Historics

1 comment for “Historics”

1. Dear John,

   I am not certain how long we have had Historics classes in American Daffodil Society

   shows (not having my 59th anniversary History at hand, thanks to unfortunate circumstances), but for several decades at least.

   Perhaps ten or more years ago, Sandra Stewart proposed and we passed a regulation allowing shows to opt to divide their Historics classes by decades (with everything before 1900 in one group). This has worked well. Before, with the division into classes, too many of the winners were post-1935. (some shows set up the Decades division in the schedule, and when subdividing was needed, used Divisions.)

   The original cut-off date, which I strongly support keeping in place, marks the beginning of the World War II years and a time period during which fewer new daffodil cultivars were either created, especially in Europe, or made available. This was a “watershed” period, and I think it makes sense.

   So we are essentially together.

   We’re together on something else—I have long wished to see something as simple as another class, but a permanent one, for daffodils introduced during the period right after

   that, though I believe 1940-1969 would work better.

   Look at our Show Reports and you’ll see that exhibitors are successfully using the flowers from this period in their present-day collections.

   We just need to have them still available—Ron Scamp, for one, is doing this.

   Loyce McKenzie

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