618 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



January 25, 190G. 



he felt a great veneration for the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 

 which has done more than any similar 

 organization in America for the ad- 

 vancement of floriculture. President 

 Peter Fisher was then introduced. He 

 pronounced the convention the best 

 ever held by the American Carnation 

 Society and asked that all members 

 stay through the business sessions and 

 assist with their counsel. He then read 

 his annual report, which was as fol- 

 lows: 



President's Address. 



For the second time in its history, and 

 after a lapse of eleven years, the Ameri- 

 can Carnation Society again convenes in 

 ihe City of Boston. 



The avowed purpose of this organiza- 

 tion at its inception was ' ' The Advance- 

 ment of the Carnation. ' ' 



Looking backward for a moment and 

 drawing a comparison between the car- 

 nation as groAvn eleven years ago, and 

 that of today, no one will deny for a 

 moment that the trend of improvement 



discussions on the same which bring out 

 many points of value and interest, not 

 only to the general grower, but also to 

 those engaged in the cross-breeding and 

 production of new varieties, whose first 

 step, if they would bo successful, must be 

 to bring their plants up to the highest 

 state of cultural excellence. Then it is 

 simply summed up in the one word "se- 

 lection ' ' all the time. Prices for strictly 

 high-grade varieties have in some in- 

 stances kept pace with the best roses, un- 

 less with the single exception of the 

 American Beauty, yet I venture to pre- 

 dict that a carnation will yet be pro- 

 duced, the pioneer of a strictly fancy 

 strain in varied colors, that will even 

 rival that popular rose in size and price. 

 Perhaps in our haste for size we some- 

 times lose sight of the fact that carna- 

 tions are in three distinct classes: First, 

 strictly fancy high grade, producing 

 comparatively few but first quality 

 blooms. The commercial class produces 

 abundantly blooms of varied colors but 

 smaller in size; and those exactly inter- 

 mediate. Most of our popular sorts of 



Peter Fisher. 



(President of the American Carnation Society.) 



has been steadily onward and upward un- 

 til the carnation as a commercial com- 

 modity ranks second to none, owing 

 largely to its increased size, long keep- 

 ing qualities, and the beautiful and va- 

 ried tints of new colors constantly ap- 

 pearing. For this advance we are in- 

 debted to a better knowledge as to cul- 

 tural requirements obtained largely from 

 the many excellent papers read at our 

 annual meetings by growers, professors, 

 wholesalers and retailers, and the free 



today belong to this latter class, which 

 produce freely high grade blooms, that 

 ought in my opinion to bring a better 

 average price, at wholesale than they do 

 at present. The country florists who 

 usually retail the smaller commercial va- 

 rieties at 50 cents to 75 cents per dozen 

 would do well to grow also some of the 

 better grade varieties — show their custom- 

 ers the difference and by degrees edu- 

 cate them to buying at from $1 to $2 

 per dozen. They would in the end prove 



more satisfactory to the purchaser, and 

 the florist would derive more pleasure and 

 profit irom handling this grade of flow- 

 ers. Introducers of new varieties would 

 do well to state distinctly to which of the 

 foregoing classes their novelty belongs, 

 also giving to the purchaser information 

 on printed circulars with each shipment 

 — details as to temperature, soil, etc., to 

 assist him in its successful cultivation. 



Phenomenal varieties rarely appear, 

 and when they do, our attention ought 

 to be directed to the discovery of cul- 

 tural methods whereby their vigor and 

 usefulness may be prolonged, instead of 

 constantly running after new and untried 

 sorts, so many times to our sorrow. The 

 conduct of originators who, after de- 

 voting much space and years to testing 

 a new variety, finally advertising and 

 booking numerous orders, representing 

 thousands of dollars, and who find on the 

 eve of dissemination that it has developed 

 some trait rendering it undesirable as an 

 acquisition, and who withdraw it are to 

 be very highly commended, and I am glad 

 to note that their number is increasing. 

 This is a step in the right direction. We 

 need more men of this class. 



The most serious menace to the useful- 

 ness and progress of our society, in my 

 opinion, lies in the staging at our exhi- 

 bitions of varieties that have little or 

 no commercial value. What is good for 

 the advancement of or hurtful to this 

 society as a body must act in like man- 

 ner to every member as an individual. 



The present date of our meeting (the 

 last week in January) is to my mind just 

 about the right time to exhibit new sorts, 

 as they are certain during the dull short 

 days of winter to develop any bad 

 traits they may possess. It is easy to 

 place on the exhibition table a variety, 

 to all appearances almost faultless, which 

 the exhibitor well knows will not stand 

 inspection in his greenhouses at this 

 season of the year. The judges must 

 score on this exhibit according to the 

 scale of points adopted by this society. 

 It may score very high, so that it is 

 awarded the trophy we all covet; viz., 

 the Gold Medal. The prize list is pub- 

 lished in the weekly papers, and the trade 

 in general misled. 



This prizetaker is extensively adver- 

 tised and thousands of dollars ' worth of 

 cuttings sold. A wrong has been com- 

 mitted and that upon many who can ill 

 afi"ord the loss, not only in cash paid out, 

 but much valuable time, and invariably 

 the best bench space wasted, which must 

 be added to the first cost, and yet our 

 judges did their duty well; they invaria- 

 bly do; they would not be human did 

 tuey not make an occasional mistake, but 

 it seldom occurs. Who was to blame f 

 The extremely charitable will say a ' ' lack 

 of good judgment," or was it the "honor 

 of the man?" I hope before this meet- 

 ing adjourns that this society will go on 

 record as denouncing any one who 

 through misrepresentation or concealment 

 of defect disseminates to the trade 

 worthless carnations. 



W^hat we need in the future is dissemi- 

 nators with a sense of honor so fine that 

 they will not hesitate to place alongside 

 their product, to be measured by its re- 

 quirements, "The Golden Rule," and as 

 they hear the "whatsoever ye would" 

 ringing in their ears, not thrust it aside 

 as I fear is sometimes done, saying, 

 "This does not include me." 



We would see less pointing of the 

 finger *f scorn at the awards of our 

 society; its indorsement would mean 

 what it should, and was intended to be. 



