APRIL, 1923 25c A COpy THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE COPYRIGHT 1923. BY TIlE ATIONAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Published Quarterly and Owned Exclusively by THE N.\TIO I .AL HORTI r:r R,\L, ocrETY OF AMERICA Permancnt Headquarter to Be Established at Washington, D. C. Office of the ecrctary: Henning, Minn. \ Tolume H Henning, JI'Iinn .. April, 1923 Number 2 THE GLADIOLUS By A. E. Kunderd. IIonorary Fellow, National Horticultural SOCiety. The Gladiolu , as we know it today, f ul variety" has not yet been produced, limit a to color or types but let us ea il y takes a place in the front rank a~ perhaps ne\er ",ill be, el 'e E\'olution,-in . triv(" to encompass every possible type one of the mo t u eful and beautiful thi field at lea. t, were at an encl. Change and color combination. Beautiful self- members of the floral kingdom. It is and improvement is ature's Law and olor and magnificently blotched crea­ one of the most easily gro\\'n and uni­ the clima.'\: in thi direction will perhaps tions such as are fo und among the \'ersa ll y adaptable of all flower. In its never be reached. \Vhen we observe and pan. ies and orchids, so universall y and stately maje ty and beautiful tint and admire a new \ ariet)', in beauty beyond much admired everywhere, should lend variety of color blendings it ha few our \\'ilde t hope~, we can re t as ured plea mes and j OJ's to everyone in end­ equals. In the garden it long ea on 'that 'oon a ne" er variety will appear, Ie s measure. Even rich and gaudy colors of bloom together with its great "ariety ea ily of equal beauty, and of a charm give joys to man)" and why not when of color, form and type makes it one and color harmony at least equal to the one considers the different tastes and of the mo t striking and noble 0 f all best that has gone before, and of di tinct changes of time and fashion and the garden subj ects, and in the hands of the and marked individuality. If maje tic e::lgemess with which we admire these floral artist it lends itself to all manner grandeur and stately beauty alone were charms in other flowers. Who among and kinds of fl oral arrangement. It i required the Gladiolus might ea ily lay us can say this is the best, or that, when suitable for a wide range of floral uses claim as the be t representative for our Nature furnishes us with such endles::: and as a decorative subject has few, if ational F lower, for where el e co uld variety and beauty of type and color in any, equals. Mathew Crawford once be found a more suitable subject to rep­ such o- reat abundance ? \Vho can say said, " It has few equals and no superior. re, ent our majestic and wonderful young this i the best, or most beautiful, for all None are more beautiful and there is country. It is indeed to be regrettecl of us when tastes differ so widely and nothing in sight to supercede it." Few [hat the Gladiolus has no representative "expert" fail to agree? The best and who have seen a beautiful collection of among it "Specie" native to our own most beautiful variety is the one you the newer varieties will dispute this fair land, but what is lacking in this most enjoy and which pleases you the claim. It is susceptible of great varia­ re pect has been long since made good most, be it red, white, pink, yellow or tion and improvements in the bands of in another direction, the production and some other color or shade, self-colored, the enthusiastic breeder of plants and development of its offspring, for America or marked with beautiful orchid mark­ there are yet many possibilities of still is proud today of easily holding first ings. Then let us all enjoy, each in hi s greater improvement in store for the place in the development and perfection or her own way, whatever of individual future. It embraces many "species" of of this vvonderful flo wer, even though beauty we are enabled to perceive, dis" many vari·ed types, and almost endless we must accord to other nations and regarding all preconceived notions or possible combinations and variety may their plant originators first place for standards. What is more restful and yet be secured. There is really no end having di scovered its possibilities and elevating than a beautiful garden, and to the variety which can be attained and laid the foundation for this great develop­ what is more beautiful in any garden thi s is one of the charms for the dreamer ment. W hen one considers that there than an endless array of choice Gladioli. and worker in this branch of the Horti­ ~~ re well over one hundred botanical Some one has said