The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-13
WOMAN is GENIUS
WITH HER FLOWERS
Mrs, Theodosia Shepherd is a
Scientific Hybridist
SHE TALKS of HER WORK
California Woman Furnishes Numer-
Gus New and Distinct Plants
Each Season, Many of Which
Are Marvellous.

san Francisco. Cal. March 12.-(spe-
ciGLl-The wor. or Luther burbank Is
known 10 every sehoolboy in California;
lew know, however, that California boasts
another wizard OF flowers. whose gardens
are each year furnishing new and dis
tinet plants wonderful Ia their develop
ment IN the same way that the flowers
anu fruits Of Burbank are wonderful.
Perhaps, after Burbank, the most sue
cesstul plant hybridist is Mrs. rheodosia
b. Shepherd, whose gardens are located on
the sloplng hill OF Ventura by the Sea.
Her name is known to every large florist
Of the world
The creating of plants, according to
Mrs. Shepherd, offers no serious diff
Guilty even to the most ignorant. She
would have 1t morning occupation for
every woman. She began her work with
no technical knowledge of botany Her
key to The creation of plant forms she de-
clares have come from observation and
experiment.
The method which Mrs. Shepherd fol-
lows in her work is a simple one.
THE great majority of women" says
she, destroy a flower If 4 differs from
the type. destroy all other flowers and
allow the different one to reach maturity.
The marking may be different, or the
NNAOAAhSf Aii0tSdd VI 1lAG pClhio ltltit may
be six, arranged slightly different from
those of the type. This is the flower
which l preserve. Then | take its seed
and plant them. The variation may not
appear, or 1t may appear In two or three
flowers. All others l destroy
Change is but manifestation of a
natural force which Is seeking an ex-
preston. In course of time the change
will become fixed and new type has
been created
In naturalization proper, the methods
are simple; tiny camels hair brush or
the finger tip is used for polenation. The
pollen touched to the pistil Of the pre-
pared flower does the work. The result
is a flower with n fringed edge. where
previously there had been but flowers
with lacinated and plain edges. Stems
are heightened and shortened, color is
taken away and added, flowers that
stand upright are made to droop.
In fact, almost anything that fancy
may dictate is brought about by the arti-
fetal union of different types Among
the members of the same family no limit
can be placed upon the extent of these
changes. But outside of this even the
skill Of the expert hybridist fails, for it
is only among the members of the same
plant family that hybridization can take
place.
The success of Mrs. Shepherds work is
a vindication Of her method. The cosmos
is practically her creation From the
three colors of the original stock she has
now in her garden thirty-five varieties.
The colors vary from pure white to a
dark red. The edges are plain edged, ruff
fled and even pleated as regularly as II
by a machine From flower scarcely
two inches across she has developed them
in blossoms five, six and seven inches In
diameter.
A new poppy, THE Golden West" is a
result of careful selection. The distinc-
tive feature of the poppy is a large or
ange blot at the base of the plant, form
ing, with the other petals. distinctly
marked Maltese cross.
Roses nasturtiums and begonIas of al
most every type and conceivable varia-
tion have been created through her skill.
1t was in her garden that the Marjorie
Daw begonia was grown. The bush in
her greenhouse was the largest In the
world measuring fifteen feet high and
as many feet across, At one time $50
clusters of blossoms were counted upon
this bush.
Mrs. Shepherds gardens are witness
to her taste. Around the house begonias
were growing In profusion. Further
away stretched lines of purple hellotrope
and beds of baladonna amaryllis. dazzling
in the richness of their superb color. My
RAIDS of carnations we're in bloom. over
hage frames and across bath houses,
wells of magnificent blossoms were
thrown. The air was heavy with the per-
fume of the flowers. In contrast with
masses of glossy foliage were long, trail
ing, graceful branches brilliant with flow
ers of daring yellow. or of the more
subdued blue. A multitude of poinsettas
scattered in many parts of the garden
added still more color to the picture