74 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



JUNE 22, 1S99. 



toward the support of the government, 

 both in the form of duties on imported 

 seeds and postage on seeds and cata- 

 logues sent by mail. It is manifestly un- 

 fair that the seedsmen should be singled 

 out for government competition with free 

 seeds sent by mail free of postage. 



It is likewise unfair that the whole 

 people should be taxed for the benefit of 

 the few. Furthermore, it is a well known 

 fact that of the millions of packages an- 

 nually distributed by the government, the 

 great majority go to the farmers and 

 rural residents who could well afford to 

 purchase either by mail or of their local 

 dealers, and thus get a better grade of 

 more suitable varieties. The outside re- 

 tail value of seed sent by the government 

 to anvone is 25 cents; but when this is 

 multiplied by several million, and the fact 

 is considered that many others do not 

 buy who otherwise would were they not 

 expecting the government free seeds, 

 some idea can be had of the incalculable 

 detriment to the legitimate seed trade. 



The original intent of the law was to 

 distribute for trial new and improved va- 

 rieties only. As now conducted, however. 

 we are sure that all the more intelligent 

 farmers and country residents would 

 unite with seedsmen in urging a discon- 

 tinuance of this promiscuous distribution 

 of common seeds. 



Besides the unfair competition with a 

 growing industry, this free distribution 

 is an extravagance, now costing the gov- 

 ernment, with expense of carriage, over 

 $300,000 annually. 



Therefore, be it further resolved: That 

 a copy of this resolution be sent to the 

 Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agri- 

 culture, and to each member of congress 

 and senator, with the earnest request 

 that they consider our plea that the seed 

 trade of'America should be relieved from 

 governmental competition in free stand- 

 ard seeds that are on sale at every village 

 store. 



Another resolution was adopted in- 

 structing the committee on postal laws 

 and regulations to give hearty co-ope- 

 ration and support to the movement 

 to bring about the issue- of fractional 

 currency by the Government. 



Officers for the ensuing year were 

 elected as follows: Alexander Rodg- 

 ers, Chicago. Pres.; Albert McCul- 

 lough, Cincinnati, First Vice-Pres.; F. 

 W Bolgiano, Washington, Second 

 Vice-Pres.; S. F. Willard, Wethers- 

 field, Conn., Secy, and Treas.; A. N. 

 Clark, Milford, Conn., Ass't Secy.: 

 Everett B. Clark, W. Atlee Burpee, L. 

 L. May, Chas. J. Burge. S. F. Briggs, 

 Executive Committee. 



The members in attendance were 

 royally entertained by the Cincinnati 

 seedsmen and all have pleasant recol- 

 lections of the stay in the Ohio city. 



THE AMERICAN PARK AND OUT- 

 DOOR ART ASSOCIATION. 



Program for Detroit, Mich., Meeting, June 

 27th, 28th and 29th, J 899. 



The Hotel Cadillac (rates $3 per day 

 and upwards) will be the headquarters 

 of the Association, and general ses- 

 sions will be held in the ordinary and 

 Turkish room of the hotel. 



TUESDAY, JUNE 27th.— 9:30 a. m. 

 The Convention will be called to order 

 by President Charles M. Loring, who 

 will deliver his address to the meet- 

 ing. Hon. William C. Maybury, Mayor 

 of Detroit, will welcome the Associa- 

 tion to the city. The reports of the 



Secretary and Treasurer will be pre- 

 sented and acted upon, together with 

 other business. 



The following papers are assigned to 

 this morning's session: "Boston Com- 

 mon," E. J. Parker, President Quincy 

 Boulevard and Park Association, Quin- 

 cy, 111.; "The Relation of Reservoirs 

 to Public Parks," F. L. Olmsted, Jr., 

 Landscape Architect. Brookline, Mass. 

 1:30 p. m. Boat ride, Steamer Sappho, 

 to the "Venice of America," St. Clair 

 Flats. On the return trip there will 

 be a short session on board the boat, 

 at which the following paper will be 

 presented: "The Parks and the Peo- 

 ple," R. J. Coryell, General Superin- 

 tendent of the Detroit Parks. 8:00 p. 

 m. Talk in Art Museum by Prof. A. 

 H. Griffith, Director, on "A City's Debt 

 to Its Citizens." 



WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28th.— 9:30 a. 

 m. The election of officers for the en- 

 suing year will be held at this session. 

 After the election the following pa- 

 pers will be read: "Utilization of Va- 

 cant City Lots for the Poor," John Mc- 

 Gregor, Detroit, Mich.; "Finger Boards 

 and View Points," Charles W. Gar- 

 field, President "Michigan Fruit Grow- 

 er," Grand Rapids, Mich.; "Outdoor 

 Art in School and College Grounds," 

 Prof. W. J. Beal, Michigan Agricul- 

 tural College, Lansing, Mich. 1:30 p. 

 m. Trolley ride to Water Works Park. 

