106 
tions as is the case at present. If a local so- 
ciety could affiliate in some way with our 
Society, it should be helpful to both. We 
might also offer our medals through such 
state fairs as have a worthy flower exhibit. 
It would seem as if no award should be 
made unless the winning exhibitors are 
members of our Society. 
Supplying The Flower Grower to the 
members appears to meet the very apparent 
need of an official organ for the Society. 
No doubt it can serve a very useful purpose 
in keeping in touch with our members. To 
accomplish this purpose, the advisability of 
having a column in The Flower Grower 
for the publication of items of special in- 
terest to the members is something that may 
appeal to you. 
If the society had the financial support, it 
could do many things not possible to carry 
out now. A complete catalogue of all varie- 
ties with name of originator, introducer, 
year of introduction with a brief, clear-cut 
description would be very useful to our 
members. This is a work for the future. 
The last annual meeting took action to- 
ward the appointment of a publicity com- 
mittee. Mr. J. J. Lane, who became chair- 
man of this committee, conducted an active 
campaign for new members. Although oper- 
ations were not started until too late to get 
much publicity, for the Society, through the 
catalogue circulation of the commercial 
growers and notwithstanding war conditions, 
we have received 165 new members. Sev- 
eral of these are in Canada, New Zealand and 
Australia. The late secretary reported 10 
new members last year. When I took over 
the secretary’s office I found 83 paid mem- 
bers on the roll. Since that time 16 old 
members have paid up. Some of those living 
abroad have paid two years’ dues. The total 
membership at present is 264. This is a 
very substantial gain, but it would seem that 
we ought to be able to have a Society of at 
least 500 members and I have faith to be- 
lieve that when the war ends it will be pos- 
sible to build up the membership to that 
number. The credit for the increase in new 
members is largely due to the excellent 
work of the president, Mr. Kunderd, Mr. 
Lane and Mr. Cooper, editor of The Flower 
Grower. The Society certainly owes them 
a debt of gratitude for their good work which 
brought such results in these difficult times. 
The fact that the Society makes a return to 
its members by sending them The Flower 
Grower has been a material aid I am 
sure. 
The American Gladiolus Society sustained 
a severe loss in the death of its secretary, 
Mr. Henry Youell, who had been an officer 
in the Society from its inception. His ex- 
tensive knowledge of the Gladiolus gained 
during a lifetime made him an invaluable 
member in the councils of the Society. 
Another veteran in the Gladiolus world, 
Mr. Matthew Crawford, passed away during 
the year. As a writer on horticultural sub- 
jects as well as the pioneer grower of Gladi- 
oli, he was favorably and widely known. 
These men did much to advance the in- 
terest in the Gladiolus as a garden flower 
and as a florists’ cut flower. Their passing 
leaves it to us to “carry on.” 
The members of the American Gladiolus 
Society owe it to themselves as well as to 
the Society to rally against the foolish senti- 
ment found in some quarters that flowers 
have no place in our lives during war time. 
We are organized to promote the interests 
of a flower suitable to every home garden 
where it can send out its message of peace 
and hope and even joy to anxious hearts 
that long for loved ones far from the home 
scenes. Let us then, while doing our part 
in this struggle, seek the consolation and the 
joys of growing flowers. 
A. C. Beal, 
Secretary. 
Slower (Brower 
Notice of Registration. 
Notice is hereby given that the fol- 
lowing variety has been offered for 
registeration to the Nomenclature Com- 
mittee of the American Gladiolus So- 
ciety by the originators, Munsell & 
Harvey, Ashtabula, Ohio : 
Ashtabula — The flower opens with rosy- 
white tints in the lower segments, the upper 
segments are picotee-edged with pale lilac 
rose 130 (1-4). When the flower is fully ex- 
panded the color on the outside deepens to 
mauve-rose 153 (I). The whole flower when 
viewed from the front is suffused with 
mauve-rose which gradually diminishes to- 
ward the throat which is rosy-white. The 
lower half of the throat is marked with 
irregular spots and splashes of deep lilac- 
rose 151(1). The anthers are violet; fila- 
ments white with tinges of pale lilac-rose. 
Stigmas are pale lilac-rose. Tube long 
curved, upper segment straight or slightly 
reflexed. Lower middle segment narrowest, 
others about equal. Flowers face the front, 
leaving spike flat on the back. Flowers 4" 
across. Spikes tall, bearing 15 flowers and 
buds. Habit erect, growth vigorous, well 
furnished with medium broad leaves. A 
splendid keeper. 
If no valid objection is made, this 
registration is effective October 15. 
A. C. Beal, Chairman. 
Notice for the New Members. 
