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Sbptbmbbr 26, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



James Burke and One of Hit Plants of Hydrangea Otaksa. 



simply, to the one, while to the other 

 they are often subjects for careful 

 study, as pdssibly containing the key to 

 the cause. The one is concerned solely 

 with the value of the resulting indi- 

 vidual, and has neither the time, knowl- 

 edge nor inclination to search deeply 

 into the cause. To the other, the cause 

 is the main matter of interest, and the 

 possible commercial value of the result 

 is a subordinate one. The commercial 

 breeder has a thorough knowledge of 

 commercial values, and a highly culti- 

 vated, almost instinctive selective sense 

 for progressive or valuable traits. The 

 scientific student is quite generally de- 

 ficient in knowledge of commercial 

 values. 



These conditions of wide variance be- 

 tween the two classes of men as to 

 knowledge, methods and aims will ex- 

 plain the state of mild contempt fre- 

 quently shown by each for the other. The 

 commercial breeder takes a tumble when 

 he attempts to draw scientific conclu- 

 sions from his work, and the scientist is 

 often left at the post when he ventures 

 to discuss or assign commercial values. 



Estimate of Scientist's Work. 



It is far from my intent to belittle 

 the work of the scientist. He has 

 worked miracles and is doing so daily. 

 What future work in the close study of 

 the breeding of plants will do, no man^ 

 can say. It is safe to believe, however, 

 that many problems, the answers to 

 which we cannot even guess at present, 

 will be solved. At the risk of being 

 called a Philistine, however, I am com- 

 pelled to say that, so far as regards the 

 commercial breeder of florists' plants, 

 the scientist, so far as science baa been 

 assimilated, has done little more for 

 him than to enable him in certain cases 



A pnper by W. N. Rudd. of Mount Green- 

 wood, 111., read liefore the Congress of Hortlrul- 

 fnre nt the Jamestown exposition, September 

 23, 1007. 



to make a little shrewder guess. The 

 term scientific breeding, as applied to 

 our subject, is a misnomer. The breed- 

 ing of florists ' flowers remains today 

 almost a pure art. 



There are two principal recognized 

 methods of breeding florists' flowers — 

 by selection to fix a type and by cross 

 breeding. The two methods are not so 

 different as they might seem. Success 

 in each depends, barring occasional ac- 

 cident, on the same qualities in the 

 operator. Tlie cross may almost be con- 

 sidered a minor matter. It is the fine, 

 almost instinctive, power for the per- 

 ception of minute variations, both pro- 

 gressive and retrogressive, on which most 

 largely depends success, and the lack of 

 it in either case means failure. 



Power of Observation. 



This same power of minute observa- 

 tion enables the cross breeder to become 

 acquainted, as it were, with his subjects, 

 to learn their individual potencies and 

 combining powers, and, year by year, if 

 he is careful about introducing foreign 

 blood, to predict more and more closely 

 the results of his crosses; and yet he 

 will often be unable to give to you or 

 me any good and sufficient reason why 

 he selects or rejects, or why he makes or 

 avoids certain crosses, any more than 

 the painter can give you rule or reason 

 for all the varying form or color in his 

 masterpiece. 



Breeding and propagating in floricul- 

 ture have widely varying objects. One 

 is a process for producing — I had al- 

 most said creating — new forms; the 

 other is a process for. increasing the num- 

 ber of individuals of one form. An at- 

 tempt to discuss methods of propagation 

 is unnecessary. 



Reasons for Deterioration. 



Florists' plants that are propagated 

 by seed do not generally deteriorate for 

 long periods, as the seed is commonly 



grown by expert specialists, carefully 

 rogued and kept up to standard. In 

 the plants commonly propagated from 

 cuttings, rapid deterioration is often no- 

 ticed. This is due to one or several of 

 many causes. A poor cutting may be 

 taken from a good plant, or an appar- 

 ently good cutting from a starved, sickly 

 or overfed plant. The cutting may be 

 weakened by too high a temperature in 

 the propagating bed, or by having to 

 sustain itself too long without roots by 

 reason of too low a temperature in the 

 sand, or by remaining too long after 

 rooting without potting. Attacks of dis- 

 ease or improper growing, of course, 

 h'asten the deterioration of a variety, but 

 do not concern us at this time. 



Granting that the mechanical part of 

 the work is properly done, the sand good 

 and clean, watering and ventilation 

 properly attended to and soil and after 

 culture all that can be asked, there is 

 still deterioration in many cases. A 

 sickly or diseased plant gives its own 

 warning, and only the most careless 

 grower will take cuttings from it. 



Prime Giuse of Deterioration. 



By far the most insidious danger lies 

 in the strong, vigorous plant producing 

 fine blooms, but overfed. Here is the 

 great danger and here, I believe, lies 

 the prime cause of deterioration, espe- 

 cially in the carnation. A plant once 

 overfed seems a changed individual and 

 this changed condition extends to its 

 progeny by cuttings, to a great degree. 



When we have taken cuttings from 

 healthy plants which are in %-igorous 

 growing condition, and which we know 

 to have not been overstimulated; when 

 we have given them perfect conditions 

 and perfect care, from cutting to flow- 

 ering time and back again, year after 

 year, there will often bo noted a steady 

 decline in productiveness, with a possible 

 retention of good health and vigor. We 

 have failed to learn our lesson of the 



