January 13. 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



07 



OBITUARY. 

 Samuel B. Parsons 



Samuel B. Parsons, nurseryman, 

 founder of the Parsons' Sons' Company, 

 died at his home in Flushing, N. Y., 

 on Jan. 4, aged 87 years. He started 

 the nursery business in 1839. Six years 

 later he visited Europe to study hor- 

 ticultural conditions there, and in 1859 



went again on a similar mission for 

 the United States Government. He 

 was active in literary work, one of his 

 best known productions being a vol- 

 ume on the Rose, published in 1847. 



Joseph Kift, Sr. 

 This veteran florist passed away 

 January 4th at his home in West Ches- 

 ter, Pa., aged 78. Mr. Kift had the 

 distinction of being the oldest florist 

 in Chester County, having conducted 



his establishment on High street, West 

 Chester, continuously for 54 years. 

 His native place was Borough Bridge, 

 Somersetshire. England. When 14 

 years old, he went to Edinburgh. Scot- 

 land, and received there a seven years' 

 training in the horticultural trade, 

 after which he came to America. For 

 two or three years he remained in 



New York and Philadelphia, after 

 which (in 1851) he settled in West 

 Chester. Mrs. Kift and four children 

 survive. Robert, the eldest, conducts 

 an extensive retail establishment in 

 Philadelphia, and is well known to 

 the trade all over the country. An- 

 other son, Joseph. Jr., does an im- 

 portant landscape and growing busi- 

 ness at West Chester. The latter has 

 the distinction of being the first to bring 

 the Bermuda Easter lily to this coun- 

 try, being sent there for it by his 

 father, who grew it extensively, and 

 sent it out a year ahead of Mr. William 

 K. Harris, whose name it bears. Jo- 

 seph Kift was one of the kindliest and 

 most companionable of men and led 

 an exemplary life in all its relations. 

 He will be greatly missed by all who 

 knew him, and their name is legion on 

 both sides of the Atlantic. 



AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF NEW 

 YORK. 



A series of popular lectures will be 

 given free on "Agriculture and Horti- 

 culture," comprising the growing of 

 fruits, flowers and vegetables indoors 

 and outdoors, ornamental gardening, 

 rural art. country life, living from the 

 land, insect life, building of country 

 houses, sanitation in country homes, 

 etc., etc., which will be of particular 

 interest and value. Several promi- 

 nent experts and eminent speakers 

 will take part in these discussions. 



This course of lectures opened Janu- 

 ary 10th, 1906, at 3.30 P. M., in the 

 lecture-room of the American Institute, 

 Berkeley Lyceum, between Fifth and 

 Sixth avenues. New York city, and is 

 to be continued on the 2d and 4th 

 Wednesdays of each month during the 

 winter. 



The first lecture, entitled "The 

 Soil." will be given by George T. 

 Powell, president of the Agricultural 

 Experts Association. 



All persons interested in the cultiva- 

 tion of land, nature study, natural 

 sciences, country life and work, or any 

 related subjects are cordially invited 

 to attend. 



NEW BEDFORD HORTICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



At the annual meeting of this so- 

 ciety held on Monday evening Janu- 

 ary 8, it was voted to hold the annual 

 dahlia show on September 13, 14 and 

 15th, provided the city hall can be 

 secured for those dates. Four new 

 members were admitted, making a 

 total of 33 new members during the 

 past year. 



The meeting by unanimous vote, re- 

 solved to indorse, and to respectfully 

 request of the Mayor the appointment 

 of Wm. Keith, gardener for Thomas 

 M. Stetson, and president of the Hor- 

 ticultural Society, to the position of 

 park commissioner which becomes va- 

 cant next April. As Mr. Keith has 

 had many years experience in the 

 treatment of shrubberies and exten- 

 sive grounds it is considered that his 

 appointment to a place upon the board 

 of park commissioners would be a de- 

 cided acquisition. 



THOMAS WHITE. 



NEW JERSEY FLORICULTU RAL 

 SOCIETY. 



The regular monthly meeting was 

 held at the rooms of the society on 

 January 5th. There was the usual in- 

 teresting installation of officers with 

 Joseph A. Manda as master of cere- 

 monies. It was decided to continue 

 the monthly competitive flower dis- 

 plays and a desire was expressed by 

 the younger members to be given a 

 chance in them. 



Through the munificence of Messrs. 

 John Crosby Brown, William Barr, 

 William Runkle and Sydney and 

 Austen Colgate, six silver cups were 

 presented to the winners of last year's 

 efforts, Peter Duff and William Read 

 for the highest number of points for 

 flowers, Arthur W. Bodwell for first 

 and Edward Thomas for second in the 

 pi i ial orchid prize, John Garvin for 

 vegetables and D. Kindsgrab for 

 plants. A loving cup was presented to 

 the retiring secretary, William J. 

 Bennett, by his friends in the society, 

 as a mark of their esteem and also 

 to mark the event of the first marriage 

 of an officer in the society during his 

 term of office. 



February second was set for the in- 

 stallation feast. Three new members 

 were elected — John R. LeCount, Henry 

 Meyerholtz, and Herbert T. Williams 

 of Maplewood. Graefe's patent pivoted 

 and adjustable flower stand exhibited 

 by Joseph A. Manda was awarded a 

 certificate. The floral exhibition con- 

 sisted of a vase of a new seedling car- 

 nation by Geo. von Qualen; sweet peas 

 and violets by Max Schneider; Cypri- 

 pediums Gratrixianum Prinetii and a 

 hybrid Laelia tenebrosa x flava, a most 

 striking flower of lemon yellow with 

 crimson pencilings. The reports of 

 secretary and treasurer showed the 

 prosperous condition of the society. 

 JOS. B. DAVIS. 



NORTH SHORE HORTICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



The election of officers on Jan. 5 re- 

 sulted in the following: President, 

 James McGregor; vice-president, W. 

 B. Jackson; secretary, James Salter: 

 financial secretary, Herbert Shaw; 

 treasurer, John Baker; librarian, Her- 

 bert W. Clark; executive committee, 

 F. B. Rust, Thomas Jack, Robert 

 Mitchell. John Desmond and Joseph 

 Clark. 



A committee was appointed to ar- 

 range for the annual banquet to be 

 held at an early date in the Town hall, 

 with W. B. Jackson as chairman. The 

 reports of the various officers showed 

 the society to be in a healthy condi- 

 tion. 



ELBERON HORTICULTURAL SO- 

 CIETY. 

 A meeting of this society was held 

 on Jan. 8. Five new members were 

 admitted. It was decided to hold the 

 Flower Show early in July, and a pre- 

 liminary schedule was drawn up and 

 approved. Mr. W. Ross, representing 

 F. R. Pierson Co., was a visitor, and 

 in a few well-chosen remarks inti- 

 mated that F. R. Pierson would donate 

 a special premium for the show and 

 would also make an exhibit. The 

 topic of the evening, "Is it Advisable 

 to Apply Manure to Lawns in the 

 Fall?" took the form of a debate, the 

 negative winning bv a majority of one. 

 W. H. WAITE, Secy. 



