JUNE 2, 1858. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



only chap iu the place as ever had the 

 price of a whole suit o' clothes at once 

 was the president, and whenever he 

 goes broke, he'd just hunt up some 

 chap as was likely to have a bit o' 

 coin, make a new law as would fit his 

 case, and then just gather in the 

 dough. Them Chicago aldermen isn't 

 in it with a Central American politi- 

 cian. Well, as I was sayin', I rushed 

 the coffee plantin', and give 'em a lot 

 o' new wrinkles as I'd picked up when 

 I was in Java, and me and the Chi- 

 cago chap used to go rockin' around 

 with the president and secretary o' 

 state like we owned the whole bloom- 

 in' country. The secretary o' state 

 was a woolly-haired chap with a com- 

 plexion like an over-ripe Bonnaffon 

 'mum, and the Chicago drummer used 

 to say as he'd find hisself right at 

 home with a white-washin' outfit, but 

 it ain't safe to draw the color line too 

 close there. Well, the president want- 

 ed me to stay there — sa d as ht-'d make 

 me chief o' the department of agri- 

 culture — though he hadn't got no de- 

 partment of agriculture — and so he 

 give me a big coffee plantation as an 

 inducement. It was 200 acres in cul- 

 tivation and a lot o' forest as was 

 like a slice out o' the zoo. It bilonged 

 to a chap as used to be president, only 

 he wasn't on to his job. I reckon as 

 he died suddenlike." 



"Do you mean to say he was mur- 

 dered?" inquired the graduate, with 

 some anxiety. 



"Why, no, Johnny," continued 

 Jaggs. "They don't murder folks down 

 there, only if a chap seems a bit in the 

 way he's liable to be removed. They 

 think as he never would be missed, 

 you know. Well, when I first get hold 

 o' that there plantation, I think as I'm 

 right in it — the real thing. Lor', when 

 I think o' wheelin' ashes out o' the 

 stokehole of a winter's mornin', and 

 stayin' up nights to build gates ajar 

 and bloomin' old funeral freaks. 1 feels 

 sorry for any chap as has to work 

 around the greenhouse. I thinks as 

 my fortune's made," and Jaggs shook 

 his head mournfully while he picked 

 out a batch of immortelle letters. 



"Well, did your friend the president 

 think as you never would be missed, 

 and try to remove you?" inguired 

 Tommy. 



"No," said Jaggs, gloomily. "I 

 wasn't removed, but the plantation 

 was. I was stayin' over night in the 

 city — we'd been havin' a lot o' little 

 earthquake shocks, but we didn't pay 

 no attention to it, except seeiu' as we 

 was handy to a door, in case anythink 

 should drop. Well, me and the presi- 

 dent was sittin' in the veranda after 

 dinner, waitin' for our coffee. A col- 

 ored boy was bringin' the coffee across 

 the yard, when first thing we know, 

 there was a terrible rumble and shake, 

 and we see a crack about four feet 

 wide open across in front o' the ve- 

 randa. Next thing, the boy with the 

 coffee seem to drop right out o' the 

 landscape. The president he says, 



'Very sorry to keep you waitin"; I 

 suppose I must send for some more 

 coffee." I look at him. and then I look 

 across the street. There was a big 

 house there, and blessed if that there 

 house wasn't risin' right up like it 

 was growin". I hear a big crash and 

 I don't know nothink more till I come 

 round while the doctor was settin' my 

 broken collar bone, t reckon as they 

 didn't find much o' the president — he 

 must 'a' fell through with most o' the 

 house. Well, just as soon as I could 

 get about, I starts out for my planta- 

 tion, for I reckon as it must be shook 

 up a bit. Well, what d' you s'pose I 

 found there? The whole bloomin' 

 plantation had fell through, and all 

 as was left was a lake about forty feet 

 deep! Right in the middle was a lit- 

 tle island and on that island wan a 

 volcano as was eruptin' red hot ashes 

 and havin' a whole Pourth-o'-July cel- 

 ebration all to itself! When I see ft, 

 I says to myself, 'Cecil Reginald Jaggs, 

 this ain't real — it's nothink but a 

 Christmas pantomime delusion. But 

 it wasn't — it was nothink but the fatal 

 truth — and I just clear out o' that 

 bloomin' country, and make up my 

 mind as I'll hunt up a place where 

 real estate ain't so fluctuatin'. Now, 

 Tommy, give us another bunch o' 

 Cape flowers, and this here work of 

 art is ready to be turned loose." 



