 how many blooms it will produce per 

 square foot of bench space, how many 

 plants to the square foot, date when cut- 

 ting of blooms commenced, when plants 

 were thrown out, and number of salable 

 or split blooms picked from a given bench 

 space each day. These records will be 

 kept for inspection at any time. A 

 synopsis of this report will be added 

 along with the advertisement of the cut- 

 tings, and placed on the exhibition tables 

 when new varieties are shown, and the 

 confidence of the trade will be restored. 

 Then, as our successors in business look 

 up the records of our past and present 

 methods they will draw the cloak of 

 charity over the past. But the blush of 

 shame will tint the cheeks of some, as 

 they reflect on the shady methods, it may 

 be, of a parent who has passed beyond. 



SELLING DOLLAR CARNATIONS 



In a Thirty-cent Town. 



In response to the inquiry by F. A. F. 

 in the issue of January 4, the writer 

 having accomplished the very feat of 

 selling dollar carnations in a thirty-cent 

 town is prompted to give his views and 

 relate a few experiences. 



There always exist in every town cer- 

 tain conditions which create au atmos- 

 pliere of which the inhabitants partake, 

 the tradesmen, including the florists, 

 being no exception. In a thirty-cent 

 town, so-called, the fact is the people 

 never saw up-to-date, well-grown carna- 

 tions, or, if they did, the superior qual- 

 ities of such were not put before them 

 in a way to leave a lasting impression. 

 This was the state of affairs in the city 

 where my operations began; a city noted 

 for its wealth, beautiful homes and cel- 

 ebrated men, also widely known as pay- 

 ing the highest price for meat of any 

 city in the Union. 



Several years ago, while enroute from 

 Kansas City to Chicago, the late P. D. 

 Armour told the writer that this city 

 demanded the choicest cuts of beef and 

 consequently had it furnished them at 

 corresponding prices. Here was the at- 

 mosphere, or perhaps taste, which must 

 be gratified, and why should not well- 

 grown carnations come in for a share in 

 gracing the table and lending their aid 

 in the enjoyment of a tempting steak or 

 jirime roast at 38 cents per pound? 



It would, perhaps, have been much 

 easier or taken less time to bring about 

 the desired result if the co-operation of 

 old established growers and retailers 

 could have been secured, but this being 

 impossible, the only course was to go it 

 alone. 



Now F. A. F. must make up his mind 

 to several things; viz., that to sell dol- 

 lar carnations in any town, requires him 

 to have them to offer; that although 



they may be worth that price there will 

 be those who disagree with him and will 

 so express themselves; that in view of 

 this notwithstanding, he must not hold 

 in earnest Avhat Emerson says in satire, 

 "Difference from me is the measure of 

 absurdity"; that to gain the confidence 

 of flower buyers and create the lasting 

 impression before alluded to, it is ab- 

 solutely necessary that his product can 

 always be depended upon to possess 

 more than ordinary lasting qualities. 

 Once let your flowers become a subject 

 of general conversation at a luncheon 

 or similar occasion — and they will be 

 sure to if above the average — then it 

 may be said that you have just begun 

 to make yourself felt. 



The host is pleased with the success 

 of his decoration; the guests make men- 

 tal note of your name and address and 

 will lose no time in visiting your place. 



Here is a chance to produce a lasting 

 impression. A look through the houses 

 should prove beyond doubt that you have 

 the goods and by your manner and con- 

 versation it will be judged whether or 

 not you are capable and trustworthy. 



It goes without saying that a spirit of 

 tidiness should pervade the whole es- 

 tablishment, for nothing appeals to 

 flower buyers more than an air of neat- i 

 ness. 



Keep a few choice blooms of each 

 variety on hand at all times that new- 

 comers may be given at least one. These 

 need not be long stemmed but must be 

 freshly cut and in water several hours 

 before used. 



One of these visitors may wish to 

 leave an order for future delivery to her 

 home or that of a friend: Promise to 

 do no more than you are sure you can 

 accomplish but when you fill the order, 

 endeavor to do a little better than you 

 promised. This is one example only, of 

 how the start is made in the forging of 

 the links in an endless chain. 



Similar opportunities will present 

 themselves whereby the links increase in 

 number, the chain grows longer, the 

 circle nears completion, until at last you 

 find yourself encompassed on all sides 

 by eager buyers, mostly and preferably 

 members of the fair sex. 



Now this is no dream but the result 

 of a strenuous life covering a period of 

 perhaps two years or more during which 

 there has come about a gradual change 

 of conditions and in reality, while you 

 succeed in selling dollar carnations, the 

 people no longer breath a thirty-cent at- 

 mosphere. 



Just a word in conclusion as to re- 

 sults in the city before mentioned: In- 

 stead of carnations being sold at the 

 uniform price of 25 cents per dozen, 

 they now range from 50 cents to $2.50. 

 While the start was made alone other 

 growers contracted the fever as the de- 

 mand' for first-class goods increased. 

 Ladies who formerly hesitated to order 

 flowers by telephone, even for use at 

 their own homes, now go so far as to 

 keep on hand at the florist's, a stock of 

 their visiting cards to be enclosed with 

 telephonic orders for flowers they wish 

 sent to friends. Geo. S. Osborn. 



McKINLEY MEMORIAL. 



The committee on McKinley Memorial 

 for the American Carnation Society and 

 S. A. F. & O. H. calls the attention 

 of all florists in the United States to the 

 nearness of the anniversary of our late 

 president's birthday, January 29, 1906, 

 -McKinley day, when millions of our citi- 



