70 
May, 1920 
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j PUBLISHED MONTHLY ON THE FIRST OF THE MONTH BY I 
{ MADISON COOPER, CALCIUM, N.Y. j 
FOR BOTH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL FLOWER GROWERS 
i Subscription Price : OUR MOTTO: Canadian and Foreign f 
f $1.00 per year, Special favors to none, and a Subscription Price | 
I 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 1019 by Madison Cooper 
Vol. VII May, 1920 No. 5 
" 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. 
Don’t be an Unbalanced Nature Lover. 
Take not away the life you cannot give 
For all things have an equal right to live. 
—Dry den. 
One of our subscribers recently suggested that just one 
more thing was necessary to make The Flower Grower 
perfect, and that was a bird department. This issue is 
somewhat of a bird number from the fact that not only 
have we some very complete information on the Cardinal 
Grosbeak, but the “Glad Philosopher” has something to say 
about birds this month also. These articles on birds are 
unusually well written, and contain valuable facts and will 
surely be appreciated by bird lovers. While it is not our 
intention to have a permanent bird department in The 
Flower Grower each month, yet when such interesting 
information as that which has come to hand this month is 
available, we will surely use it. 
Flower lovers, generally speaking, are to a greater or 
less extent bird lovers for the reason that birds and flowers 
are quite intimately associated- Birds have their scheme 
in nature and it may easily be figured out that they are 
protective to the flowers. It is perhaps not strange that 
some bird lovers are cat haters, and we felt a little that 
way, too, when our favorite cat caught the humming birds 
which visited our garden at blooming time ; but right here 
is where we would urge those who have a special favorite in 
some particular work of nature, not to dislike other works 
of nature. 
For instance entomologists could perhaps be called bug 
and insect lovers, and if so possibly they should be bird 
haters because the birds destroy their particular favorites. 
The insect lover hating the bird and the bird lover hating 
the cat would be the natural corollary. 
Nearly everything in nature is more or less of a warfare. 
It is the life history of practically every wild bird or animal 
that it meets a violent death. Bird lovers should not un- 
reasonably and unmercifully condemn cats for their natural 
hunting instinct. While the birds perform a very useful 
work in conservation we must not forget the absolute 
necessity of cats. It is related that Belgium, since her cats 
were mostly killed during the war, has been overrun with 
rats and mice to an extent which has made a tremendous 
loss, and made life almost unendurable in many places. 
We have the utmost respect for bird lovers. We are a 
bird lover ourself and would protect birds in every reason- 
able way. Although accustomed to the use of firearms and 
hunting from childhood, it is many years since we have 
used a gun to destroy bird life and our principles are op- 
posed to the destruction of life of any kind. Everything 
in nature has its place and even cats have a much more im- 
portant part in the scheme of civilized life than most people 
understand or appreciate. We own a cat which we abso- 
lutely know did more to help win the war than a number 
of people whom we know, and people who consider them- 
selves pretty well civilized too. This cat protected grain 
foods against mice and rats and we still remember that 
grain foods were especially valuable during war time. A 
great poet said, “ I would not enter on my list of friends the 
man who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.” This expres- 
sion and principle, nature lovers in general could well use 
as a motto. Animals, and especially domestic animals, are 
nearer to the human family in the scale of development 
than birds or any other forms of life. Animals are, there- 
fore, entitled to the utmost consideration and respect by 
man. 
Don’t be an unbalanced nature lover. Endeavor to re- 
tain a balance between likes and dislikes in nature. Though 
we may prefer birds, why hate cats ? Though we prefer 
bugs and insects, why hate birds ? Each fulfills its particu- 
lar purpose and function in the great scheme. 
Madison Cooper. 
Memorial Trees. 
Under the above title, Mrs. Hammond had something 
interesting to say in the May, 1919, issue of The Flower 
Grower. Memorial trees are becoming very popular and 
thousands of them will be planted this year. The planting 
of a tree for every soldier killed in the war, or every 
prominent citizen who rendered some important service 
during the war, is a very fitting testimonial to their 
patriotism. 
Memorial trees may also be used to advantage as living 
monuments erected to the memory of personal friends or 
members of a family. The idea is a very beautiful one, 
and even more interesting than a memorial consisting of 
monuments of stone or metal. Growing trees will hold 
attention, and increase in interest and value each year, 
while a monument of stone or metal loses interest because 
of its unchanging sameness. Memorial trees also carry 
a lesson in arboriculture which many people might never 
learn without this opportunity. 
Some of our subscribers last month may have noticed 
that The Flower Grower paper was not altogether uni- 
form. Because of freight delays for a part of the edition we 
were obliged to use such paper as was obtainable and con- 
sequently we could not maintain the high standard which 
The Flower Grower has established. However, impos- 
sible railroad conditions from severe winter weather were 
the cause, and we hope and believe that it will not occur 
again. Difficult railroad, weather and labor conditions 
make the publishing business these days anything but a bed 
of roses. 
No further announcement was made last month of the 
next annual show of the American Gladiolus Society as the 
question of having the show in Cleveland this year was 
againTaken up, and at this writing it is expected that suit- 
able arrangements can be made to hold the show in that 
city. It is indeed unfortunate that arrangements could not 
have been made at an earlier date so that a definite an- 
nouncement could be made early in the winter. 
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