NEW YORK. 



In the Wholesale District. 



The first four days of last vveok were 

 record breakers, so far as wet weather 

 and bad business went. Friday both 

 let up a little, and Saturday, owing to 

 Decoration Day, showed some im- 

 provement. Today, Monday, howevsr. 

 as I write, things are again in the old 

 rut. There was practically no ship- 

 ping trade, the outdoor flowers con- 

 tributing toward this to a veiy great 

 extent. 



Roses there have been in large quan- 

 tities, but of poor quality, and prices, 

 also applied to all other stock, have 

 been as erratic as the weather; in fact, 

 there seems to have been a certain af- 

 finity and conspiracy between the two. 



Carnations have touched low water 

 mark for the season during the early 

 part of the week, the lowest, in fact, 

 since it commenced, while "iolets are 

 as scarce as provisions in Havana. 



A considerable number of Harrisii 

 and longiflorums "got in"' for Decora- 

 tion Day, but prices ruled low. Sweet 

 peas of all varieties are quite plentiful 

 just now. The variety Blanche Ferry 

 seems to be most popular, however. 



Cattleya Mossiae are coming in in 

 fair quantities. It is a pity, however, 

 this variety does not follow the Cattle- 

 ya Trianae sooner when there is prac- 

 tically a good demand. 



Quite a number of outdoor flowers 

 are to be seen like wistaria, lilac and 

 snowball; also some very pretty 

 forced annuals, noticeably cornflowers 

 and sweet sultan. 



Seed and Bulb Trade. 



The wet weather has had its effect 

 on this as all other branches of the 

 trade, though the counter trade still 

 continues to flourish. Orders for fall 

 bulbs are next in order, however, and 

 freesias are already being received by 

 Clucas & Boddington Co. The Harrisii 

 question is the bone of contention on 

 all sides. From all accounts, however, 

 there does not seem to be the likeli- 

 hood of so much disease as the grow- 

 ers in Bermuda have been more care- 

 ful in their selections of the bulbs and 

 their cultivation. 



Auction Sales. 



One of the most remarkable sales of 

 plants occurred last week in the city. 

 It was peculiar from the fact of the 

 enormous prices realized, while a sale 

 of really valuable plants in the city 

 realized exceptionally low prices. The 

 former sale was a collection of -lapan- 

 ese dwarf trees, trained into cranes, 

 turtles, boats, etc. These were mostly 

 in porcelain jardinieres, and sold at 

 from .$5 up to as high as $;!;50 apiece. 

 Surely there must be some moral to 

 this. 



'Various Notes. 



I hear that Mr. J. L. Schiller is to be 

 married on Wednesday to a Baltimore 

 Belle in Baltimore. Particulars next 

 week; meantime, congratulations. 



Mr. F. Dressel will dispose of his 

 valuable collection of orchids during 

 the coming month by auction, "not that 

 he loves orchids less, but palm.? more,'" 

 and will go more extensively into the 

 latter class of plants. Mr. John P. 

 Cleary will wield the hammer and a 

 good sale is anticipated. 



TORONTO. 



Bedding Plant Trade. 

 The bedding plant season is now 

 fairly on and no one has time to talk 

 anything but straight business. The 

 24th of May being a holiday a great 

 many plants were put out in small 

 gardens. The market will be a busy 

 place for the next few weeks. A great 

 many hardy perennials have been sold 

 there this spring, trade in ihem will 

 no doubt continue to increase every 

 year as they advertise themselves. 



Executive Committee Meeting. 

 The Executive Committee of the 

 Gardener"s and Florists' Association 

 held a full meeting Thursday even- 

 ing and transacted a good deal of 

 business of various kinds. The date 

 of the annual summer excursion was 

 fixed for July 28, to Niagara Falls. A 

 committee was appointed to arrange 

 several cricket matches luring the 

 season. Another committee was ap- 

 pointed to get up a little send-off for 

 the President of the Association (Mr. 

 Alonzo Watkins) who purposes taking 

 a trip to his native land shortly. 

 Judges were recommended to the In- 

 dustrial Exhibition Association for 

 their big show in September. 



