| FOR BOTH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL f | PUBLISHED MONTHLY ON THE FIRST OF THE I 
[ GROWERS OF THE GLADIOLUS, DAHLIA, IRIS, ETC. I f MONTH BY MADISON COOPER, CALCIUM, N. Y. } 
The Joys of an Old-time Editor. 
[Written expressly for The Flower Grower.] BY LORA S. LA MANCE. 
Note by the Editor - 
Mrs. La Mance has had so much experience as an 
old-time floral editor, that we asked her to write us in 
a reminiscent way and we know that many of our 
older readers will be interested. We are in hopes 
that Mrs. La Mance will contribute still 
further along the lines of the present 
article. 
Y ears ago i was joint 
editor of the Mayflower, 
published by the well 
know florist, John LewisChilds. 
One of my duties was to an- 
swer floral correspondence. In 
those days a thousand ques- 
tions, wise and otherwise, used 
to be asked the editor. Pend- 
ing my acceptance of the posi- 
tion, all letters were laid by for 
me. When I finally accepted, 
the publisher sent an express 
package that contained 221 
letters by actual count. Mr. 
Walter M. Pike, the former 
editor, sent this laconic mes- 
sage “ May the Lord have 
mercy on your soul !” In less 
than a week I had every one of 
them answered. 
I enjoyed the Question Box. 
There was a suspicion at 
times that some of the writers 
sat up nights to think up 
queries. One woman asked 
about forty-one different flow- 
ers, and wanted full cultural 
directions, as to size of pot, 
kind of soil, how often to water, 
and whether to use fertilizers, 
for each and every one of the 
41. One man asked what was 
the meaning of “earth,” “soil,” 
“ground” and “dirt” as used 
by floral writers. One daring 
man asked how the green 
Rose was secured, “ did one 
have to graft Tea Roses onto 
a willow bush to get green 
flowers ?” 
I was asked about “Sword 
Lilies,” “Hooded Lilies” and 
“Nigger Lilies,” all aliases for 
Gladioli. People wrote about 
basket geraniums, sycamore 
geraniums, spider geraniums, holly- 
hock geraniums, oak geraniums, corn 
geraniums and a dozen other “Gerani- 
ums” that were not even remotely 
connected with the pelargonium or 
geranium family. Ladies said rose- 
moss when they meant portulacca, rose 
vine, meaning Calystegia pubescans, 
rose tree, meaning althea, and 
“Yellow Rose of Texas” when 
they mean Rudbeckia, the 
common golden glow. I soon 
had a list of over 1000 fanciful 
names given to garden flowers 
and pot shrubs. 
Some of the letters were so 
jolly ! Sam Weller wrote a 
whimsical account of the one 
who “sang in early mass on 
Sunday morning, but wound 
up the day by dancing a Span- 
ish fandango in the cabaret.” 
Phoebe Wescott Humphries 
scraped up a common an- 
cestor 300 years ago. One 
man, who had sent three 
long and tiresome letters ask- 
ing about every bug pest in 
creation, and called for in- 
sectioids formulas galore, re- 
warded his editor’s patience by 
sending a proposal of mar- 
riage ! 
Mr. Childs made a hobby 
of “ feature ” articles. It took 
months of steady preparation 
to get out a Begonia number or 
Lily number, or one on night 
bloomers, or on Cacti, or 
Chrysanthemums or Holland 
bulbs. We thought it paid. 
It was a miniature cyclopedia 
on that certain subject. How 
we had to cram for it! 
The dear old colored plates 
that pictured flowers in a riot 
of color loveliness, are gone 
forever. The long, flowery 
and sentimental contributions 
sent in by “ Smartweed,” 
“Black-eyed Susan,” “Nemo” 
and “Brother Soloman,” are 
a thing of the past, also. 
Everything is boiled down 
now-a-days, concise and to 
the point. Probably it is well 
( Concluded on page 67.) 
Gladiolus— Snapdragon. 
One of A. E. Kunderd’s novelties, named because of its remark 
able form. It has a tall spike and a fair size flower. The color is a 
bright red border with a large, rich, pure yellow throat. Snapdragon 
is beautifully ruffled and exceptionally distinct as a variety. 