that "the fl owers of cultural World. Among millions of new species of the Gladiolus, many of which language are not equal to the language seedlings from carefully chosen parent­ are vari ed and useful to the breeder of of fl owers." Be this as it may, the age there will be thousands of beautiful this remarkable flower, it is easy to flo wers of language are dependent on the new kinds, equal to most of the best in understand its endless possibilities of endless list of beautiful words. So let it be with the language of flowers, let it ~he li sts of today, and yet each possess- variety and improvement yet before us. be an endless selection of beautiful varie­ 1l1g a distinction and beauty all its own Only intelli'gent, pati,ent and careful ties. Let us all enjoy the varieties now to the careful observer. It would seem selection is needed, and who will say that available, yet ever longing for other and as. if every type and blending of color America is lacking in these require­ newer beauties to admire among one of might long since have been achieved but ments? Let us not be content to confine Nature's marvelous fl oral creations, the such is not the case. "The most beauti- our standards of beauty to any certaiE beautiful Gladiolus. 14 THE NATIONAL H ORTI CULTURAL MAGAZI N E April, 192,3 NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Incorporated July 1, 1922 OBJECT O F THE SOCIETY THE NATIONAL H O RTICU LTURAL MAGA ZINE An altruis tic and educational society, national in scop @, Published CJ.uai-t erl y and owned exclusively by The organized fo r "the increase and d'iffusion of horticultural National H orticultural Society. knowledge, and the stimulation of universal interest in horticulture:' A ~l Fellows of the Society are requested t o send in for O FFICER S AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES publication sig ned articles on gardening and allied sub­ C Z. Nel son, President, Galesburg, Ill,; Mrs, Fannie ject s. A n eff ort will be made t o· publish as much of this Mahood H eath, V ice Presid€nt, Grand Fo,rks, N . D .; mat erial as space w ill permit. H amilton Traub, E ditor-Secretary, H enning, Minn., atad A dvertising rates on appli cation. , ¥ eb ster, S. D .; Eric B. Magnusson, Treasurer, H enning, Minn.; J ohn F . T ratl'b, Ge neral Counsel ; A. L T ruax; Edited by t he Se_crctary of t he Society-Hamiltdn Axel A. T ervola, Traub, Henning, M inn, REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS OF THE NATIONAL HORTICULURAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA NORTH P ACIFIC COAST: NORTHW EST MIDLAND : SOUTHEASTLAND : Mr, Joe Smith, Longbra nch , W ashington, Mr s. Ma thilda C. Engstad, 703 So. F ifth Mrs. D. F . Sh eppard, Daisy, Georgia, St., Gnmn Forks, North Da kota. SOUTH PACIFIC COAST: Mrs. Eva Kenworthy Gray, 32 and W ool­ N ORTHEAST MIDLAND : EAST ERN CANADA: man Ave., San Diego, California. Mr. O. H . Schroeder, F aribault, Minn esota. Dr. Frank E. Bennett, St. Thomas, Ontario. SOUTHW E ST MIDLAND : NORTH ROCKY MOUNTAINS : Mrs. May Senn, Rotan, T exas. WESTERN CANADA: Mrs. Walter E . Revo, Glacier Nat ional S OUTH E AST MIDLAND : Mrs. Z. M. Stewart, Banff, Alber ta. Park, Belton, Montana. Mrs. J ean D. Jensen, Fox Lake, Illinois. SOUTH ROCKY MOUNTAINS : EASTLAND : PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: Mrs. Harriet H. Storrs, 112 W est Golden Mr s. Louise Beebe W ilder, Studio Lane, Mr. Leon A. Rodriguez, Lopez, T ayabas, A ve., Cripple Cr eek, Colora do. Bronxville, New York. P hilippine Islands. HONORARY FELLOWS OF THE NATIONAL HORTICU LTURAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Prof. L. H . Bailey, Ithaca, New York. Mr. Leona rd Barron , Ga rden City, New YorlL Mr. Luther Burbank, Santa Rosa, California. Mon. A. Dessert, Ch ena nceaux, Fra nce. Mr. W. R. Dykes, Vincent Square, West­ Mr. A. E. KundeI'd, Gosh en, Indiana. Mrs. Sa rah A. Pleas, W hittier , Califo rnia. minster, S. YV. 1, Englan d. Mr. William Robinson, Gravetye Manor, East Grinstead, Sussex, England. CONSTRUCTIVE PHILOSOPHY CHARTER FELLOWS SHALL WE SPECIALIZE? (Admitted since February 1st. " If every individual in every town of By Mrs. Wilda Ca.rson, Idaville, Indiana, Charter closes J une 30, 1923) Charter Fellow, National Horti­ every state would work to improve and Dr. Edward F. Bigelow, South Beach, cultural Society. beautify his community, we should have Conn. Most of us, in the days gone by, have the most inspiring spectacle of history­ Mr. E mil Bolli nger, City Forester, Lake read the fairy tale of the water-nymph an entire nation working to make life Forest, Ill.