 3:30 p. m. Trolley ride from Water 

 Works Park to Log Cabin at Palmer 

 Park. 8 p. m. An evening with the 

 stereoptieon. The following papers 

 will be given, illustrated by lantern 

 slides of pictures taken in different 

 parts of the country: "Park Land- 

 scapes," George R. King, Cambridge, 

 Mass.; "The Improvement of Factory 

 and Home Grounds," this subject will 

 be illustrated and presented by J. 

 Horace McFarland, of Harrisburg, Pa., 

 J. H. Patterson and E. L. Shuey of 

 Dayton, O. 



THURSDAY, JUNE 29th.— 9:30 a. m. 

 Closing session. Reports of Special 

 Committees, action thereon, and other 

 business. The papers assigned to this 

 session are: "Interesting Children in 

 Our Highways and Public Grounds," 

 W. W. Tracy, Detroit, Mich.; "Park 

 Nomenclature and Accounts," G. A. 

 Parker, Superintendent of Parks, Hart- 

 ford, Conn. 



During the morning of Thursday 

 opportunity will be given to obtain a 

 bird's-eye view of Detroit and vicinity 

 from the top of the Majestic Building. 

 2 p. m. Drive on Boulevard and 

 around Belle Isle Park. 7:30 p. m. 

 Informal banquet at Skating Pavilion 

 on Belle Isle Park, with band con- 

 cert later in the evening. 10:30 p. 

 m. Return to Detroit by ferry. 



The Commissioners of Parks and 

 Boulevards, Detroit, Mich., have asked 

 the Secretary to issue a special invi- 

 tation, cordially inviting you to at- 

 tend the Convention of the American 

 Park and Outdoor Art Association to 

 be held in their city, assuring you that 

 every effort will be made to make your 

 stay a pleasant one. 



BEGONIA GLOIRE de LORRAINE. 

 Amongst the many grand examples 

 of high cultivation in the gardens of 

 Lord Portman, Bryanston, Blandford, 

 Dorset, Begonia Gloire de Lorraine is 

 conspicuously good. Winter-flower- 

 ing plants are in great request here, 

 and this begonia is found to be one of 

 the most useful subjects in every re- 

 spect. 



The mode of treatment given may be 

 useful and interesting to many readers. 

 A portion of the old plants are cut 

 down some after they have finished 

 flowering, and stood in heated pits 

 in a temperature of from 50 to 60 de- 

 grees. Water is given them very spar- 

 ingly until they show signs of start- 

 ing, but as growth advances more 

 water is needed, and occasionally 

 weak liquid manure is given. As soon 

 as the growths are sufficiently long 

 they are taken off as cuttings, care 

 being taken to cut them clean, below 

 a joint, before inserting them in the 

 soil. Either pots or pans may be used, 

 and the compost found suitable at 

 Bryanston is sandy peat. They are 

 stood in the propagating box in a 

 strong moist heat. By varying the time 

 of taking cuttings plants may be ob- 

 tained which will give a succession of 

 flowers the whole year. The largest 

 plants grown are struck in January, 

 but March, for general purposes, Is a 

 good time. After they are rooted the 

 cuttings are potted off into thumb pots, 

 and the soil found most suitable con- 

 sists of one part loam, two parts peat, 

 and sharp sand, adding a little fine 

 charcoal. When sufficiently large for 

 repotting they are sifted into pots suit- 

 able for various purposes, and placed 

 in a heated pit or house which can be 

 shaded, and where air can be admitted 

 without draught. Very dry and airy 

 houses are almost fatal to them, and 

 it is far preferable to devote a house 

 or pit exclusively to these begonias, 

 as they will require shading during the 

 hottest part of the day, and to have 

 the atmosphere well charged with 

 moisture. Great care is required in 

 watering. 



Grand specimens of Begonia Gloire 

 de Lorraine can be obtained by put- 

 ting the best selected plants into five 

 or seven-inch pots, using soil similar 

 to that already advised, only a little 

 coarser. The growths should not be 

 pinched, but allowed to break natur- 

 ally, as the early crops of flowers may 

 be picked off until a few weeks before 

 the specimens are wanted to bloom. 

 The whole batch requires fumigating 

 occasionally to keep down any attacks 

 of insect pests which they are liable 

 to. During the summer the begonias 

 are kept in an intermediate tempera- 

 ture, admitting plenty of light, but giv- 

 ing shade when the sun is strongest. 

 Admit plenty of air to prevent the 

 growth becoming drawn. Many com- 

 ments have been made of late to the 

 effect that some growers have found 

 an occasional seed pod on Begonia 

 Gloire de Lorraine. There have been 

 saved from the plants grown at Bryan- 

 ston dozens of pods which have had 



