June 11, 1003. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



87 



Plan of the Horticultural Section of the Grounds at St. Louis World's Fair. 



several mice have departed to the happy 

 hunting ground. 



This article is already long enough, 

 longer even than Burns' address to the 

 mouse, the manuscript of which, if it is 

 in existence, would be worth several 

 thousand dollars. But I would just like 

 to say that in the economy of nature 

 things are pretty well balanced. One 

 creature preys and feeds on another and 

 keeps the equilibrium fairly poised. It 

 is, however, certain that during the re- 

 markable ages of the past countless 

 types of animals have lived, flourished 

 and passed away, and those now on 

 earth we will for brevity's sake call 

 the "survival of the fittest." So 

 things were not all made perfect at 

 first. It would be a very humdrum, 

 melancholy world if all were perfect 

 now. So in the extermination of the 

 field mouse the economy of nature would 

 not receive a solar plexus. At the same 

 time it is essentially proper that we, as 

 gardeners and farmers, should have in- 

 sects, fungi and rodents to fight. It 

 keeps us going, rewards the watchful 

 and alert, and, as David Harum says. 

 "It's good for a dog to have fleas, 'cause 

 it reminds him he's only a dog." 



William Scott. 



ST. LOUIS WORLD'S FAIR. 



The accompanying plan shows the ar- 

 rangement and position of the buildings 

 to be devoted to agriculture and to hor- 

 ticulture at the Louisiana Purchase Ex- 

 position, to be held in St. Louis in 1904. 



The Palace of Horticulture is on 

 the summit of Skinker Hill, and is 

 separated from the Palace of Agricul- 

 ture by 250 feet of model landscape 

 gardens. The building is 400 by 800 

 feet, and is in the form of a cross with 

 a center pavilion, 400 feet square, and 

 two wings, each 204 by 230 feet. The 

 wings are divided from the center pa- 

 vilion by glass partitions and the 

 floor of "each is nine feet lower than 

 that of the center pavilion. This dif- 

 ference in elevation produces a mon- 

 umental effect, which is further height- 

 ened by the use in the main entrance 

 on the north front of two towers 150 

 feet high. 



The east wing of the building is al- 

 most entirely of glass and will be used 

 as a conservatory. A water-heating 

 plant is to be installed in the cellar. 

 The west wing is used for general hor- 

 ticultural exhibits. In the basement of 



this wing cold storage is provided for 

 the fruit to be exhibited. A gallery is 

 provided on three sides. The west and 

 north galleries will be used as res- 

 taurants, and the southern gallery will 

 be used as offices for the working force 

 of the department. The center pavilion 

 will contain the fruit exhibits. 



The construction of the building 

 shows no change from the accepted 

 method of the other buildings. The ex- 

 hibit spaces are covered by trusses, 

 which range in span from 72 feet over 

 the center aisle to 48 feet over the side 

 aisles. The horticultural building is 

 one of the few which are to be tinted. 



"A WOMAN'S HARDY GARDEN." 



I have read with deep interest frag- 

 ments of a book for amateurs published 

 last fall by MncMillan & Co., of New 

 York. In its way it is as valuable a 

 book as "Scott's Manual." Even to the 

 expert florist it will prove interesting 

 reading, possibly instructive on some 

 points. The title is "A Woman's Hardy 

 Garden." written by Helena Rutherford 

 Ely and beautifully illustrated with 

 photographs taken in her garden, which 

 appears to be in New York state, prob- 

 ably on the North river. 



I see my horticultural friends smile 

 when they have read thus far and ask 

 whether "Phil" is really advocating 

 "old woman's gardening." Not in the 

 sense in which they mean it — experiences 

 with ash-heap plants that sprouted, ger- 

 aniums that lived suspended by their 

 roots in the cellar all winter, and that 

 sort of thing — but in its broad sense I 

 am an advocate of all gardening, 

 whether by woman or man, old or 

 young. Every amateur who cares for 

 plant life will do something to help 



To return to the book, it gives a 

 graphic description in remarkably clear 

 language of the successes and failures 

 of a hardy garden. The owner has not 

 had the aid of a pane of glass to help 

 in starting her plants or growing them 

 on. They are chiefly perennials and bien- 

 nials, with some annals and bulbs. She 

 evidently has had money at her com- 

 mand, but much could be done, as she 

 points out, with far less expense. 



There are some cultural notes in the 

 book that will startle our experts as 

 much as did Mr. McMillan's effects in 



green or hi3 grace of York's essay on 

 watering, but it may do them lots of 

 good, and no harm can come from the 

 fresh ideas and from seeing ourselves as 

 others see us. 



The real value of the book to the flor- 

 ist is to put it in the hands of his cus- 

 tomers; it will show them what ama- 

 teurs like themselves have done and 

 spur them on to fresh efforts. The flor- 

 ist who works with his customers to 

 produce effective hardy gardens, be they 

 large or small, will build up his own 

 business on a firm foundation. Phil. 



STEVIA SERRATA AND 

 COMPACTA. 



Will you kindly tell me how and when 

 to propagate Stevia serrata? What is 

 its season of bloom? Also answer the 

 same questions in regard to Stevia com- 

 pacta. I suppose they can be grown for 

 a succession of blooms. 



Southebn Florist. 



It seems like going back to the honey- 

 moon days to mention Stevia serrata or 

 compacta. I have mentioned in my 

 scribblings many times the useful S. 

 serrata. Its culture is most simple and 

 it is rather too rank a grower. Plants 

 that were cut down at Christmas and 

 New Year's for their bloom should be 

 cut off evenly (just for sake of tidi- 

 ness) to within six inches of the pot. 

 Put them in any cool house above freez- 

 ing. In March they will send out any 

 quantity of cuttings which root like a 

 scandal and want only the coolest house 

 until planting out time. Just here let 

 me say that S. serrata thrives in a few 

 degrees above freezing, but like the cin- 

 eraria, wants none of it. Plant them 

 out at the end of May. two feet between 

 the plants. They will want pinching 

 about twice during the summer. Lift 

 them before danger of frost, and they 

 will want 6, 7 or 8-inch pots. Of course, 

 when potting them you will put them in 

 the shade and keep them there until 

 they have begun to grow in the pots. 

 Now comes the real and only point in 

 growing this common plant. You want 

 the flowers at Christmas and New 

 Year's. The feathery and light flowers 

 many times fill a place with really artis- 

 tic people that even a vase of American 

 Beauty roses would not do. The great 

 object with us in the north is to keep 



