32 
Ofye Slower (Grower 
March, 1920 
American Gladiolus Society. 
of a beautiful flower is, indeed, an envi- 
able distinction. But even here chris- 
teners might study the name of the 
person it is proposed to honor and 
select therefrom the distinctive part of 
the name instead of bestowing long, 
cumbersome names that may prove 
not only unwieldy but often quite in- 
congruous if not a commercial disad- 
vantage. A notable exception of this 
is the name Mrs. Dr. Norton. This 
name is not only cumbersome but 
quite incorrect as to good social usage. 
While in some European countries it is 
customary to use such expressions 
as Mrs. Dr., Mrs. Lieutenant, etc., in 
the best social circles in this country 
it is not considered “ good form ” for a 
lady to use any suggestion of her hus- 
band’s religious, professional or mili- 
tary rank. The name of this beautiful 
variety as it now stands, must prove 
offensive to those who are well versed 
in good social forms. If the Doctor is the 
one who is to be honored the name 
should have been Dr. Norton, if his wife 
is the fortunate one, then simply Mrs. 
Norton would have sufficed. The 
name now is also unwieldy. Growers, 
dealers and many others have long 
since cut the Gordion Knot and for 
convenience called the variety merely 
Norton. Perhaps the shortening of the 
name may have assisted real merit to 
overcome the handicap, for certainly 
this superb variety has despite its 
name become commercially in great 
demand, an exception that only proves 
the general rule. 
The Poinsettia. 
“The Poinsettia produces an abun- 
dance of milky juice; such plants are 
more difficult to root than others. 
Two sorts of cuttings may be made, 
hardwood and softwood. In making 
the dormant wood cuttings the plants, 
after flowering, are placed under the 
bench of a warm house and gradually 
allowed to ripen by withholding water. 
During March the canes are cut in 4 
in. lengths, and after the milk has 
stopped flowing, the cuttings are 
washed in warm water and dipped in 
powdered charcoal. Place in a mod- 
erately dry propagating bench at a 
temperature of 65 degrees. As soon 
as roots have started cuttings should 
be potted in thumb pots. 
For making softwood cuttings, the 
plants are started in April. Shake the 
soil from the roots of the old plants 
and pot in smaller pots. The storage 
roots will soon cause the growth of 
good cuttings. 
When several inches long, the cut- 
ings are taken with a heel. 
They may be rooted in the sand 
bench or potted immediately and 
placed in a close propagating case. 
Cuttings may be taken all spring and 
summer; the earlier cuttings will give 
the taller plants.” — From Commercial 
Plant Propagation by A. C. Hottes. 
We look for an early and mild spring 
as a partial compensation for the un- 
usually severe winter so far experi- 
enced. 
Members of the American Gladiolus So- 
ciety : 
The members present at the last an- 
nual meeting at Detroit know that the 
Society voted to hold the next meeting 
at Cleveland, Ohio, in connection with 
the meeting of the Society of American 
Florists. The Cleveland florists were 
glad to have us meet in Cleveland, pro- 
vided they could make certain arrange- 
ments for our entertainment. Owing 
to local conditions, it was not possible 
last August for them to make definite 
promises. It was expected that the 
matter would be settled in October or 
November. However, it developed that 
nothing satisfactory could be arranged 
until the officers of the Society of 
American Florists had an opportunity 
to view the exhibition halls and dis- 
cuss plans with the local florists. When 
this was done recently, it is understood 
that the officers of the Society of 
American Florists objected to having 
our exhibition in the same hall. Nat- 
urally the Cleveland florists will be 
very busy with the larger meeting and 
they did not feel that they could prop- 
erly take care of us this year. This 
decision is a great disappointment to 
all our members who looked forward 
to an unusually large display of flowers 
and a very successful meeting in Cleve- 
land. It will be an especial disap- 
pointment to the Ohio growers who 
have worked for the meeting. 
