18 
Ofye Slower (Brower 
February, 1918 
Ol)e Slower (Brower 
| PUBLISHED MONTHLY ON THE FIRST OF THE MONTH BY f 
MADISON COOPER, CALCIUM, N.Y. 
FOR BOTH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL FLOWER GROWERS 
| Subscription Price : OUR MOTTO: Canadian and Foreign § 
i $100 per year. Special favors to none, and a Subscription Price I 
1 3 vears 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. 
Copijriffht litis btj dladison Cooper 
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. 
Entered as second-class matter March 31, 1914, at post office at 
Calcium, N.Y., under act of March 3, 1879. 
Vol. V February, 1918 No. 2 
Patriotism, Pigs and Posies. 
It must be admitted that the subject chosen is a rather 
unusual combination, and it may need some explanation. 
Everybody knows what patriotism is, and in these war 
times especially it should stand first in the thoughts of 
every citizen. Likewise everybody knows what a pig is, 
and while possibly not everyone is equally familiar with the 
word posies, surely the older ones and especially the old- 
fashioned ones, know well enough what posies are. The 
word is not in very common use at the present time, but 
posies is the homely word which was used for all kinds of 
flowers in years gone by. 
Pork, we are told, is one of the chief elements necessary 
to insure the winning of the present war, so the relation 
between patriotism and pigs is easily understood. It may 
be a far cry from pigs to posies, and we are not going to 
try and prove any great bearing of one on the other, but 
rather suggest that people who raise flowers may easily add 
swine to their activities, and in that way prove their pa- 
triotism in a practical way. 
Mr. Hoover, our food administrator, says: "We need a 
‘ keep a pig ’ movement in this country — and a properly 
cared for pig is no more insanitary than a dog.” Of course 
it is not possible that every flower grower can raise a pig, 
but we believe we are safe in assuming that fully half the 
people who grow flowers either commercially or for pleas- 
ure are so situated that they could raise swine, some of 
them not simply one pig but a plurality of them. 
Further we want to suggest that the raising of pigs is a 
natural adjunct of gardening, not especially flower garden- 
ing, but all kinds of gardening, both vegetables and flowers. 
The natural waste from a vegetable garden can be fed to 
swine and turned into a profit, and in these war times every 
little thing should be saved and how better can garden 
wastes be saved than by the pig route? 
We have still another argument in favor of combining 
the raising of swine with flowers. Who would attempt to 
grow flowers without a liberal supply of suitable fertilizer, 
and where is there a more suitable fertilizer than pig 
manure? Those who dig in the soil and are actually in 
contact with flower growing will not, we trust, be shocked 
by this plain statement of fact. The opinion of those who 
are so superficially interested in the subject that they have 
not dug in the soil, and thus come in direct contact with 
the subject, is not worthy of consideration. 
It is admitted that flower growing is a " non-essential 
pursuit ” but flower growers need not neglect their favorite 
work because of war times. Instead of curtailing their 
flower growing they should simply add to their activities 
the raising of swine. If this war continues for a year or 
two yet, the " non-essentials ” must be curtailed or elimi- 
nated, and flower growers to justify their existence as such, 
should balance their activities by the production of some 
product essential to the maintenance of the world. Mr. 
Hoover says that the three most important things necessary 
to win the war are swine, ships and wheat ; and please note 
that he places swine first. 
How can flower growers or any one else suitably located 
help win the war any better than to start in the swine busi- 
ness? Now, we must admit right here that there is a per- 
sonal interest in this subject from the fact that the editor is 
engaged in the raising of pigs as a side line. Flower grow- 
ers, try it yourself and see if you do not like swine. There 
are human traits about them that are altogether likeable 
and remember that a patriotic purpose is being served with 
every pig that you raise. Let us say nothing about the pos- 
sible profit, but you need not infer but what there will be a 
good profit if you use as good judgment in the handling of 
swine as is necessary in the success of any other business 
enterprise. 
It is but a little over two years since we became in- 
terested in this subject and we now have upwards of one 
hundred head of swine, big and little. To brag a little (and 
who does not like to tell of his own successes) we had seven 
young sows farrow last fall with their first litters and they 
had fifty-seven pigs or one better than eight pigs each and 
these sows have raised to weaning age more than an aver- 
age of seven pigs each. 
What breed should you raise? Any breed that looks 
good to you is the right breed and whether the swine you 
raise are pedigreed or mongrels, they will appeal to your 
affection as well as to your financial interest and patriotism. 
Subscribe for a good swine paper at once and study up the 
subject and arrange in the spring to buy and raise at least 
one pig. 
Madison Cooper. 
Where Do New Varieties of 
Potatoes Come From ? 
Those of you who have read J. G. Holland’s beautiful 
poem, " Bitter Sweet,” will remember David’s little dis- 
course on "Compensation,” in his conversation with his 
sister in the cellar. When he comes to the potato bin he 
discourses of the merits of the "Carter” potato, winding up 
with the quotation : "Small potatoes and few in the hill.” I 
remember when that was thought to be almost the only 
really fine, mealy potato, but it was just as David said about 
its yield. At that time we had the Neshannocks, fine but 
with a purple tint and rotting very badly. Then along came 
the Dover, a red, mealy potato but boiling to pieces. The 
Jenny Lind was an enormous kind but no good for the table. 
Then there were the Peach Blow and other sorts, most of 
which are gone forever, " run out.” How is this ? There 
is a theory that all potatoes are but parts of the original 
seedling and that though a potato planted this year may 
seem to be only five months old, it is really as old as the 
time when the original seed was planted. However this 
may be, it is certain that varieties do often run out. Some 
years after the time I referred to there appeared a variety 
called, I think, the Garnet Chili, which I think was obtained 
