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Slower (Brower 
| PUBLISHED MONTHLY ON THE FIRST OF THE MONTH BY j 
I MADISON COOPER, CALCIUM, N.Y. 
I FOR BOTH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL FLOWER GROWERS 
I Subscription Price : OUR MOTTO: Canadian and Foreign = 
I $1.00 per year, Special favors to none, and a Subscription Price = 
jj 3 years for $2.00. square deal to all. $1.25 per year. | 
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 lOlO by Madison Gooper 
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 September, 1919 No. 9 
“ 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. 
“ The Middleman.” 
In common with other industries floriculture has de- 
veloped people who make a living out of brokerage. They 
buy from growers and sell wherever they can find a market, 
mostly to seedsmen and florists. 
We are not prepared to state that brokers have not a 
legitimate function in the flower business, but we would 
point out the fact that many people sell to brokers or 
through brokers at a price which is ridiculously low, and in 
many cases below the cost of production. With the present 
condition of the labor market there is absolutely no reason 
for this except that the growers do not know how to ad- 
vertise. The broker is a man acquainted with the trade 
and in many cases does a large part of his business through 
advertising. The grower can do the same and no grower 
need sell to brokers or middlemen. A business built up 
direct with customers is a valuable asset for future years. 
All growers should, therefore, endeavor to build up a 
business of their own, and this can best be done through 
advertising. It is not difficult to secure a rather wide ac- 
quaintance in the trade by advertising properly, and this 
acquaintance can be made extremely profitable by proper 
attention to the wants of customers, honest business 
methods, careful packing and the furnishing of high quality 
stock. 
Madison Cooper. 
The Huckleberry as an Ornamental. 
In a recent number of The Florists’ Exchange there ap- 
peared a fine illustration showing the possibilities of the 
use of the common Huckleberry (Vaccinium), or what is 
known in the West as the Blueberry. This illustrated ex- 
tensive grounds at Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. 
As the Huckleberry is native in high northern latitudes, 
it might be well for those who want hardy plants for orna- 
mental plantings to study the possibilities of this plant. In 
the case of the Chestnut Hill estate referred to, the Huckle- 
berry planting was flanked by Dogwoods on either side 
which made a fine frame or background in combination 
with the Huckleberry. As the Huckleberry does well on 
September, 1919 
almost barren sandy tracts of land, it responds mightily to 
feeding and when grown in a semi-cultivated state, it is, of 
course, much larger and more attractive than when native 
on the sand barrens. 
Near the editor’s home is a considerable tract of land 
known as The Pine Plains (which, by the way, was pur- 
chased several years ago by the U. S. government as a sum- 
mer training camp) and which when the season is favorable, 
produces large quantities of wild Huckleberries. Hundreds 
of people visit these plains and return laden with the 
luscious berries. 
The Huckleberry affords in the spring a modest floral 
display and the growing of the plants in masses makes a 
very beautiful effect at all times of the year. In October 
and November the foliage takes on autumnal tints which 
may surpass even the Japanese Barberry. 
Let us give greater appreciation to our native plants. 
Many of them under reasonable care respond in a way 
which is surprising and their great advantage of hardiness 
is of the utmost importance in the north. 
Madison Cooper. 
In connection with the article in an adjoining column en- 
titled, “ The Middleman,” it is interesting to note that 
certain commercial growers, who, as a matter of fact, only 
grow a part of their stock, but act as brokers or middle- 
men on a large portion of their sales, are already offering to 
buy large quantities of Gladiolus corms for future delivery. 
In these days of high production costs and steadily ad- 
vancing costs, it is the height of folly for any grower who 
has put his hard labor into producing high class stock to 
sell it to be delivered several months later. 
Last year we advised growers who were inclined to be 
weak-kneed on prices that they were making a mistake. 
We want to repeat this caution again this year. There is 
absolutely nothing in the situation to cause low prices for 
any sort of flower stocks, and the tendency is always upward 
on prices with the labor conditions under which we are 
now working. Don’t sell in advance of the actual harvest- 
ing of the crop, and then be sure that you know what values 
are before disposing of same. 
An experienced grower suggests that some of the very 
finest seedlings may be likened to a skyrocket. When they 
first bloom they seem to spend all their force in one spike 
and leave no life for reproduction, and if there are any 
bulblets they simply will not grow. 
We think that most growers who are students have 
noted the fact that quite a considerable proportion of seed- 
lings are quite likely to behave in this way. A “glorious” 
new seedling that is “glorious” but once and then mediocre 
or worse. Therefore, don’t be so sure that your “ world 
beater ” new seedling is any better than some of the old 
common sorts. 
Our good friend, C. S. Tait, Brunswick, Ga., sent us a 
couple of giant Amaryllis bulbs this spring and we wrote 
back and asked him how to plant them. ' He replied that 
anyone who could take prizes at the flower shows with 
Gladioli needed no instructions about growing the Am- 
aryllis. We planted them accordingly and were rewarded 
with two spikes of giant bloom to each bulb, four flowers 
on a spike. As the Amaryllis seems to bloom quickly with 
the advent of warm days, we surely will want Amaryllis 
in our garden every year now to give us early bloom in 
advance of the Gladiolus season. 
OtjeTHower (Brower 
