June 2, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



707 



AFTER ADJOURNMENT. 

 Rhododendron Smirnovi is a new 

 variety of the evergreen section from 

 the mountains of Northern Asia, which 

 has just bloomed for the first time at 

 the Arnold Arboretum. It appears to 

 be perfectly hardy here and its most 

 remarkable quality is its early bloom- 

 ing. It is now through flowering, 

 when atrosanguineum and other.s 

 hitherto among the earliest hardy va- 

 rieties are just opening. The flower is 

 large, pink, finely spotted with light 

 brown on the upper lobe. The variety 

 promises great commercial value. 



As announced in our advertising col- 

 umns the Messrs. Barrows are now 

 ready to send out their new fern, 

 Nephrolepis Whitmani. It is seldom 

 that we can give the unqualified praise 

 to a new introduction which in this 

 instance is merited. Perfection of form 

 and rapidity of multiplication will 

 make it at once a favorite with the 

 amateur and the commercial grower 

 alike. 



The great rainfall of the past few 

 days has changed the complexion of 

 things horticulturally and agricultur- 

 ally, and instead of dust-dry garden 

 beds we now have deeply soaked 

 earth. The weeds have already found 

 it out and weed killing will soon take 

 its place on the program. The weed- 

 killer man whose advertisement ap- 

 pears on the back page of this paper 

 now becomes a very important person- 

 age, and we suggest that our readers 

 communicate with him speedily. 



NEWS NOTES. 

 The Essex greenhouses, Cleveland, 

 0., have been rented by P. C. Bartels, 

 who has been connected with the J. M. 

 Gasser Company. 



The greenhouse of Fritz Herst at 

 Bennington, Vt., was badly riddled by 

 a hail storm on May 25. Damage to 

 glass and plants estimated at $500. 



The South Bend Floral Co., South 

 Bend, Ind., are planning the addition 

 of 20,000 feet of glass to their plant to 

 meet the needs of their increasing 

 business. 



Foster Bros., located at 1504 Fulton 

 street, Brooklyn, N. Y., were the vic- 

 tims of burglars on May 25. Fortu- 

 nately there was only a small sum of 

 money in the cash drawer. 



John Dellar of Cincinnati was 

 thrown from his wagon by a collision 

 with a street car and so badly injured 

 that he was taken to the hospital. At 

 last reports he was improving. 



By order of T. T. Crittenden, referee 

 in bankruptcy, the stock and all assets 

 of the Chas. A. Shaeffer Floral Co., 

 Kansas City, Mo., were sold at auction 

 on May 19 by U. S. Marshal E. R. 

 Durham. 



While Fenton Fennell of Cohoes. N. 

 Y., was delivering orders on the after- 

 noon of May 21, an electric car 

 crashed into the rear end of his 

 wagon, throwing him against the 

 bridge which he was crossing. He was 

 removed to his home and examination 

 showed that no bones were broken, 

 but his muscles were wrenched and 

 flesh torn, and his recovery will be 

 slow. 



WHOLESOME CHESTNUTS. 



To keep private hedges in good con- 

 dition they ought to be clipped early. 



Tall growing herbaceous plants 

 should be supported by stakes of wood 

 with the bark on or painted green. 

 White tips are not harmonizing, fax 

 less ornamental. 



Although the melon blight absented 

 itself last season it is the safer plan 

 to be as fully prepared for its presence 

 as possible. For that purpose it will 

 be well if melons are grown in regu- 

 lar frames (not melon frames), to con- 

 tinue covering them in order that at 

 least a part of the crop expected may 

 be secured. 



It may seem a big job to thin the 

 fruit on out-door peaches and on 

 pears but I question if there is one that 

 tries it once that doesn't keep up the 

 practice, because of the better fruit in 

 every way that invariably results. 



Hydrangeas, like roses, require a 

 great deal of water when making their 

 growth and, like roses too, the size of 

 bloom depends on the growth of wood 

 and for that reason they should be 

 carefully watered and fed before 

 flowering and while they are in flower. 

 Hydrangeas in tubs do not show up to 

 good advantage the first season after 

 tubbing if they have been before then 

 grown in the open ground but under 

 favorable conditions they will make 

 up for what they lack, the second sea- 

 son. 



The mortality among hydrangeas 

 last winter ought to teach us that it 

 will pay to lift plants of moderate 

 size at least, and put them where they 

 will be reasonably safe from whatever 

 cause played havoc last winter. 



