104 
July, 1920 
Slower (Brower 

^I)£ Slower ©rower 
| PUBLISHED MONTHLY ON THE FIRST OF THE MONTH BY j 
MADISON COOPER, CALCIUM, N.Y. 
FOR BOTH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL FLOWER GROWERS | 
1 Subscription Price : OUR MOTTO: Canadian and Foreign | 
i $1.00 per year. Special favors to none, and a Subscription Price = 
| 3 years for $2.50. square deal to all. $1.25 per year. I 
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 1010 by Jfladison Cooper 
Vol. VII July, 1920 No. 7 
“ 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. 
Are We on the Road to Decay ? 
More than 150 years ago the great poet Oliver Goldsmith 
wrote : 
“ 111 fares the land, to hastening ills the prey 
Where wealth accumulates and men decay.” 
No one will doubt the statement that wealth has been 
and is accumulating in America at the present time, 
but many will controvert the statement that this country is 
necessarily heading for decay. History, however, proves 
that the accumulation of wealth almost necessarily leads to 
demoralization and disintegration. Will the United States 
of America repeat history ? 
We are firmly convinced that unless some important 
corrective influence is set at work, the history of the decay 
of the American nation may soon be written. We are not 
well prepared to point out what this influence should be, or 
possibly can be ; but men are decaying under present influ- 
ences, there is no doubt about that. 
When we were thirty years younger, it was our youthful 
thought that at some future time those who performed the 
real hard and disagreeable manual labor would be the 
highest paid, and that this would be a just reward. Now 
that exactly this condition has been brought about by things 
which could not have been foreseen, it does not seem to 
follow that labor is really getting its just reward, or that it 
brings about a solution of the wrongs of all the people. In 
fact, conditions are such that they are intolerable, and as 
stated, some influence must be set at work to correct the 
present unhealthy situation. 
One thing that can be done is to provide right education 
for the young. The young must be taught that all produc- 
tive labor is a duty and a privilege and not a hardship or a 
disgrace, and that their health and happiness depend on it. 
When all able-bodied people become conscientious producers, 
the wants of all will then be supplied. 
Production is at a very low ebb in this country and 
indeed in the world. Hunger stares many millions of 
people in the face. In this country wrong education is 
the main cause of it. People in general are so wrongly 
educated that they feel above manual labor. They should 
be taught the honor and dignity of labor. We might 
further suggest that all persons physically fitted should be 
compelled to produce, but correct education would bring 
this about without compulsion. 
Why not a List of Gladioli for Rating? 
I have recently seen a more or less complete set of the Bul- 
letins issued by the American Peony Society. This Society 
has had the advantage of a very energetic and enthusiastic 
Secretary during the last eight years, and the Society and 
Secretary are both to be congratulated on the amount of 
good work done. With the Bulletins was a list of “ Peonies 
for Rating.” This list contains the names of no less than 
1060 (one thousand and sixty) varieties. It states “ the pur- 
pose for which this list is issued is to make some progress to- 
wards the elimination of the poorer varieties from commer- 
cial lists, and at the same time to accord the best sorts a more 
general and positive recognition.” 
Is it not time that something of the kind was taken in hand 
for the Gladiolus? In your issue for May the Secretary of 
the American Iris Society states “ On the basis of the Check 
List containing over 2300 names, we are starting a Registra- 
tion of Names of new varieties. * * * * This form of registration 
is merely to avoid duplication and confusion.” Duplication 
has already begun among Gladioli, for I have noticed in the 
lists which have reached me this season that Loveliness , 
Scarletta and Cannaribird do not always mean the same 
flowers. Confusion must follow sooner or later. It will 
take a great deal of watchfulness to prevent at lifting time 
the large variety Loveliness becoming mixed with the Prim- 
ulinus variety of the same name. 
The compilation of the list will be no sinecure, but it seems 
that the time has arrived when a start should be made, if 
only to show that what has been possible for the Peony and 
Iris Societies to do is also within the capacity of those in- 
terested in the Gladiolus. 
Smilax. 
Increase the Home Garden. 
While The Flower Grower is devoted to flower growing, 
we do not hesitate on occasion to mention other things which 
are likely to prove beneficial and useful to our readers. All 
reports indicate that there will be a great shortage of food 
products resulting from lessened planting this spring and we 
wish to draw attention to the home garden as a relief. 
Wherever possible gardeners should plant any food crop 
which will mature before winter, and which they have space 
for. It is a little late it is true, to give this advice, but the 
actual shortage was unknown until rather late in the sea- 
son, as the spring was late and this in itself has lessened the 
area planted. Unless nature gives an extremely bountiful 
crop something near starving stares many people of the 
world in the face. 
The Next Gladiolus Show. 
The flower shows held so far this season have been of an 
exceedingly interesting character and well attended and 
there is no doubt but what the August show of the Ameri- 
can Gladiolus Society will be one of the best, if not the 
very best, ever held. It was our wish to print the complete 
prize list in this issue, but it came to hand too late. We 
expect to publish it in full in the August issue. An attrac- 
tive list of prizes will be offered, both in the Open and Non- 
commercial Classes, and there is no doubt but what it will 
draw out a grand display. 
Considering the prosperous condition of the trade, Gladi- 
olus growers have not in our opinion been liberal enough in 
contributing to the prize list of the A. G. S., but there is 
still time for those who have neglected to do so, to take 
the matter up with Prof. A. C. Beal, Secretary. 
Madison Cooper. 
