August, 1919 
Slower (Brower 
83 
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The Glad Philosopher’s 
Musings. 
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What is a weed ? When is a weed 
not a weed ? Mrs. Comstock defines a 
weed as “a plant growing where we 
want something else to grow.” In 
some parts of Europe they cultivate 
our common wild mullein in gardens 
and greenhouses as an ornamental, 
calling it the American Velvet-plant.” 
Some of our commonest wild .flowers 
are escapes from old-time gardens. 
Bouncing Bet, or soapwort, now a com- 
mon road-side weed, was one time cul- 
tivated as a garden pink ; and another 
gypsy, Linaria vulgaris, or toadflax, 
known to children as “butter and 
eggs,” flourished in the gardens of our 
grandmothers, it being a near relative 
of the snapdragon. 
Harriet Keeler, in “ Our Garden 
Flowers,” relates how the toadflax ac- 
quired one of its several other names. 
It seems that a Mr. Ramstead, living 
in the suburbs of Philadelphia, intro- 
duced this plant into his flower garden, 
but it crawled out under the fence and 
established itself in the fields of his 
neighbors, who were truck gardeners, 
and it came to be known as Ram- 
stead weed, a title that was not be- 
stowed as a complimentary mark of 
esteem, by any means. 
Both the cornflower and the poppy, 
troublesome weeds in some parts of 
Europe, luckily do not find our climate 
quite as congenial, and so are content 
to remain within the boundaries of our 
gardens. 
The corn-cockle, a comely flower 
that has already established itself in 
our wheat fields, is a European emi- 
grant ; as is also the Marguerite, or 
dog-daisy, the pest which, it is said, 
came to America during the revolu- 
tionary war, with the hay that was 
sent over from England to feed the 
horses of Burgoyne’s army, during the 
winter at Saratoga. 
If Adam had only kept those weeds 
hoed out of the Garden of Eden, what a 
lot of hard work he would have saved 
the race. 
Since a boy I can remember a little 
ditty that began thus: 
“ A man of words and not of deeds 
Is like a garden full of weeds,” 
and while the analogy may be a trifle 
obscure, the couplet served a useful 
purpose in establishing in my childish 
mind a contempt for weeds which 
clings to this day. 
But weeds have qualities that we 
must admire. They are cheerful and 
resolute ever ; industrious, persever- 
ing and tenacious. John Burrough, 
the venerable naturalist, says, “Weeds 
have this virtue ; they are not easily 
discouraged ; they never lose heart en- 
tirely ; they die game. If they cannot 
have the best, they take up with the 
poorest ; if fortune is unkind to them 
today they hope for better luck tomor- 
row ; in all cases they make the most 
of their opportunities.” 
Let us then learn from the plucky 
weed with the indomitable will, and go 
after him with the same spirit his own 
persistent nature reveals. 
The Glad Philosopher. 
Catalogues and Price Lists. 
The Glen Road Iris Gardens, Wellesley Farms, 
Mass. — A very complete list of the Sturtevant va- 
rieties carefully described and arranged. 
United Bulb Co., Maple Park Farm, Mount Clem- 
ens, Mich.— Special catalogue and price list of Hol- 
land bulbs fall 1919. Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissi and 
Crocuses. 
W. F. Schmeiske, State Hospital Station, Bingham- 
ton, N. Y. — Sixteen page catalogue and price list 
devoted wholly to hardy Phlox. 
Every Gladiolus lover should identify 
himself with the active organization 
representing the industry. Join the 
American Gladiolus Society. H. E. 
Meader’s offer as printed in the April 
issue of The Flower Grower is still 
in force. You get one dozen blooming 
size bulbs of Ivunderd’s beautiful va- 
riety Myrtle if you join before the next 
annual meeting and the society will 
pay for your subscription to The 
Flower Grower during the life of 
your membership. 
Fifty Years Acquaint- 
ance with the Gladiolus. 
[ Written expressly for The Flower Grower. ] 
BY HENRY C. ECKERT. 
( Continued from July issue.) 
In the beginning of this century, I 
made my third venture in buying mixed 
collections, 100 mixed named, and 100 
seedlings from Matthew Crawford, and 
they were extra fine mixtures, indeed. 
Among the named varieties were some 
grand large flowering sorts, the very 
best in size and color I ever saw up to 
that time. I picked out the eight best 
ones, kept them separate, planted them 
next season in rich soil, but they did 
not show up well the second year and 
the third season went back on me 
entirely, a sorry disappointing lot they 
were ; sickly and diseased. I threw 
the few remaining bulbs away. The 
seedlings had also some very fine ones 
among them, but they had no lasting 
qualities, in the fourth year only the 
poor stuff was left. 
In the year 1911 I ordered from a 
northern grower, 100 mixed corms of 
his new celebrated strain, and this was 
the poorest lot I ever received. There 
was not one in this collection worthy 
to increase, and in three years they 
ran out completely. That put an end to 
buying mixtures, and if all purchasers 
had the same experience as I had the 
mixed collections would go begging. 
The florists and commission houses 
want flowers of one color in bunches 
of one dozen or more, and there is not 
much demand for mixed colors. This 
is my experience, and if other growers 
have done well with mixed stuff, I 
would be very glad to hear from them. 
In the years from 1900 to 1908, I was 
very busy tending to my orchards and 
fruit business, but I never lost love and 
interest in the Gladiolus, buying oc- 
casionally new varieties that I thought, 
from description, were improvements 
on previous introductions but, except- 
ing A merica, found nothing remarkable 
among them. In the year 1908 the 
controlling interest in the orchards 
was turned over to my son, and the 
thought occurred to me, why not make 
a business out of the Gladiolus fad by 
selling flowers and bulbs ? But it took 
six years more of preparing and in- 
vestigating before I really started the 
business. And I will say right here, 
growing Gladioli in Southern Illinois is 
more or less a gamble on account of 
our capricious weather. A good many 
years there is plenty of rain so that you 
can produce the largest bulbs of any 
section in this country, but you can 
depend upon it that about every fifth 
or sixth year is dry and extremely hot 
and the Gladiolus crop suffers accord- 
ingly. 
[ To be Continued. ] 
Hotels are congested in Detroit. 
Make reservations in advance for the 
American Gladiolus Society show, Au- 
gust 19th to 21st. 
Gladiona Cottage, the week-end summer home of the Glad Philosopher. Photographed in Peony time, 
showing a few of the 400 plants which were in gorgeous bloom during the month of June. 
The view is the backyard driveway because a front view is impossible as the cottage sets on a hill with 
the river at the foot. Densely wooded hillsides beyond the river are seen in the photograph. 
