August, 1919 
The Oldest Flower in the World. 
By T. Dabney Marshall in Vicksburg Eve. Post. 
“ Hyacinths and Narcissi are among the 
oldest flowers in the world. The Hyacinth 
is named after Hyacinthus, the beautiful 
Greek boy, beloved of Apollo, and slain in 
jealousy by one of the wind gods. The Nar- 
cissus is named after Narcissus, the hand- 
some youth, for whom Echo, the nymph, 
pined away in unrequitted love, until she 
became a mere voice. Hyacinths and Nar- 
cissi were flung in profusion in Greek festi- 
vals and crowned the brows of Romans in 
their banquets. Poets in all ages have sung 
of them. Shakespeare speaks of ‘the Daf- 
fodils (a species of Narcissus), that come 
before the swallow dare and take the winds 
of March with beauty.’ Wordsworth de- 
votes an entire ode to them and references 
to them are innumerable. Indeed one of 
them is actually catalogued today as ‘Nar- 
cissus Poeticus.’ 
‘‘Shelley says of the Hyacinth: 
“ Hyacinths, purple and white and blue. 
Flung from their bells sweet peals anew 
Of music so delicate soft and intense. 
It seemed an odor within the sense. 
“ These flowers, though grown for hun- 
dreds of years, were not taken in hand by the 
hybridizers until about 50 years ago, but the 
lost time was soon made up. Our great 
grandfathers, could they come back, would 
hardly recognize in the magnificent gaudy 
long trumpeted huge petaled supernisciss of 
today, the flower they knew in their life 
time. While the old-fashion trumpet Nar- 
cissus, Von Zion is only about an inch and a 
half in diameter, the newer Narcissi, such as 
Olympia, Glory of Leiden and Van Waveren’s 
Giant, are from four to five inches across and 
of the purest gold in color. 
“ Not only is there an improvement in the 
size of the flowers, but there is a very large 
increase in the varieties. Thus there are 
Narcissi with long trumpets, known as the 
Ajax class, Narcissi with medium trumpets 
known as the incomparabilis, Narcissi with 
very short cups known as the chaliced va- 
rieties. Then there are some which have 
flowers of the same color all over and others 
which have petals of one color and the 
trumpets of another. To this class belong 
the Narcissus, Empress and Victoria, with 
trumpets of beaten gold and petals of shim- 
mering silver, they are the bi-colors. Then 
there are also Narcissus which have not one 
but many blooms to a stalk. These are 
the Narcissus polyanthus. The flower? of 
these are nearly always densely perfumed. 
To this class belong the so called Chinese 
Sacred Lily, grown so frequently in pebbles 
and water. All Narcissi are perfectly hardy 
here and are of easiest growth and culture. 
It is doubtful if even the soil of Holland is 
better suited for them than that of Missis- 
sippi. 
“ The United States government and 
private growers have been experimenting 
with them quite extensively on the Pacific 
I coast and with much success. Private grow- 
ers also near Norfolk, Va., and Brunswick, 
Ga., have made a success of their culture. 
They put on the market last season several 
million bulbs and demonstrated that the soil 
here can compete with that of Belgium and 
Holland, which countries up to the great 
war, had practically supplied the world with 
bulbs of this class. 
“ The reduction of the bulb area in Hol- 
land and the torpedoing of the ships in 
which some of them were laden, compelled 
our florists to look elsewhere for supplies. 
It would be only a matter of time before 
the United States could grow all its own 
Narcissi, and it doubtless would do so, but 
for the fact that labor is so much cheaper 
and more expert in Holland than here that 
it is doubtful if it would be commercially 
profitable to do so. 
t5b<£~3^lower (Brower 
“ It may, however, turn out with them as 
it did with the Gladiolus growers. Formerly 
the United States depended entirely on 
foreigners for this magnificent summer 
flower, but now not only do we grow them 
by millions, but what is perhaps the most 
popular Gladiolus in the world, Mrs. Frank 
Pendleton, was originated here in the United 
States, being the product of that leading 
hybridizer of the west, Mr. A. E. Kunderd, 
of Goshen, Ind.” 
The Gypsophila. 
(BABY’S BREATH.) 
By Bertha Berbert Hammond. 