It may be said in connection with 
the attitude of the Society of Ameri- 
can Florists that their summer show is 
a trade display, and since it is a trade 
display they do not wish to admit the 
public in large numbers even for an 
admittance fee. Some of our members 
had difficulty in getting into the hall 
last year, and while this would have 
been provided for this year by issuing 
tickets to our members, itdid not seem 
possible to admit the general public to 
our show. If the American Gladiolus 
Society expects to popularize the 
Gladiolus, one of the most effective 
methods is to open our shows as freely 
as possible to all those interested in 
flowers. The very successful inde- 
pendent show at Buffalo in 1918 under 
the war conditions, should encourage 
us in the belief that under peace condi- 
tions we can hold as satisfactory an- 
nual meetings and exhibitions as we 
could ever hope for in connection with 
the Society of American Florists and 
Ornamental Horticulturists. 
PRIZES AND OUR NEXT SHOW. 
We should be making plans for 
the next annual exhibition. All mem- 
bers are urged to send the secretary 
contributions to list as prizes. These 
should consist, as far as possible, 
of cups, medals, or cash. Let us, 
if possible, get away from offers of 
bulbs or stock. Prizes for open and 
amateur classes are desired so that 
there may be a well-balanced show. It 
is hoped that growers will contribute 
liberally so that a good competition 
will be aroused. Contributors are 
urged to consider the desirability of 
offering, particularly in the amateur 
class, third and even fourth prizes. 
Nothing encourages an amateur more 
than the feeling that if he fails to win 
first or second prize, he may at least 
gain a third or fourth prize for his ef- 
fort. Any suggestions for the im- 
provement of the prize list will be 
thankfully received, and if sent in at 
once will be considered in connection 
with the premium list for our next 
show. We need more prizes for table 
decorations, hampers, artistically ar- 
ranged vases, etc., of Gladioli. Who, 
among those who did not make any 
offer last year, is going to be first to 
come forward this year? This year’s 
show merits your full support. Will 
you give it ? 
A. C. Beal, Sec’y. 
The Weed Prairie. 
To the Editor 
I would like to share with all the readers of your 
excellent magazine, especially all those who love wild 
flowers, what I consider a beautifully painted word 
picture, and which I found several years ago in an 
old book under the title of “The Scalp Hunters.” 
One would scarcely expect to find a tribute to flow- 
ers in a book with such a title, but the author, although 
an Indian hunter and plainsman of pioneer days, was 
also a Nature lover, as proven by many passages in 
the book, descriptive of the plains in those early days. 
I hope among your readers many will find the 
pleasure that I do in reading it as today when the out- 
side world is snow-bound, and the thermometer 
hovering around zero, these lines bring back to me 
the warm sweetness of the Summer winds, across the 
prairie meadows. 
Mrs. Elizabeth Carmichael. (Iowa.) 
‘‘I stand in an open plain. I turn my 
face to the north, to the south, to the east 
and to the west ; and on all sides behold the 
blue circle of the heavens girdling around 
me. Nor rock, nor tree breaks the ring of 
the horizon. What covers the vast expanse 
between? Wood? Water? Grass? No, 
flowers. As far as my eye can range it rests 
only on flowers, beautiful flowers. I am 
looking as on a tinted map, an enameled 
picture, brilliant with every hue of the 
prism. Yonder, is goldenyellow, where the 
helianthus turns her dial-like face to the 
sun. Yonder, scarlet, where the malva 
erects its red banner. Here is a parterre 
of the purple monarda. There the euph- 
orbia sheds its silver leaf. Yonder the 
orange predominates in the showy flowers 
of the asclepia ; and beyond, the eye roams 
over the pink blossoms of the cleome. The 
breeze stirs them ; millions of corollas are 
waving their gaudy standards. The tall 
stalks of the helianthus bend and rise in 
long undulations, like billows on a golden 
sea. They are at rest again. The air is 
filled with odors sweet as the perfume of 
Araby or Ind. Myriads of insects whir 
their gay wings, flowers of themselves. The 
bee birds (humming birds') skirr around, 
glancing like stray sunbeams ; or poised on 
whirring wings, drink from the nectared 
cups ; and the wild bee with laden limbs, 
leaves for his far home with a song of joy. 
“Who planted these flowers? Who hath 
woven them into these pictured parterres? 
Nature. It is her choicest mantle, richer in 
its hues than the scarfs of cashmere.” 
“This is the weed prairie, so called. It is 
mis-named. It is the Garden of God.” 
