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18 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



Januabx 11, 1912. 



today. The commercial carnations of 

 today are the offspring of numerous 

 generations of cross-bred and inter- 

 bred sorts, to such an extent that they 

 are an extremely unstable lot, as evi- 

 denced by their almost universal ten- 

 dency to produce sports. We would 

 think a chemist was wasting labor if 

 he tried to produce a useful compound 

 when he knew only the colors, but not 

 the chemical analysis of his ingredients. 



Pure-bred Carnations. 



I believe it is safe to say that there 

 is not a pure-bred carnation in com- 

 merce today; and in order not to be 

 misunderstood, I will 6ay that b^ pure- 

 bred I mean one that will uniformly 

 reproduce itself from seed when self- 

 fertilized. 



With our present knowledge it is en- 

 tirely possible to get such pure-bred 

 sorts within a few generations. With 

 theJse once produced and used as ances- 

 tors, the production of new varieties 

 could be carried on with as notable re- 

 sults as have been attained by the men 

 who have been working on similar lines 

 with agricultural crops. 



Nearly all of us have tried at some 

 time to raise new carnations, and I 



in a commercial way when grown from 

 seed. It ought to be possible to pro- 

 duce strains that will be resistant to 

 stem-rot and rust, to produce summer- 

 blooming strains and strains that are 

 suited to heavy soil or to light soil. 



I consider this matter of pure-bred 

 ancestors of such consequence that I 

 would urge upon those who are com- 

 mercially interested in the production 

 of new varieties that they get together 

 on this matter and divide the work 

 among themselves, so that each will 

 undertake to produce one or more such 

 pure-bred sorts. By comparing results 

 and by exchanging seed, rapid progress 

 could then be made. It is entirely pos- 

 sible that by such work further knowl- 

 edge of the laws of heredity could be 

 obtained that would be a valuable con- 

 tribution, not only to this society but 

 to the world at large. 



Up-to-date Propagation. 

 While we are about it, it might be 

 well to see whether we are entirely up- 

 to-date on methods of propagation. It 

 used to take years before the raiser of 

 rose seedlings could hazard a guess as 

 to their value. The seedling inarch and 

 nurse plant method of propagation have 



Philip Breitmeyer. 



(Vice-president of both tho Carnation and Rose Societies and President-elect of the 

 American Carnation Society.) 



think it will be pretty generally con- 

 ceded that more is expended annually 

 upon the production of seedling carna- 

 tions than is received from the sale of 

 cuttings. 



I feel safe in predicting that within 

 a few years we shall have carnations 

 producing flowers of such quality and 

 in such quantity as to prove profitable 



reduced this period to months instead 

 of years. The grafting of seedlings 

 upon established stocks by the ordinary 

 method is also practiced, but with some 

 danger of losing the seedling if the 

 graft fails. 



Most of you doubtless are familiar 

 with the latest works on heredity, but 

 to those who are not, and especially to 



the ambitious among the younger ele- 

 ment, let me recommend that you pro- 

 cure and read that delightfully enter- 

 taining and instructive booklet, entitled 

 "Mendelism," written by R. C. Pun- 

 nett and published by Bowes & Bowes, 

 of Cambridge, England. It is simple 

 and elementary, and can be ordered 

 through your bookseller at a probable 

 cost of less than $1. I shall be sur- 

 prised if those reading it for the first 

 time do not find it as interesting and 

 as fascinating as a love story and as 

 full of thrills as one of Conan Doyle's 

 detective tales. If some of you have 

 sons growing up whom you wish to keep 

 in the business and can interest them 

 in some such line of reading, you will 

 have made more likely the attainment 

 of your desire. 



Criticism Better Than Indifference. 



I am fully aware that I am open to 

 criticism as a theorist and not a prac- 

 tical grower, when I presume to pre- 

 sent suggestions of this sort to a body 

 of men, many of whom have made a 

 financial success of raising and dis- 

 seminating seedlings, while I have 

 nothing to show in support of my posi- 

 tion. I shall not regret your criticism 

 if I provoke your discussion, for even 

 antagonism is better than indifference. 



While I was in Portland last sum- 

 mer, a friend and I were talking about 

 the early settlers of Oregon, and he^ 

 told me a story which may be apropos: 

 A tourist asked an old settler where he 

 had come from, and he said, "From 

 east of the mountains." Being again 

 asked from what part of the plains 

 country he came, he replied that hia 

 old home had been west of the Missis- 

 sippi. The tourist was still not satis- 

 fied and asked from what state, tO' 

 which the old settler replied, "Well,. 

 I cum from Missouri. Now, durn you,- 

 laugh!" 



Some of you may laugh at my enthu- 

 siasm regarding this matter of inheri- 

 tance and the Mendelian theory, but 

 do not fail to give it serious thought,, 

 even if it does provoke your mirth. 



MB. FABENWAIJ)'S ADDBESS. 



[The following is the address of Tresldent 

 Adolph Farenwald, of the American Rose Society, 

 read at the convention of the society In Detroit, 

 January 10 to 12, 1912.] 



Fellow members of the Americai> 

 Rose Society, following the generous 

 invitation of the Detroit Florists' Club 

 to hold our annual convention at De- 

 troit, the city which will in the near 

 future wrestle with Chicago for the su- 

 premacy of the middle west, we meet 

 again, after another strenuous year 

 has rolled around, to look over the 

 battlefield to see what has been gained 

 or lost. 



I hope the most of you have gained 

 in knowledge and prosperity. Those 

 who have gained knowledge in our pro- 

 fession should be generous in sharing 

 it with some of their less favored fellow 

 members, by freely distributing infor- 

 mation when questions are asked on 

 subjects with which they are familiar. 

 This sharing of knowledge is the most 

 important plank in our society's plat- 

 form. Close that fountain, and the life 

 of our society would be short. So I 

 hope that every member will take an 

 interest in our meetings and show that 

 he is willing to help to uplift and up- 

 hold what is best in our society — and 

 not alone in the meetings, but also out 

 of them. He should be generous with 



