FOURTH NATIONAL FLOWER SHOW 143 
shall be free from what we call black spot, and which will flourish in our American gardens. 
I believe that that can be accomplished. I believe some day it will be done. But, let me tell 
you, someone will have to do it who is disinterested, who is not always looking at the dollar at 
the end of the accomplishment; for up to this date there has been but very little money to any 
man who has raised a rose for the embellishment of our gardens." 
There are a number of enthusiastic breeders of roses working toward these 
ends, and we hope to have in the next few years some very good results; results 
that will revolutionize the garden planting of roses. In addition to those who 
are thus working, we have a number of commercial men making rose history. 
The American Rose Society is organized to serve as a clearing-house for 
rose workers. In its ranks will be found those interested in new varieties, in 
protecting roses from insects and diseases, in knowledge of soils, fertilizing, 
pruning, planting, and cultivating. It is because of these various advantages 
which the American Society now has to offer, that we appeal to each member 
to help rose progress through it, by increasing its membership, by adding to 
its literature, by promoting shows and interchange and by working for rose 
prosperity. We may thus have a Rose Society that will be better, larger and 
more far-reaching, of which it will be a real honor to be a member. 
NOTES ON CROTONS 
Indigenous to East India Islands and China, in their native state only 
those with green and yellow foliage are found. By cross-fertilization in the 
past thirty years more than three hundred distinct named varieties have been 
obtained. Some of these new varieties when first obtained are worth from 
one hundred dollars to five hundred dollars for a single small plant to multi- 
ply for commercial purposes. 
Crotons are more brilliant in coloring than any other species. They are 
grown in green, yellow, red, pink, bronze, crimson, white and all intermediate 
shades and combinations of color. They are beautiful in the conservatory in 
winter and unexcelled for bedding out-of-doors in full sun in summer. They 
are a conspicuous feature of the bedding around Horticultural Hall, Fair- 
mount Park, and in the fine summer beds at Girard College. Crotons should 
not be planted out before the tenth of June, as they require at all times temper- 
ature not lower than 70 degrees at night. 
Plants one to three feet high of the bright red and yellow varieties par- 
ticularly, are largely used at Christmas time for jardiniere and smaller ones for 
window-boxes, hampers and other combinations so popular in the florists' 
shops at the Christmas holidays. The finest collection ever shown in America 
will be at the National Flower Show. 
