March 31, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



39 » 



WHOLESOME CHESTNUTS. 



Cuttings of alternanthera having 

 flower on them will root easily enough, 

 but they are almost useless when root- 

 ed, because it takes a long time for 

 them to make up their minds whether 

 to live or die; better for them to die. 

 Don't be in a hurry taking cuttings 

 from alternanthera recently rooted; 

 better wait and get better cuttings, 

 and do less injury to the plants. 



Marguerite carnations are very use- 

 ful if they are got early, but if not, 

 they are not worth bothering with, 

 because if the plants are small and 

 late in being planted, it will be near 

 fall before they begin to flower; so 

 set them a-going. The several vari- 

 eties of Begonia Vernon are just right 

 for neat fancy bedding, but there is 

 one especially, a double red variety, 

 which is certainly stunning for ef- 

 fective decoration. I don't know the 

 name of it, but I believe the stock is 

 now owned by R. .& J. Farquhar & Co. 



Geraniums that have, when polted, 

 been placed close together should 

 now, if possible, be given a little more 

 breathing space, otherwise they will 

 grow up weak and spindly. Keep the 

 buds and flowers cut off all not soon 

 required, or to be offered in the near 

 future for sale, and pinch the tops off 

 any that appear to be lanky. Pansies 

 in frames should have air admitted 

 whenever possible, but for some time 

 yet close up early in the day. Where 

 they are growing closely together, thin 

 them out, and either plant them in 

 another frame or in boxes filled with 

 good, rich soil and set in a cold frame. 

 A good stock supply of coleus can yet 

 be obtained from cuttings, but do not 

 delay operations very much longer. 



Get everything possible into frames. 

 I mean all hardy stuff for early plant- 

 ing, such as perennials, so that when 

 suitable weather shows up the stuff 

 will be in condition for planting. Look 

 over your cannas and get ready all you 

 think will be required for an early 

 start. Divide the tubers that are 

 sound and start them in a gentle heat 

 on a bench, covering them with leaf- 

 mould or put them in flats, covering 

 them lightly with the same material. 

 Remove everything that you are posi- 

 tive is dead. The tubers place in heat 

 the same as the others, and when they 

 begin to grow you will then be able 

 to divide them to better advantage. 

 It is much too early yet to start 

 clumps of the common cannas into 

 growth. 



THE AMERICAN CARNATION 

 SOCIETY. 



The president-elect (John H. Dun- 

 lop of Toronto, Ont.) has so enthused 

 the inhabitants and officials of his city 

 that every obstacle that might prove an 

 inconvenience to the members and ex- 

 hibitors who will attend the meeting 

 next January in Toronto, Canada, has 

 been removed and there will be less 

 trouble in getting stock to this show 

 than in the larger cities of the U. S. 



Anything now that bears the stamp 

 of this society goes through without 

 any delay, and it is a safe prediction to 

 say that when it comes to the week of 

 the meeting stock will be rushed 

 through from Suspension Bridie to the 

 exhibition hall with a dispatch and 

 care that will make the people on this 

 side want all of our meetings held in 

 Toronto. A. M. HERR. 



PHILADELPHIA SPRING SHOW. 



The spring show of the Pennsyl- 

 vania Horticultural Society had more 

 fine specimen plants on exhibition 

 than have been seen at any previous 

 show at this season of the year. The 

 prominent features were the azaleas. 

 The best plants had apparently been 

 timed to a day; every flower was per- 

 fect with a few more to open and not 

 a flower dropped. One of the very best 

 was "Alice," a magnificent specimen, 

 over five feet in diameter. It is 

 one of those parti-colored varieties, 

 some branches having flowers light 

 red, others pink and red, while yet 

 others were pink and white. Taking 

 it altogether this was the most effec- 

 tive flowering plant in the show. It 

 was exhibited by Samuel Batchelor, 

 gardener for Clement Newbold. Other 

 azaleas from the same exhibitor were 

 Rosa Mundi. a trifle less than 5 feet 

 in diameter, red in color, and Francois 

 de Vos. cherry red. There were other 

 fine specimen azaleas on exhibition, 

 notably those from the greenhouses of 

 James W. Paul, Jr., the president of 

 the society, James Hurley, gardener. 

 Mr. Newbold's gardener also had two 

 fine palms, Caryota urens. Begonia 

 Feastii from the same exhibitor was 

 much admired. 



First premium was awarded to the 

 same exhibitor for six geraniums; 

 these were exceptionally well-grown 

 and flowered to the day. There was 

 some controversy about two of the 

 varieties being too nearly alike, but 

 there were evidences of distinctiveness 

 even if they were slight, and all the 

 plants in this collection were so uni- 

 form in contour that they commanded 

 the admiration of casual observers and 

 experts alike. Cineraria stellata — what 

 a magnificent flowering plant this is 

 when space can be given to develop it 

 to its fullest capacity; and there were 

 some exceptionally fine plants here on 

 this occasion. A Rhapis flabelliformis 

 twelve feet high and well-proportioned 

 was another feature that came from 

 the greenhouses of President Paul. 