When cutting paeony flowers for use 

 in decorating don't defer putting the 

 stems in water immediately after they 

 are cut otherwise the flowers will not 

 last long. 



Have you roses Frau Karl Druschki 

 and Mildred Grant? If not, try and 

 see them in bloom somewhere; in the 

 latter event I am mistaken if in con- 

 sequence a few plants do not change 

 hands before this time next year. 



TOLEDO ENTERPRISE. 



Searles Bros., one of the leading 

 market gardening firms in Toledo, O., 

 are preparing to erect a range of 

 greenhouses for lettuce and cucumbers. 

 Their present plant consists of ten 

 houses, each 34x260, and they have re- 

 cently acquired two adjoining plots of 

 ground which will be put under glass, 

 making a tract of nearly twelve acres. 

 Tfcey will build this year enough 

 houses of size 14x750 to cover two and 

 a half acres, for which contract has 

 been let. Construction has begun ou 

 the boiler plant, which is to be 60x150. 

 Hot water will be the system use! in 

 heating. They expect to have the two 

 and a half acres of glass in working 

 order by October 1. 



On^-half of George Bayer's place is 

 now devoted to tomatoes, and they art 

 fine in foliage and fruiting satisfacto- 

 rily. Before tomatoes were planted, 

 lettuce was the crop, which was put 

 in after the chrysanthemums had out- 

 grown their usefulness. Mr. Bayer is 

 thus making a happy combination of 

 cut flowers and garden truck, and 

 that there is no mistake about it is 

 shown by the prosperous appearance 

 of the whole plant. 



THE INCONSISTENCY OF JUDGES. 



Editor HORTICULTURE. 



Dear Sir: — In your issue of April 

 14th I notice a letter under the head- 

 ing of "An Exhibitor's Grievence" in 

 which the writer displays an admira- 

 ble frame of mind in saying he would 

 rather have a cultural certificate than 

 a gratuity. In the following issue we 

 have a letter from the chairman of the 

 committee of judges giving a reason 

 for witholding such a certificate, 

 namely, that the pips were not grown 

 by the exhibitor, and required only 

 ordinary culture. In your issue of 

 this week I notice a cultural certificate 

 has been given by the same society for 

 Lilium candidum. Now to a "Garden- 

 ing Elizabeth" such inconsistency Is 

 incomprehensible and I dare say the 

 same for a good number of your read- 

 ers. Does Lilium candidum require 

 more skillful culture than lily of the 

 valley? or were those bulbs in ques- 

 tion grown by the exhibitor, or even 

 American grown? 



Yours, 

 ELIZABETH DRAKE. 



Pittsburg, Pa. 



PERSONAL. 



W. F. Dreer of Philadelphia was a 

 visitor in Boston for a few hours last 

 week. 



George E. Struck, traveling repre- 

 sentative of Lager & Hurrell, is sick 

 with the measles at the City Hospital, 

 Boston. 



William N. Reed of Reed & Keller, 

 New York City, accompanied by Mrs. 

 Reed, will sail on June 12 for a busi- 

 ness and pleasure trip on the other 

 side. 



Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Fuller of Leo- 

 minster, Mass., will sail from Boston 

 for Naples on the Romanic, June 5. 

 They expect to spend about two 

 months in European travel. 



OBITUARY. 

 Charles E. Parker of Holden, Mass., 

 died on May 22. He had served the 

 town in various capacities and con- 

 ducted a florist business for many 

 years. He is survived by a widow and 

 five children. 



John Kelly died at his home in New 

 Canaan, Conn., May 19, aged 83. Mr. 

 Kelly had been connected with Edwin 

 Hoyt's nurseries since boyhood, and 

 had grown up with the business. A 

 widow and five sons survive him. 



Mrs. Norton, wife of M. H. Norton, 

 ex-president of the Society of Ameri- 

 can Florists, died on May 26, after a 

 long and painful illness. The funeral 

 took place on Monday, May 28, from 

 her late residence in Dorchester, Mass. 



Frank B. Smith, who for the past 

 twenty years has been engaged in the 

 florist business in Danville, III., died 

 at his home in Roselawn on May 13. 

 aged 59. His sons Joseph J. and 

 Herbert E., who have had charge of 

 his business for the past two years, 

 will continue it under the name of 

 Frank B. Smith's Sons. 



INCORPORATED. 

 Begerow Floral Co., Newark, N. J. — 

 A. Begerow, A. C. Begerow, O. Rams- 

 perger, J. Schottmaier, T. W. Dobbins, 

 Jr. Capital, $25,000. 