[ IV ritten expressly for The Flower Grower . ] 
For the purpose of supplying an ar- 
tistic and dainty setting for garden or 
for cut flowers, the various sorts of 
Gypsophila (variously known as 
Baby’s Breath, Fairy’s Breath or Gauze 
Flower) cannot be excelled. The use 
of a few of the misty sprays of Gypso- 
phila will do much to bring into har- 
mony the various sorts of flowers com- 
prising a bouquet. It is a mistake to 
try to combine too many kinds and 
colors in one bouquet. One kind, or 
at most two kinds, that harmonize in 
color will be found sufficient. A few 
flowers of a single variety with a set- 
ting of green is apt to prove artistic as 
more dainty greenery and fewer flow- 
ers give a charming and satisfactory 
effect. How often a bouquet that 
might have been “ a thing of beauty ” 
has been completely spoiled by a poor 
selection of flowers and lack of taste 
in the arrangement and combination 
of colors ! 
There are both annual and perennial 
varieties of Gypsophila. All are very 
effective in the garden or for use with 
cut flowers. Gypsophila paniculata 
which grows from 2 to 3 feet in height 
is a fine free blooming, hardy peren- 
nial of easy culture. It will thrive in 
comparatively poor soil, endure drought 
and seems free from pests. New plants 
may be easily obtained by division of 
old plants or may be readily started 
from seeds. The fact that the annual 
varieties usually make rapid growth is 
an advantage not to be underestimated 
and makes them valuable for use with 
early blooming varieties of flowers. 
Gypsophila Muralis begins to produce 
its dainty star-like flowers on gauzy 
sprays when the plant is less than a 
foot high and continues to bloom for 
a long season. It will self-sow quite 
readily. 
There are various kinds of ferns, or- 
namental grasses, asparagus, Valerina 
or garden heliotrope that are used to 
give grace and charm to bouquets, but 
the feathery sprigs of the Gypsophila 
cannot be surpassed for this purpose. 
The lovely, dainty flowers on graceful, 
slender, fairy-like stems harmonize to 
a nicety with and enhance the beauty 
of any flowers with which they may be 
mingled. A more refined or exquisite 
material for completing bouquets, it 
would be difficult to imagine. No mat- 
ter how beautiful the flowers may be, 
when combined with the delicate vapor- 
like sprays of the Gypsophila, a mystic 
charm is surely added. 
75 
Scale of Points 
for Judging Gladioli. 
By S. E. Spencer. 
[ IV r inert expressly for The Flower Grower. ] 
Has everybody forgotten that we 
have a “Scale of Points” for Gladioli ? 
It would seem that such a scale is 
necessary for the use of judges at all 
exhibitions but I have never heard it 
mentioned or known of its use at any 
of our shows. 
Resistance to Disease 5 
Texture of Flower .. 10 
Duration of Bloom . 10 
Size of Bloom io 
Color of Bloom - 15 
Form of Flower 10 
Form of Spike . 10 
Stem (Length and Stiffness). . . .. 10 
Number of Flowers on Spike i5 
Vigor (Aside from Disease Resistance) 5 
100 
The above scale was adopted at the 
Boston meeting in 1911 and I suggest 
that it be placed in the hands of all 
judges so that we may have greater 
uniformity in awarding prizes. 
I have known of judges who held 
that a prize for the “best yellow Gladi- 
oli” must be awarded to those blooms 
showing the best yellow color regard- 
less of size or quality, and they were 
backed up by officials of the American 
Gladiolus Society. 
It will be noted that in the official 
scale of points color counts 15 points, 
and “number of flowers on a spike” is 
equally as important, while texture, 
size, form and stem are all to be con- 
sidered in choosing the best. 
This is as it should be for any arbi- 
trary decision based on color alone will 
be entirely misleading to those who do 
not attend but watch the awards for 
the purpose of learning the names of 
the best or prize winning varieties. 
I would suggest also that judges and 
committees agree on a minimum num- 
ber of points which any flower must 
attain to win first. It does not seem 
desirable that inferior stock should be 
awarded prizes simply from lack of 
competition. 
Green for Use With Cut Flowers. 
[Continued from page 73.] 
some kinds wilt quickly. The dagger 
or rock fern is, perhaps, the best known 
and is found almost all over the United 
States in cool, shady ravines in woodsy 
locations. 
Trying out different combinations of 
foliage and flowers is a pleasant task 
and a very unique and effective ar- 
rangement may sometimes be hit upon 
accidentally. I remember a basket seen 
some years ago at an exhibition com- 
posed of bright scarlet Gladioli with 
deep green oak leaves and which was 
much admired. 
Bulletin No. 8, American Peony So- 
ciety, A. P. Saunders, Secretary, Clin- 
ton, N.Y. Thirty-two pages and cover. 
Report of annual meeting, interesting 
papers on the Peony, etc., including an 
article by the Secretary entitled “ How 
to Hybridize Peonies.” 