The hyacinths and tulips exhibited 

 in 12-inch pans were never better. A 

 beautiful variety of tulip — Pink Beauty 

 — was exceptionally fine. Wm. Klein- 

 heinz. gardener for P. A. B. Widener. 

 as usual took many prizes. 



Bougainvilleas were in evidence. 

 Wm. Robertson had a fine plant of the 

 Sanderii variety, and W. K. Harris 

 with his variegated form of same is 

 confident that it will prove a valuale 

 addition to ornamental plants. The 

 red-flowered form exhibited by Samuel 

 Batchelor was freely commented upon 

 as hardly bright enough. 



Primula obconica was another of the 

 prominent features and the collection 

 having a white form and the several 

 varying delicate shades was awarded 

 first premium. This went to Mrs. S. 

 T. Bodines, A. G. Williams, gardener. 

 A large plant of Begonia Herachefolia, 

 full of flowers and in a 10-inch pot, 

 was much admired. 



Time is too short to give all the good 

 points of the show which will go down 

 into history as one of the very best tor 

 high finish and general excellence. 

 BDWTN LONSDALE. 



FLORISTS' CLUB OF PHILADEL- 

 PHIA. 



Thursday the 22nd inst. was Ladies' 

 Night— an annual and time-honored 

 e\ent in the annals of the Florists' 

 Club of Philadelphia. It proved a 

 most successful affair in every way and 

 reflected credit on the house commit- 

 tee and officers of the club who had 

 the matter in charge. The fascinating 

 games of shuffleboard, pool, billiards, 

 anil bowling were indulged in by the 

 wives and sweethearts of the members 

 — giving the ladies a taste of the pow- 

 erful influences that keep their mascu- 

 line friends so often late in their 

 homecoming. The intervals were en- 

 livened by song and story and the 

 refreshment end of the programme 

 was ably looked after. A pleasing- 

 feature of the occasion was the number 

 of new faces observable in the audi- 

 ence. 



TOLEDO FLORISTS' CLUB. 



The meeting last Wednesday was 

 poorly attended, owing to the terrible 

 snowstorm; most of the members 

 stayed at home attending to firing. 

 Emil Savoy was a visitor. The meet- 

 ing was a short one. There were two 

 nice exhibits, one from Krueger Bros., 

 who showed a bunch each of Enchant- 

 ress and Mrs. T. W. Lawson carna- 

 tions and a vase of Meteor roses. W. 

 E. Hall exhibited his carnation seed- 

 ling, E. G. Gillett. The parents of this 

 magnificent carnation are Prosperity 

 and Maceo; the color is a fine scarlet, 

 showing now and then the slightest 

 streak of white. It is as good a scarlet 

 carnation as is now in the market. 



DETROIT FLORISTS' CLUB. 



At the regular meeting. March 21st. 

 an essav on steam heating was read 

 by A. Simonds of Grand Rapids, which 

 was found very interesting. Hugo 

 Schroeter also read an essay on season- 

 able preparations for Easter which con- 

 tained some useful information. The 

 Detroit Florists' club then decided to 

 h< ild a Flower Show on April 4th at 

 the Michigan Cut Flower Exchange. 

 As new varieties are to be featured 

 many growers will no doubt contri- 

 bute. 



OBITUARY. 



Gustave A. Fleck, of Oakland. Cal., 

 one of the oldest florists in the city, 

 ended his life on March 15 at his home. 

 He was a native of Germany, 70 years 

 old. 



The Kentucky Society of Florists 

 will hold its regular monthly meeting 

 at Jacob Schulz's store, 644 Fourth 

 avenue, Louisville, Tuesday. April " 

 at 8 P. M. 



Charles Beck, who for thirty-five: 

 years has been florist and landscape 

 gardener at the Soldiers' Home, Day- 

 ion, O., passed away on March 20 after 

 an illness of many weeks. Mr. Beck 

 was born on Jan. 2, 1S27, at Sewarzen- 

 fels, Germany, and came to America 

 in 1S47. He has resided in Dayton 

 since 1861. He was considered one of 

 the finest landscape gardeners in this 

 country. He was a member of the So- 

 ciety of American Florists and Orna- 

 mental Horticulturists for several 

 years, but resigned in 1902. He leaves 

 a wife, two daughters and a son, Otto 

 Walter Beck, a teacher in the Pratt 

 1 nstitute, Brooklyn. 



