May 5, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



ssr, 



AN ECHO FROM MECHANICAL 



WATERING. 

 Editor HORTICULTURE: 



Dear Sir: — To say that I am sur- 

 prised at Mr. McHutchison 's letter is 

 a very poor description of my feelings 

 after reading it. I never claimed that 

 1 had seen the device in question — I 

 never even criticised it! I merely- 

 tried to draw the attention of readers 

 of HORTICULTURE to the fact that 

 mechanical watering, had been in 

 vogue many years ago, in "the dear 

 old land across the sea," from which 

 the majority of the men have come 

 who have raised horticulture in Ameri- 

 ca to the high pedestal "she" occupies. 



I am sorry that Mr. Pinlayson's or 

 my remarks could not "remind" Mr. 

 McHutchison of any more vivid simile 

 that a "dumb waiter and a modern 

 elevator." I believe several instances 

 could be quoted where both of these 

 useful devices are used in the same 

 building, said building being of the 

 most modern construction. And right 

 here I would like to say that I 

 (although I have not had the pleasure 

 of seeing Mr. W.'s device) believe 

 "mechanical watering" backed up by 

 the judicious use of the hose will be the 

 "modus operandi" adopted by a major- 

 ity of the larger growers in the near 

 future. All inventors are naturally 

 jealous of any adverse criticism of 

 their invention, but I have yet to read 

 or know of an invention that was per- 

 fect at the start. But when the mere 

 stating of indisputable facts to prove 

 that mechanical watering was going 

 40 years ago, prompts Mr. McHutchi- 

 son to bet a large specimen of the 

 "forbidden fruit," I trust that future 

 criticism may be extremely mild and 

 modified, or it will make one tremble 

 to think what terrible indiscretions 

 Mr. McHutchison et al. may indulge 

 in. CHARLES INGRAM. 



ADIANTUM EDGARII. 



LIKES MECHANICAL WATERING. 

 Editor HORTICULTURE: 



Dear Sir: — I have noticed arguments 

 for and against mechanical watering 

 in your columns, and having seen the 

 new system in operation at the Geo. 

 Wittbold Co.'s plant, I wish to say, as 

 a gardener, who has been in business 

 for 45 years, that the idea has much 

 merit and will save much labor in the 

 greenhouse. Let us compare the idea 

 to a sewing machine, which has done 

 much to lessen the labors of the 

 house wife; it will do most of the sew- 

 ing; although fine needle work is still 

 done by hand. I will equip some of 

 my houses with the system after July 

 1st and shall be glad to have brother 

 florists call and see it in operation. 



WM. EDLEFSEN. 



Milwaukee, Wis. 



PERSONAL. 



Andrew Meyer, Jr., for the past three 

 years Superintendent of Parks, St. 

 Louis, has been appointed City For- 

 ester, and will enter upon his duties 

 immediately. 



Miss Florence Browne Stumpp, 

 daughter of George M. Stumpp, and 

 Henry Mehl, Jr., were married at St. 

 James' Church, New York City, on 

 Wednesday, April 25. 





We present herewith a picture of 

 the latest addition to the list of com- 

 mercial adiantums. The variety ap- 

 peared among (he plants in a bed of 

 Adiantum decorum and is regarded by 

 Mr. Edgar as undoubtedly a seed varia- 



tion of that species, which it resembles 

 in all respects excepting size which is 

 very much larger. It is considerabl> 

 larger than Adiantum Croweanum 

 fronds measuring 36 inches in length 

 having been produced. The photograph 

 shows a plant eighteen months old. 



CITY LIFE. 



(Written for the Country Gentleman bj 



Marie A. Drew.) 

 1 own nothing of all I survey, 



My right here all seem to dispute; 

 From the Harlem clear down to the bay. 



There's no room for a fowl or a shoot. 

 Oh, city life! What are the charms 



That millions can see in thy face? 

 Better dwell in the poorest of barns 



Than live in this horrible place! 



I am right in humanity's reach. 



Not a foot can I journey alone, 

 Never hear the sweet music of speech, 



(For a week I have not heard my 

 own) ; 

 The people that rush through the 

 streets 



My form with indifference see; 

 The girls jostle wherever we meet. 



Their boldness is shocking to me. 



Fresh butter, fresh eggs and sweet 

 cream. 



Divinely bestowed upon man. 

 Oh, had I a flying machine, 



How soon would I taste you again! 

 My hunger I then might assuage 



With food that was healthful to eat. 

 And not starve at a table d'hote 



Down here on Twentieth Street. 



Now, swiftly the fire-engine comes! 



To rival the speed it attains 

 The swift little errand boy runs. 



And the hospital ambulance strains! 

 When I think of my native land, 



With its feather beds not stuffed with 

 hair. 

 And its great herds of cattle not canned. 



Oh, what would I give to be there! 



OBITUARY. 



Abraham Hostetter, of Manheim. 

 Pa., died on April 18, aged 57 years 

 He was a member of the Society of 

 American Florists. 



John C. Blair, of the firm of Blair AL 

 Kaufman, Kansas City, Mo., died on 

 April 17, aged 66 years. Mr. Blair was 

 a member of the firm of Blair & Kaui 

 man, nurserymen, with offices in Kan- 

 sas City and nurseries in Argentine. 



William Pearce, who for many years 

 \.as located at Rockaway avenue and 

 Dean street. Brooklyn, N. Y., died a' 

 his home on April 22, aged ninet\ 

 years. He was a native of Hertford 

 shire. England. A widow, six daugh- 

 ters and two sons survive him. 



George H. Ellwanger of the firm of 

 Ellwanger & Barry, died at his home 

 in Rochester, New York, after an ill 

 ness lasting for several months. Mr. 

 Ellwanger was born in Rochester 

 fifty-eight years ago. His father was 

 George Ellwanger who established the 

 nursery business to which Ellwanger 

 & Barry succeeded. He was a schol- 

 arly writer and American horticulture 

 has been enriched by a number of 

 books of which he was the author, the 

 best known of which is the "Garden's 

 Story." His brother, the late H. B. 

 Ellwanger, was the author of "The 

 Rose," a book which has been th^ 

 American standard on this subject for 

 many years. The death of Mr. Ell- 

 wanger is a national loss. 



