April 5, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



J 399 



Local authorities assert there is coal 

 on hand in Chicago sufficient to last less 

 than two months and that the crippling 

 of business due to the shortage will prove 

 serious if the strike is prolonged. 



DOUBTS VALUE OF NEW BILL. 



The proposed bill to authorize the 

 registration of names of horticultural 

 products might be likened to a prism, 

 giving forth many tints but, unfortu- 

 nately, most of them being of somber 

 hue. 



I can see no objection to the regis- 

 tration and protection of names applied 

 to novelties, although the department in 

 charge would have some difficulty in com- 

 piling a list of those now appropriated 

 to some species of plants. 



I doubt the feasibility of a proced- 

 ure such as set forth in section II, where 

 it is proposed to give exclusive right to 

 the registrant to propagate for a term 

 of twenty years. 



It must be taken into consideration 

 that the bulk of the novelties are pur- 

 chased for the purpose of putting them 

 upon the market the second year; hence 

 the question arises, would not the re- 

 striction from propagation deprive the 

 originator of his first year's sales? 



Further to illustrate this point we will 

 suppose the Chicago Carnation Co. and 

 the Thompson Carnation Co. each has 

 a new variety both of which possesses 

 equal merit. One of these firms regis- 

 ters its novelty so it has exclusive right 

 to propagate for twenty years, which of 

 course would restrict purchasers of this 

 variety from propagating until the end 

 of that time. 



The other firm does not register the 

 variety but offers it to the trade with- 

 out restraint as to propagation. It is 

 my opinion the latter firm would out- 

 strip the former in volume of sales. If 

 publicity were given to the order books 

 of such concerns, I am confident that 

 those ordering from 1,000 to 50,000 

 would constitute the bulk of the orders, 

 and, with rare exception, this stock is 

 procured for the purpose of propagating 

 and placing upon the market the second 

 year, while the price is still fairly re- 

 munerative. 



I imagine the firm originating a new 

 variety and debarring the purchaser the 

 right of propagation, would stand in 

 its own light. 



Another illustration: If we dissem- 

 inate a new chrysanthemum, sending 

 fifty plants each to lOt) of the most 

 prominent growers, and restrict them 

 from propagation, the result would be 

 they would be obliged to come back to 

 the originator the second year for stock, 

 and the price realized for the matured 

 product at the close of the season would 

 not warrant them in paying a fancy price 

 the second year. Hence, the raiser, to 

 induce demand, would be obliged to of- 

 fer favorable terms and that is practi- 

 cally what he is doing now. 



Assuming these same growers buy 

 stock the second year, what check would 

 the originator have on the number of 

 plants they were actually growing with- 

 out inspecting their stock? They might 

 propagate thousands and take chances 

 on being apprehended. 



There is one other point which may 

 cause some trouble. It is the tendency 

 many varieties have to sport and there 

 is the possibility of their sporting in 

 two localities at or about the same time. 

 Enchantress carnation has sported to 



Clothilde Soupert and Baby Rambler Roses. 



white in several places and Mrs. Lawson 

 to a light pink. The possessor of such a 

 sport could register it and be entitled 

 to a certain name but would be obliged 

 to buy stock in the hands of others to 

 control the situation. I do not see how 

 the second party could be prevented 

 from propagating his sport. It is true 

 he would have no authority to use the 

 registered name but if the two were 

 identical it could be described as such, 

 disposing of this stock without restric- 

 tion as to propagation, and thus deprive 

 the first party of the rights and privi- 

 leges set forth in said act. 



If such an act is to be made law I 

 would certainly recommend that the term 

 of twenty years be changed to two 

 years. In such an event the originator 

 would have control of the stock the sec- 

 ond year, and could arrange with those 

 holding stock to propagate on his ac- 

 count, thus controlling the price. A 

 period longer than two years might be 

 advisable in the case of some species 

 which are slow of propagation. 



The originator of a new variety prac- 

 tically holds a patent until he places it 

 upon the market and most firms interest- 

 ed in novelties generally work up suf- 

 ficient stock to meet the demand before 

 it is offered to the public. 



To secure sales we must not only as- 



sure the purchaser but often prove be- 

 yond doubt the advantages of acquiring 

 this new creation. This would be quite 

 !in undertaking if we restrict propaga- 

 tion. It would seem like a one sided 

 proposition to benefit the first rather 

 than the second party. 



Those taking advantage of such an 

 act as the one proposed would practi- 

 cally have a trust organized with a 

 twenty year franchise. This would mean 

 higher prices to the middle man (the 

 grower) and if unable to propagate he 

 must get his returns from the finished 

 product, namely, the flowers. 



Will the dear, good public pay the 

 bill? That is the question for us to 

 consider. Elmer D. Smith. 



YELLOW AND BLUE. 



Can someone tell me how to color 

 white carnations to make them yellow 

 and blue? I am anxious to have them 

 for a class banquet, to match the class 

 colors. K. E. W. 



Yellow carnations are to be had in 

 the wholesale markets; as for dyeing 

 them, almost as well use artificial flow- 

 ers and be done with it. A far better 

 way would be to use daffodils and 

 violets. 



