The Weekly Florists' Re vie w* 



963 



Midwinter scene on the grounds of the Hotel del Monte, Monterey, Cal. 



and in spite of the genial climate he 

 has his troubles. Borers and beetles have 

 attacked the old pines, and he must win 

 in his vigorous campaign against them 

 or lose the most important factor in the 

 landscape. Hydrocyanic acid gas is now 

 being used to kill one borer that works 

 almost wholly in the lower part of the 

 trunk. A canvas tent is fastened around 

 the trunk, made as tight as possible, and 

 the gas generated beneath it. This plan 

 seems to promise success with this par- 

 ticular borer, but there are others that 

 are more difficult to reach, in addition 

 to several scales that are very hard to 

 combat. 



And the brown oxalis that was former- 

 ly used in the carpet bedding has be- 

 come a serious pest in the lawns. It 

 does not winterkill here and as the seeds 

 scatter widely when the pods burst and 

 it also spreads by runners, it is almost 

 impossible to eradicate when it has a 

 start. 



Mr. Lee's department includes several 

 novel items for a gardener. In addition 

 to looking after the trees and plants he 

 is propagating frogs and terrapin for 

 the hotel table. The ponda where these 

 delicacies are produced are a very inter- 

 esting feature of the establishment. 



There are quite a number of green- 

 houses for palms and similar decorative 

 plants, and for the production of cut 

 flowers, carnations being a leading fea- 

 ture in the last named. There is also 

 a house or so of roses. Few if any roses 

 are seen in the grounds, the soil not 

 being favorable to their growth, though 

 the rose does famously in the gardens 

 across the bay. 



The famous Arizona garden, which 

 contains a remarkable collection of 

 cacti and other succulents, is very inter- 

 esting, but seems now to be less of an 

 attraction to visitors than in past years. 



Carpet bedding is less employed* than 



in the past, though some excellent ex- 

 amples are still seen in prominent posi- 

 tions. 



There is a good sized nursery in 

 which trees and shrubs are being brought 

 on to carry out new planting or to re- 

 place specimens that have passed their 

 best. 



A WESTERN GARDENER'S NOTES. 



It has become quite the fashion for 

 eastern craftsmen to tell of what they 

 have seen in the west. As I recently had 

 the privilege of taking a trip through 

 the cast, and of seeing for myself some 

 of the beautiful places of which I have 

 read in the Review, perhaps a Brief 

 sketch of my travels may interest some 

 of your readers. I am gardener for 

 Harry (i. Selfridge, at whose country 

 home, Harrose, at Lake Geneva, Wis'., 

 we have some 1,0,000 square feet of glass, 

 two large houses being devoted exclu- 

 sively to orchid culture. Mr. Selfridge 

 is an orchid enthusiast and has estab- 

 lished a valuable precedent for employers 

 in that he made this trip possible with- 

 out expense or loss of time to me. I 

 left Chicago October 2, going first to 

 Boston. 



My first side trip was to Brookline, 

 "here, at the home of J. E. Rothwell, I 

 found probably the largest collection of 

 cypripediums in America. Mr. Rothwell 

 makes a specialty of cypripediums and 

 selenipediums, which are in a condition 

 to reflect great credit upon his gardener, 

 Mr. Johansson, former orchid grower at 

 Garfield park, Chicago. 



The estate of the late H. H. Hunne- 

 well was next visited, and I shall not 

 soon forget the Italian garden, with one 

 of the finest collections of conifers that 

 it lias ever been my pleasure to see. 

 About one acre of ground is devoted to 



rhododendrons, with an extra lattice 

 house over all and a small observation 

 tower under the lattice. Rhododendrons 

 are also planted in the open ground and 

 umst p resent a charming sight in flower- 

 ing season. There are twenty green- 

 '" which are grown fine stove and 



hous 



decorative plants, graj.es. tigs and 

 peaches. The orchids were fine, partic- 

 ularly Odontoghissum crispum and Mil- 

 toma vexillaria. We often hear it said 

 that it is impossible to grow .odonto- 

 glossums in this country, but the degree 

 of perfection reached at the Hunnewell 

 place convinces me that with proj.erlv 

 constructed houses and other right con- 

 ditions, the time is not far distant when 

 they can be grown here as well as 

 abroad. Their eattleyas also are in first 

 class condition, the result, the gardener 

 told me, of feeding with different kinds 

 Of liquid. My own experience with fed 

 orchids has not been altogether satisfac- 

 tory, as they flourish and win applause 

 for their grower for a year or two, then 

 perish. 1 should like to know the expe- 

 rience of others in this particular. 

 I was : 



tion of Oak< 

 Mass., which 

 thousands of 

 to have beer 

 skill on the 



lisappomted in the collec- 

 Ames, at North Easton, 

 ias doubtless cost many 

 ollars, but which appears 

 • '•lived. Much time, and 

 irt of Sabin Botton, the 

 preset gardener, will be necessarv to 

 restore them. Mrs. Fred L. Ames, "who 

 also lives at North Easton. hag a 

 tion of orchids that is worth going miles 

 to see. There are probably no better 

 houses in the country, and' Mr. Craig, 

 her gardener, has everything on the place 

 in splendid condition. 



I visited Newport, R. I., and drove 

 around the island first to get a general 

 idea of the place. While everything was 

 beautiful, the high walls surrounding 

 many places gave one the impression of 

 v fort or jail yard. On Mrs. Cornelius 



