.M/GUST Iti, lOif). 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



303 



Partial View of the Nurseries. 

 THE UNIVERSAL HORTICULTURAL ESTABLISHMENT, SOUTH ORANGE, N. J. 



THE UNIVERSAL HORTICULTUR- 

 AL ESTABLISHMENT, SOUTH 

 ORANGE, N. J. 



This 'unique, extensive and ever 

 growing establisliment is just wtiat its 

 name implies, tor here you will find 

 the whole Llniverse represented with 

 the best it produces in everything con- 

 nected with horticulture. 



Only a short, pleasant ride on trolley 

 or train from the Jersey ferries and 

 we reach the Oranges, which is justly 

 acknowledged to be the most pictur- 

 esque and healthiest section of coun- 

 try near to the great city of New York. 

 Here in the midst of finest residences, 

 and within a stone's throw of the 

 South Orange railroad depot, Mr. W. 

 A. Manda's great nurseries stretch out 

 at the foot of the famous Orange 

 Mountains, and this home of all that 

 is brightest and sweetest in plants and 

 flowers has become a gathering place 

 for buyers, connoisseurs and the 

 flower loving public. 



It is unnecessary to mention Mr. 

 Manda's experience and ability to the 

 trade, it was known long before he 

 gathered and grew the largest and fin- 

 est collection of plants ever seen in 

 America. This was while he was a 

 member of the firm of Pitcher & Man- 



da, at Short Hills, a few stations 

 above his present place. Six years 

 ago he purchased some of the land 

 he now occupies and with energy, abil- 

 ity, spurred on by ambition, he has 

 succeeded in transforming the then 

 dismal waste into a garden-like park 

 overflowing with all the choicest 

 forms of vegetation. 



The practical and the ideal is shown 

 in the general plan and grouping of 

 trees, shrubs and flowers, and unlike 

 the ordinary method of cultivation as 

 practiced in nurseries, here whilst the 

 different and numerous species of 

 plants are kept separate they are so 

 arranged as to show their specific and 

 individual beauty and worth, and yet 

 all go to enhance the general plan. 

 It is not a mere manufactory of 

 plants, on all sides there are object 

 lessons in planting and adaptability. 



The grounds contain a complete col- 

 lection of herbaceous plants; all the 

 best known varieties and very many 

 worthy kinds not commonly seen are 

 grown in great numbers to supply the 

 increasing demand for this class of 

 plants. A great many new things are 

 being tested and experimented with 

 on the always interesting trial 

 grounds. Amongst these we might 

 mention a new variegated leaved sun- 



flower: it is of stately habit and will 

 be a great acquisition to sub-tropical 

 bedding plants. 



There is also a batch of hybrid mo- 

 narda. varying in color from a pale 

 mauve to deep purple: a new golden 

 yellow Iris aurea: a collection of 50 

 varieties of newest and choicest Jap- 

 anese iris; Ph'.ox "Tom Thumb, " the 

 best and dwarfest of all this class of 

 phlox in cultivation; Iberis semper- 

 virens superba, which is a grand im- 

 provement on the old type, the flower 

 being double the size, good substance 

 and the purest white: this will be of 

 the utmost value and importance to 

 florists doing a local trade. There are 

 a number of other fine new hardy 

 flowers which are being prepared for 

 dissemination next season. The ma- 

 jority of all the favorite herbaceous 

 flowers are grown here by the thou- 

 sands to supply the growing fad for 

 old fashioned gardens and general 

 landscape work. 



Special interest is also given here to 

 conifers, which are represented by 

 over three hundred species and varie- 

 ties, many magnificent pyramids of 

 everlasting gold and green are in this 

 splendid collection of coniferous 

 shrubs; varieties such as Cupressus 

 Lawsoniana and Thuyopsis borealis. 



