19 
T5[)<l Slower (Brower 
February, 1920 
terest and enthusiasm for your flowers will increase many 
fold. 
Flowers are not unlike children. Some are petulant, 
bold and fractious and cut up the most unexpected capers 
at the most inopportune times, while others are gentle, 
modest and obedient and always run true to form. If you 
really want to experience the unadulterated joy of growing 
flowers, treat them like children, plant only named varie- 
ties and carefully preserve the names and know where 
each variety is in your garden. Get chummy with them 
and know each plant by name. Nurse them and coddle 
them while they are young, tenderly and patiently watch 
over them from the time each little sprout appears in the 
spring until the delicate bud bursts into a beautiful flower, 
and finally in the fall, carefully tuck in each little plant for 
its long winter sleep. 
Oliver S. Andresen. 
Packing for Shipment. 
After some years’ experience as a purchaser of Gladiolus 
corms and other flower stocks, the editor is impelled to say 
a few words about the proper packing of same, especially 
for shipment during cold weather. 
Gladiolus corms freeze easily and after being once frozen 
are useless and, therefore, they should be carefully pro- 
tected against frost at all times. Many shippers apparently 
neglect the most elementary principles of safe packing, not 
only as a protection against frost, but proper packing for 
safe handling. One caution that should be observed is 
that the Christmas rush should be avoided. Express ship- 
ments, especially, made within two weeks prior to Christ- 
mas are likely to be greatly delayed, and as Express matter 
accumulates in large quantities on railroad platforms at 
transfer points and is exposed to the weather without pro- 
tection much loss results. Parcel Post, while not absolutely 
safe against frost, especially where deliveries are made on 
rural routes, yet generally speaking mail is handled with 
much greater celerity than express, especially at Christmas 
time. Unless packages are comparatively heavy and are 
going long distances, Parcel Post is much safer against frost 
damage than Express. 
There is nothing better for shipment of comparatively 
small or medium sized packages than a good corrugated 
paper box. This may be double lined with newspaper and 
double wrapped outside, once with several thicknesses of 
newspaper and then with heavy express wrapping paper. 
Gladiolus corms packed in this way should be in double 
paper bags and packed into the box tightly so that they 
make a very solid package. Avoid by all means simply 
placing the bags in the box without reference as to whether 
they fit tightly or not. In case the bags do not fill the box 
any small space remaining may be filled with crumpled 
newspaper tightly rammed in place. The object is to have 
the contents of the box so it will not move around in the 
box after it is packed. If the contents of the box moves, 
even slightly, it is likely to break the bags and thus the 
varieties become mixed. The contents of the box must be 
tightly packed so that when the cover is put down consid- 
erable pressure is necessary to force it in place. 
Great care should be exercised in tying the package. 
Use strong cord which will not stretch and see that it is 
pulled tight. A package tightly packed and tightly tied is 
much safer, not only against frost but also against break- 
age. Express rulings now require that packages weighing 
more than 25 pounds must be packed in wood containers or 
corrugated paper containers which have the stamp of ap- 
proval. This ruling has been made necessary by the care- 
less packing which has been prevalent. No such require- 
ment is made for mail shipments, but careful packing 
should be done as a matter of ordinary precaution. 
Some shippers pack several weeks in advance of shipping 
on account of shortage of labor and hold shipments for 
spring shipment to be safe from frost. This is bad practice. 
Flower stocks remaining packed in this way accumulate 
moisture and have a tendency to sprout or make roots, 
causing loss of vitality or even death of the plant. 
Madison Cooper. 
A Word to the Wise Advertiser. 
The tremendous demand for flower stocks of all kinds 
during the present season has produced an effect in the 
minds of advertisers that is not altogether based on good 
reasoning and good judgment. The situation has induced 
some growers to curtail their advertising or not advertise 
at all. While we believe and hope that present prosperous 
conditions are likely to be with us for some time, we would 
point out to those advertisers who have been disposed to 
cut their advertising during the present season that their 
deductions from an advertising standpoint are erroneous. 
With a return to normal times, or with the advent of com- 
paratively “ hard times,” those growers who advertise con- 
tinuously now and keep their names before the flower lov- 
ing public are the ones who are continually accumulating a 
list of new customers and they are the ones who will be in 
line to do the business when business is not as easy to get 
as it has been during the present season. 
“ A word to the wise is enough.” 
Madison Cooper. 
Since our long-time friend, Wilbur A. Christy, and our 
young friend, Melvina Hammond and her mother, Mrs. 
Bertha Berbert Hammond, have written about the fringed 
or blue Gentian, we have become much interested. While 
we have been unable to locate the fringed Gentian we have 
right here within a stone’s throw of our office windows the 
closed or bottled Gentian'growing in great vigor. Before we 
knew the name of this flower we were greatly attracted by 
it and the thought occurred to us that under cultivation it 
could be made a very beautiful thing. We learn, however, 
that the Gentian is not easily domesticated or transplanted, 
but as long as it does so well in our bit of wild garden ad- 
joining the office, we have no great desire to reduce it to a 
state of captivity. 
Special attention is called to the article by Mr. Prest- 
gard, headed “ St. Thomas Horticultural Society.” The 
work this organization is doing under the leadership 
of Dr. Frank E. Bennett may be copied to great advantage 
in hundreds of places. Dr. Bennett, it will be remembered, 
brought a fine exhibit of Gladioli to the annual flower show 
of the American Gladiolus Society held in Detroit last Au- 
gust. While Gladioli are a specialty with the St. Thomas 
people, yet they do not confine themselves to this flower, 
but aim to have flowers in bloom every day in the year. 
Flower growing is one of the most educational and ele- 
vating hobbies that can be undertaken. There is hardly 
another pursuit which may be even compared with it for 
the general development of the individual. 
