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Ot)c .flower (Grower 
January, 1919 
illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllin llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 
Ot)e Slower (Brewer 
! PUBLISHED MONTHLY ON THE FIRST OF THE MON II BY I 
MADISON COOPER, CALCIUM, N.Y. 
| I OK BOTH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL FLOWER GROWERS 
I ->11 si plum Price OIK MOTTO: Canadian a d F ieif:ii i 
I $1.00 per year, s/ircml favor* to none, and a Subscription Pric 1 
1 3 years for 00 square rival to all. $T2S p< i yf a = 
Growers are invited to contribute articles or notes over their own 
signatures, but the Editor reserves the right to reject anything which 
in his judgment is not conducive to the general welfare of the business. 
Copyright 101 H by 3 Tadison Cooper 
The contents of THE FLOWER GROWER, formerly " The Modern Gladiolus 
Grower" are covered by general copyright. Permission is given to editors to use not 
more than one-third of any article providing proper credit is given at the beginning or 
end of such quotation, as follows: "From THE FLOWER GROWER, Calcium, N. Y.” 
Special permission necessary for reprinting illustrations, long extracts or articles entire 
Vol. VI January, 1919 No. 1 
“ He who sows the ground with care and diligence acquires a 
greater stock of religious merit than he could gain by the 
repetition of ten thousand prayers.”— Zoroaster. 
A Question of Credits. 
As time passes the tendency is more and more toward 
doing business on a strictly cash basis. Years ago credits 
of six months or a year were common. These long time 
accounts were gradually reduced to thirty or sixty days and 
now many different lines do business on a strictly cash 
basis. This, we believe, is a healthy tendency and to a 
large extent eliminates inflation, speculation and risk. 
While quite a portion of the business in the floral line is 
done on a cash with order basis, yet among commercial 
growers there seems to be a certain amount of long time 
credit being given. This should be eliminated or at least 
limited very sharply. While only casually acquainted with 
the commercial floral trade of this country, yet we know 
several instances during the past few years where the 
granting of credit has not only resulted in a severe loss to 
the creditors, but it has also resulted in the sustaining of 
what we should call a reckless and unfair competition. 
Long time credits are a thing of the past. Short time 
credit should be used only where necessary and business 
done on a strictly cash basis so far as possible. If there are 
arguments in favor of long time credits we will be glad to 
hear from those who can see the other side of it more plainly 
than we can. 
Madison Cooper. 
Exclusion of Foreign Plants. 
After June 1st, 1919, according to the provisions of an 
ordinance signed by Secretary of Agriculture Houston, cer- 
tain foreign plants and stocks will be excluded from impor- 
tation to this country. The bill as drawn is for a drastic 
plant quarantine as a protection against the introduction 
of instet pests and plant diseases. The plants excluded 
among others include Irises, Gladioli and Peonies. 
While it may be that damage has resulted from the in- 
troduction of diseases and pests on the foreign stocks, yet 
it is improbable that such damage has been serious enough 
to warrant the total exclusion of foreign plants for this 
reason. 
This bill has been much protested and with good reason. 
While we do not wish to take sides in a matter of this kind 
we doubt the advisability of passing such an exclusion act. 
While it will doubtless be stimulating to the development 
of home grown material, yet it will work a hardship to 
foreign growers who have been accustomed to selling their 
product in this country. The spirit of the times is that 
principles of trade are worldwide and should not be consid- 
ered from a purely national standpoint. Looking to the 
future it must be understood that reciprocity for mutual 
advantage is the key-note of trade, and, therefore, we doubt 
whether the proposed plant exclusion act is a judicious one 
looking at the matter from a broadgauged standpoint. 
The florist trade talks of a fight in the courts and in- 
junctions, etc., but such things move slowly and having an 
act of this kind actually at work, it is doubtful if anything 
can be done to prevent the exclusion as called for therein. 
It is probable, as it appears to us, that the injustice of the 
act will in time become apparent as well as the fact that it 
will really work a hardship to the horticultural and floricul- 
tural interests of this country. 
Utilize the Wastes. 
Mr. Spencer has something interesting to say on page 10 
about utilizing the foliage of the Gladiolus plant. The 
editor has been dumping his Gladiolus tops year after year 
without thought, and although the quantity is small as he 
is growing under garden culture only, yet there is no reason 
why he, as well as other comparatively small growers, 
should not utilize their Gladiolus tops according to the sug- 
gestions of Mr. Spencer. It is probable that many people 
do not appreciate the value of all vegetable growth when 
properly composted. The resulting humus and fertilizing 
elements are of the utmost value when applied to the soil 
for growing crops. The making of a compost heap is a 
simple matter if carried out as suggested by Mr. Spencer, 
and the labor of cutting sods for same may be avoided if 
strawy or coarse stable manure is available, horse manure 
preferred. Efficiency in the garden is equally as important 
as elsewhere and surely the utilizing of Gladiolus tops, 
weeds and vegetable growth in general is desirable. 
Naming Seedling Flowers. 
The naming of seedlings is a subject which all Gladiolus 
hybridizers are interested in, and the selection of a name is 
of much more importance than might be apparent at first 
glance. As pointed out by the Glad Philosopher in the 
December issue, names should fit the flowers. There is a 
chance for as much skill and judgment to be used in select- 
ing a name for a new seedling with individual characteristics 
as in any part of flower growing that we know of, and 
comparatively few originators have made happy selections, 
but it is much easier to criticize, perhaps, than to improve 
upon the names which have been given to some of the 
prominent varieties. 
Anyway, there are altogether too many seedlings being 
named at the present time, and many of these without due 
knowledge on the part of the originator of what other hy- 
bridizers have done and are doing. We advise that no new 
variety should be segregated and named unless it has quali- 
ties of apparent and outstanding merit. Besides, there are 
so many fine seedlings being produced at the present time 
that no grower should waste time on varieties of mediocre 
quality. Don’t be in a hurry to name new varieties. Give 
them a few years to demonstrate their longevity as well as 
beauty. 