The fiscal year of the American 
Gladiolus Society has previously ended 
August first each year. The new mem- 
bers who came in last spring did not 
have the benefit of a full year’s mem- 
bership. The Society, recognizing the 
injustice of this, voted at its annual 
meeting to grant all new members 
who came in during the membership 
campaign last spring a full year’s 
membership to date from July 1, 1918. 
All such memberships will expire on 
June 30, 1919, unless renewed at that 
time. Hereafter the fiscal year will 
begin July first. Those who join late 
hereafter will be charged pro rata from 
the date their memberships are re- 
ceived. 
A. C. Beal, Secretary. 
Minnesota State Fair 
Flower Show. 
In spite of the fact that about one- 
third of the space usually occupied by 
the florists and the garden flower 
growers was taken over by the gov- 
ernment exhibit, a very creditable 
showing of flowers was made. The 
center of the hall was occupied by the 
decorative and blooming plants staged 
by professional growers. Holm and 
Olson of St. Paul and Swanson, Inc., 
and the Chicago Avenue Greenhouse 
Company, of Minneapolis, made the 
principal exhibits in this section. Two 
new features in this section were the 
entries of perennials by professionals, in 
which Holm and Olson took first and 
H. F. Baker, of Minneapolis, second 
place, and the nursery exhibit, of which 
Holm and Olson took first and H. F. 
Baker, of Minneapolis, second. These 
exhibits were staged in the corner and 
along the wall, making an attractive 
background for the garden flower ex- 
October, 1918 
hibits, which were staged on tables in 
the aisles. 
Three nice collections of wild flowers 
were shown by Miss Ilia Koerner, Miss 
Ella Johnson and Miss Perry. The 
garden flower collection in various lots 
were of the best quality that has ever 
been shown. Some very fine collec- 
tions were exhibited, among them be- 
ing collections by Miss Ilia Koerner, 
Mrs. Frank Morris, Mrs. Chas. Krause, 
Miss Ella Johnson, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. 
Fairfax, Mrs. Tillotson and Mrs. Frick. 
The dinner table decorations, both of 
the wild flowers on Tuesday and the 
garden flowers on Friday, were inter- 
esting and attracted a great deal of 
attention. Miss Perry, Mrs. Fairfax 
and Mrs. Tillotson had the highest 
score in the garden flower table con- 
test Friday. Miss Koerner and Mrs. 
Kidd scored next highest and Mrs. 
Krause third. 
Three collections were entered by 
children under eighteen. All were 
creditable. Some very good wild flowers 
arid garden flower baskets were shown, 
although not as many as in other years. 
Mr. E. R. Frizzel of Bush Lake had 
a collection of nearly 100 dahlias. Mr. 
Swanson of Wayzata, Mrs. Frank Mor- 
ris and Rev. Mr. Paul of St. Paul each 
had nice collections. 
Taking it altogether, a very credit- 
able showing of flowers was made by 
both amateurs and professionals. This, 
combined with cool weather during 
the week, kept the hall in attractive 
condition. 
LeRoy Cady. 
Preparing a Rose Garden. 
For the benefit of those who have diffi- 
culty in getting the Tea Roses, Hybrid Teas 
and perpetuals to blossom satisfactorily, the 
following method of growing is given. These 
beautiful roses require more care than some 
of the other classes in order to have them 
produce an abundance of flowers. 
Select a sheltered sunny location with 
buildings, tight fences or wind-breaks on 
the north and west sides. Make an excavation 
of the size the bed is desired and two feet 
or more in depth. If the soil is of a heavy 
nature and poorly drained, dig deeper and 
put in a layer of broken stone, coarse gravel 
or some other material that will help on 
drainage. This should be ten inches thick 
and a layer of sods, grass side down, should 
be placed on top. The next layer should be 
coarse manure, the thickness of six or more 
inches. Next fill the excavation to within 
six inches of the top with rich garden soil. 
Use poorer soil to fill and round up the bed 
at least four inches higher than the sur- 
rounding surface. The object of poorer soil 
at the top is to induce deep root growth. 
Deep root growth means more and better 
flowers. Where the soil is of a sandy nature 
and the subsoil one that assures good drain- 
age, the layer of broken stone may be 
omitted. 
The work of preparing beds for the Roses 
should be done as early in the spring as 
conditions of the soil will permit. Plants 
must be set early. Perpetuals should be set 
two feet apart in the bed while Teas will 
thrive if set no more than eighteen inches. — 
C. H. Chesley in Rural Life. 
As suggested editorially last month 
growers who are getting out catalogs 
for the first time should be a bit care- 
ful about the question of prices. 
