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JoNH 6, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



Memorial Day Crop of Carnations of Wetland & Olinger, New Castle, Ind. 



has again commenced, when the supply 

 of water can be gradually increased. 



During this period the house should 

 be kept rather close and moist, using 

 the syringe freely at least twice a day 

 during bright weather. 



The soil should be stirred twice a 

 week and should never be allowed to re- 

 main with a crust on it. 



It is claimed that these plants, thus 

 handled, will produce a greater quantity 

 of medium length stems than young 

 stock will do, a statement which I do 

 not doubt so far as it applies to fall 

 crops, but I have never seen a house so 

 treated that could compare with a house 

 of young stock handled properly, espe- 

 cially during the season of short days, 

 when prices are at their best. Ribes. 



DETERIORATION BY FORONG. 



[A synopsis of an address by Antolne WIntzer, 

 of West Gnive, Pa., before the Florists' Club of 

 Philadelphia. June 4, 1007.] 



Are our roses deteriorating, or is it 

 imaginary on our partt The real or 

 supposed deterioration of roses is the 

 subject of considerable discussion when- 

 ever practical rose men meet, at con- 

 ventions or clubs. To me has been as- 

 signed by the honorable members of the 

 Florists' Club of Philadelphia, the task 

 of solving this rather knotty problem. 

 Now, while a man may give his own 

 reasons on any subject, it does not fol- 

 low that he is right, and his experience 

 may be at variance with that of others. 



Causes of Deterioration. 



My honest opinion is that a great 

 many varieties of roses have deteriorated. 

 Why have they done sot I believe the 

 main causes to be overpropagation, un- 

 natural conditions in growing the stock 

 plants, under and overwatering, over- 

 feeding, and various other causes too 

 numerous to mention. We must also 

 bear in mind the fact that thousands of 

 new roses and types of roses have been 



originated during the last twenty-five 

 years or more, less than two per cent of 

 which are heard of ten years after. 



The hybrid tea roses, to the produc- 

 tion of which rose breeders are now 

 devoting so much attention, were an un- 

 known factor thirty-five or forty years 

 ago. The breeders at that time were 

 disseminating more H. P. varieties than 

 all the other classes combined, the ma- 

 jority of which were introduced by Ver- 

 dier, of Paris. It was through the ef- 

 forts of the late Henry Bennett that the 

 hybrid tea class had its beginning, 

 wherein Bennett gave us beautiful varie- 

 ties in form and color. Nearly all his 

 productions were lacking in vigor, and 

 to a greater or less extent this has been 

 the case with the majority of the hybrid 

 tea roses since. Practical experience 

 has shown that only a limited number of 

 this class are strong, field-grown in this 

 latitude. In a great many sections of 

 the south and the Pacific states they 

 seem to grow and thrive better than in 

 this section, although, even in those 

 favored locations, they are not entirely 

 immune from black spot. 



The Remedy. 



Now, what is the lesson the propaga- 

 tor can learn from observation? Secure 

 the best and most healthy field-grown 

 plants for propagation; grow the cut- 

 tings from such, under natural condi- 

 tions, and continue on the plan for a 

 number of years and the result will be 

 that the roses so grown will not deteri- 

 orate. But it is of vital importance that 

 the very best plants should be selected 

 for breeders. This, in fact, is the se- 

 cret of the whole matter; start right, 

 keep on the right track, and you will 

 stay right, and the stock you grow will 

 be right. 



Now in conclusion permit me to ask, 

 how many growers are there in the busi- 

 ness in the position to do this! With 

 the wholesale prices of roses where they 



are at present, there is surely an eternal 

 unfitness of things in our present price 

 of own-root roses. 



DUTY ON ROSE CUTTINGS. 



As reported in the Review of May 16, 

 page 1992, the U. S. Circuit Court at 

 Buffalo May 9 rendered a decision ad- 

 verse to the Treasury Department's 

 claims that rose cuttings out of sand 

 are dutiable at 2i/^ cents each as "rose 

 plants." The decision has now been 

 published for the guidance of customs 

 oflScers. 



The case resulted from the importa- 

 tion of some cuttings of Bride, Maid 

 and other varieties by the South Park 

 Floral Co., New Castle, Ind., from J. 

 H. Dunlop, Toronto. It was in the name 

 of the American Express Co. as for- 

 warding agent. The collector at Buf- 

 falo assessed duty at 2V^ cents each 

 and the importer protested. The Board 

 of General Appraisers reversed the col- 

 lector at Buffalo and the government 

 directed that an appeal be taken. The 

 matter has dragged along some three 

 years. In his decision Judge Hazel said: 



* ' The questions submitted arise upon 

 a protest filed with the collector by the 

 importer, who claims that the articles in 

 question are rose cuttings and dutiable 

 at twenty-five per cent ad valorem un- 

 der paragraph 252 of the present tariff 

 act. The importation was returned by 

 the appraiser as rose plants and as- 

 sessed for duty at 2^4 cents each. 



"I have read the testimony, together 

 with the opinion of the board, and I 

 think the board correctly decided upon 

 the evidence presented that the impor- 

 tation consists either of cuttings of 

 shrubs or 'cuttings of * * * plants 

 * * * commonly known as nursery or 

 greenhouse stock,' and as such is duti- 

 able at twenty-five per cent ad valorem. 

 It appears by the evidence or Mr. Carey, 



