AUGUST 23, 1900. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



343 



Chicago Florists' Club's Convention Special Train. 



show, even be they florists, rarely stop 

 to examine critically the many valu- 

 able things shown there. The groups 

 of plants as a rule are passed by "as 

 pretty" or "nice stock." All consid- 

 eration for the vast amount of love 

 and patience necessary to rear the 

 numberless specimens shown is slight 

 indeed, but in the case of this pres- 

 ent show, this grand display, the qual- 

 ity of the plants, their great beauty 

 and in many cases, exclusive rarity, 

 commanded attention from all. It is 

 a show where the connoisseur loves 

 to linger, where the critic finds him- 

 self in diflicHlty at every turn. There 

 is something beautiful, some gem that 

 illustrates how lovely nature can be 

 when reflected through the products 

 of the gardeners' tenderness and 

 knowledge. 



For the benefit of the uninformed 

 we wish to say that the private gar- 

 deners, who exhibited at this great 

 event, have paid the expenses of ship- 

 ping and staging their exhibits out of 

 their own pockets, and when one stops 

 to consider that some have paid out as 

 much as $50 to compete for a medal 

 or certificate one even then cannot es- 

 timate the sacrifices made. Unfortu- 

 nately the wealthy men of this coun- 

 try, with a few exceptions, care not for 

 flower shows, and many of the failures 

 at these affairs are attributed to what 

 does not exist. 



In writing of this exhibition we 



must admit that many of the classes 

 were not entered for, and that in most, 

 competition was small, but what was 

 there represented the very best; and 

 looking at it in this light, what was 

 there was of more importance than a 

 great hall filled with rubbish. We 

 have nothing but the highest praise 

 for everything connected with this 

 horticultural section of the great con- 

 vention festival, and there is no cause 

 for the most caustic or intolerant type 

 of commercial florist to be ashamed 

 of what is dubbed the horticultural 

 tail to the florist kite. 



The judges for plants were William 

 Falconer, I. L. Powell and Geo. Smith; 

 for cut flowers, fruits and vegetables, 

 C. H. Allen, L. Barron and Geo. Mc- 

 Williams. 



Awards. 



For group of foliage plants covering 

 a space of 200 square feet, first prize, 

 florists' gold medal, went to Arthur 

 Herrington, Madison, N. J., for a 

 grand group of graceful palms and 

 highly colored foliage plants; among 

 the palms were fine specimens of Co- 

 cos Binnotii, Kentias and Caryotas; 

 second price, S. A. F. silver medal, 

 was won by Geo. H. Hale, for a splen- 

 did round group of fine specimen fo- 

 liage plants. This group contained 

 many rare beauties, the Alocasia mac- 

 rorhiza fol. var. and Marantas in this 

 group were very elegant, and the 



whole lot reflected the greatest credit 

 on the exhibition. 



The Florists' Club gold medal for 

 group of foliage plants covering 100 

 square feet was won by William Duck- 

 ham, Madison, N. J. His plants were 

 extra fine; the second prize, S. A. F. 

 silver medal, went to E. Wolz, Brook- 

 lyn; the third prize, S. A. F. bronze 

 medal, to Jas. Dowlen, Seabright,N.J. 



The club's gold medal for group of 

 flowering and foliage plants was cap- 

 tured by Howard Nichols, Yonkers, N. 

 Y.; this consisted of anthuriums and 

 a choice assortment of highly colored 

 foliage stock. 



For six ferns, distinct varieties, sil- 

 ver medal won by Geo. H. Hale. Ed. 

 Wolz got the bronze medal for second 

 in this class. 



Group of fancy leaved caladiums, in 

 which there were over sixty varieties, 

 captured the S. A. F. silver medal for 

 Geo. Hale. 



The first prize for specimen draca- 

 enas went to Wm. Duckham, for a re- 

 markably fine piece of D. Sanderiana; 

 the same exhibitor captured first prize 

 for specimen Acalypha Sanderi, which 

 showed up elegantly. 



The silver medal for 12 stove and 

 greenhouse plants went to Wm. Duck- 

 ham, for fine specimens of Dracaena 

 Cantleyii, Cycas Wedlandii, Calamus 

 cinnamomeus, Kentia Brownii, Acaly- 

 pha Sanderiana, Ananassa var., Licu- 

 ala elegans, Curmerla Leopoldi, Ma- 



