June 9, 1906 



horticulture: 



r33 



popular varieties and prices about the same as last 

 year. The better class of large trumpet varieties, such 

 as Emperor. Empress, Horsfieldi and Sir Henry Irving- 

 are now low enough in price to tempt the commercial 

 grower. 



The tulip situation lias changed materially from for- 

 mer years. The American varieties, as the Hollander 

 designates the sorts we buy for forcing, including La 

 Eeine, Cottage Maid, Rosa Mundi, Huikman. Yellow 

 Prince, Keizer Kroon and Duchess of Parma will he 

 higher in price, especially the two last named. This 

 advance is largely due to the enormous yearly increase 

 in demand for these sorts in the United St ales for com- 

 mercial purposes. 



Hints on Boilers and Heating 



In previous articles we have drawn attention to the 

 importance of selecting a good boiler, location of boiler 

 cellar, arrangement of pipes, etc. These are not the 

 only essentials to be considered in a heating apparatus. 

 What you contemplate growing is also an important 

 item. If the product is to be cut flowers — such as 

 roses, carnations, gardenias, chrysanthemums, violets, 

 etc., all of which require various temperatures to pro- 

 duce the best results, the apparatus must be easily and 

 quickly controlled. This result can best be obtained in 

 a hot water apparatus by the use of small pipes, not 

 over two inches in diameter; pipes containing a larger 

 body of water cool off too slowly when quick action is 

 required. 



Gate valves giving full opening of the pipes should 

 be placed on each run on flow and return. Valves with 

 smaller openings than the pipe check the circulation 

 and are useless. The ancient method of regulating the 

 temperature in the house at the boiler and omitting 

 valves on the runs, has been abandoned by progressive 

 florists and gardeners. 



Coils should be properly distributed; in a house run- 

 ning cast and west place more pipe on the north side 

 than on the south, with a proportionate amount through 

 the center; in houses running north and south the 

 larger amount should be placed on the west side. The 

 ends of houses should be well taken care of, with suf- 

 ficient pipe to heat the glass. It often happens this is 

 not done and the result is cool ends and an unequal 

 temperature quite a distance in from the ends. 



The importance of maintaining as uniform a temper- 

 ature as possible in the water while circulating through 

 an apparatus can not be over estimated, as this gives a 

 more uniform temperature in the house. It is much 

 more difficult to regulate an apparatus properly where 

 the temperature of the water varies from 30 degrees to 

 50 degrees in flow and return than where the variation 

 is only slight, say from 10 degrees to 15 degrees. To 

 keep the temperature where wanted on a cold day or 

 night, and to reduce the temperature quickly when the 

 sun comes out in the morning are the requisites neces- 

 sary in an up-to-date apparatus. This result can he 

 obtained in two ways: Uniform temperature of water 

 with sufficient radiating surface or an excessive amount 

 of radiating surface when the temperature of the water 

 varies and apparatus properly valved. 



In an ordinary gravity system the temperature of 

 the water will vary from 30 degrees to 60 degree's, the 

 average temperature being from 140 degrees to 170 

 degrees depending on conditions, arrangement of appa- 

 ratus, etc. The quicker the circulation the better the 



results. 1 



X. 



Instruction in Landscape Gardening 



Editor of Horticulturi : 



Dear Sir: -] rioted in your issue of last week an ex- 

 tract from the editorial page of the National Nursery- 

 man commenting on the recent action of the Gardeners' 

 and Florists' Club of Boston, regarding the establish- 

 ment of a school of instruction for gardeners in horti- 

 culture and landscape gardening. The criticism of the 

 National Nurseryman is undignified and ill-considered, 

 it being quite evident that it was made with little 

 knowledge of the subject under criticism. 



A copy of the report of the committee is enclosed 

 which will perhaps hear out this assertion. 



REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE OP THE GARDEN- 

 ERS' AND FLORISTS' CLUB OF BOSTON. 

 Mr. President: 



Your Committee appointed to consider and report on 

 the matter of the establishment of a school of instruction 

 in Horticulture and Landscape Gardening, for gardeners, 

 under the auspices of the Gardeners' and Florists' Club of 

 Boston, would report as follows: 



In the opinion of your Committee there is need for such 

 a school. The tendency of the day among young gardeners 

 is largely toward the idea that indoor gardening is the 

 most important branch, and the one in which the gar- 

 dener's skill can be the most highly expressed. This error 

 should not only be corrected, but the way should be 

 opened whereby the young gardener may be enabled to 

 fill a larger space in his profession. This widening of his 

 field, your Committee believes, should be in the direction 

 of natural gardening, and the course should especially 

 include instruction in the mechanical and artistic develop- 

 ment, on natural lines, of parks and ornamental grounds. 

 We believe this to be of the first importance, in view of 

 the fact that, the prevailing desire is for country homes 

 and country life. 



Further itemizing, your Committee would suggest that 

 the course of instruction should comprise sketching, the 

 making and laying out of plans, the use of the level and 

 transit, and instruction in simple land surveying opera- 

 tions, also lessons in the underlying principles of land- 

 scape gardening, broad enough to include studies of treat- 

 ment of specific areas of ground, planting material, prepa- 

 ration of ground for planting, road-building, drainage, etc. 



It is as essential that gardeners should be acquainted 

 with landscape gardening as that landscape gardeners 

 should have a knowledge of plants and their requirements. 

 Not that one should enter into competition with the other, 

 but that each will understand and be helpful to the other. 

 A gardener who has studied landscape work is a more 

 valuable assistant to the landscape gardener than one 

 who has to be guided at every step. A gardener on a 

 small estate cannot be considered competent if he has 

 not sufficient knowledge of landscape gardening to, at 

 least, maintain the idea of designers who may have made 

 the plan, or to make a slight change or alteration without 

 asking for professional assistance. 



Your Committee further believes that there is a desire 

 among young gardeners that such a school should be 

 established, and that full advantage would be taken of the 

 privilege of attending. Therefore, in view of this present- 

 ment, it would recommend that steps be taken to open 

 the school next October, for a course of five months, and 

 that a committee be appointed to further perfect the 

 scheme and study its details. 



It is of importance, in the opinion of your Committee, 

 that early action be taken in the matter, so that, if the 

 recommendation is approved and adopted by the Club, the 

 Committee can at once commence work on details, issne 

 a prospectus, and open entry lists. 



Signed by the Committee: John K. M. L. Farquhar, 

 Chairman; J. A. Pettigrew, James H. Morton, James 

 Wheeler, William N. Craig. 



Very sincerely yours, 



