June !), 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



735 



JUDGES' PROBLEMS. 



Editor HORTICULTURE: 



I notice in your issue of June 2 an 

 article signed by a lady in Pittsburg, 

 Pa., taking our committee to task for 

 making a certain award here in Bos- 

 ton, to forced specimens of Lilium 

 candidum. I think it is safe to say 

 that the lady saw neither of the ex- 

 hibits referred to and as she seems to 

 be seeking for information I will en- 

 deavor to explain the matter. 



In her statement regarding the pips, 

 she somewhat misrepresents the facts, 

 for I did not say that the lily of the 

 valley required only ordinary culture. 

 If she will re-read my article carefully 

 she will see that I intimated that a 

 cultural certificate can be given under 

 two conditions. 



In this case the roots or pips were 

 undoubtedly imported from Europe. 

 In the condition received they repre- 

 sented the cultural skill of the growers 

 from whom they were imported and 

 therefore as pips simply, were not 

 eligible for a certificate for they were 

 not shown by the original gower. But 

 the exhibitor who forced these pips 

 into flower was eligible for there was 

 an opportunity to display extraordi- 

 nary skill in bringing them into flower. 

 As I remarked in my previous article 

 there was no more cultural excellence 

 displayed than pertains to the regular 

 practise of any careful grower and as 

 there were hundreds of other subjects 

 fully as well grown as the flowers in 

 question, it would have been absurd 

 to say the least to have singled them 

 out for an award of this nature. 



Now in regard to the display of 

 Lilium candidum, we have the same 

 conditions as regards the bulbs, but it 

 was another matter with the flowers. 

 We who were here and privileged to 

 see and judge them were unanimous 

 in our opinion of their quality. Only 

 once before within my recollection of 

 exhibition have I seen flowers of Lilium 

 candidum approaching these in ex- 

 excellence. It may have been all in 

 the bulbs but we doubt it very much 

 and believe the hand that grew them 

 was possessed of skill beyond the 

 ordinary. 



The lady speaks as though she 

 thought it an every day matter to 

 force Lilium candidum successfully but 

 if her experience takes her back be- 

 fore the era of Lilium Harrisii she 

 ought to know the difficulties en- 

 countered in their cultivation and that 

 it was not from lack of beauty that 

 their cultivation was practically aban- 

 doned. 



A. H. FEWKES, 

 Chairman Committee on Plants and 

 Flowers, Mass. Horticultural Society. 



We have received from George Hollis 

 specimen blooms of several of his 

 seedling peonies, some of them bloom- 

 ing now for the first time. Among 

 them are Old Ironsides, crimson 

 magenta, a full flower without guard 

 petals; Chieftain, light pink, wide 

 guard petals and high centre,; Path- 

 finder, soft pink and white, deeper 

 flushed, a big loose bloom; Attraction, 

 crimson purple wide guard petals and 

 dense globular centre; Holly, rosy 

 pink; No. 1031, Japanese deep pink 

 guard petals and yellow tipped salmon 

 filaments. 



HARDY PLANT NOTES. 



Even though the season has been ex- 

 ceptionally dry, shrubs and perennials 

 have so far given an abundance of 

 bloom. It may, however, affect the 

 flower of the late blooming kinds. 



A very good type of weigela, and 

 somewhat new. is Abel Carrier. It has 

 a growth similar to -rosea, the flower 

 being a beautiful rose color and not 

 inclined to fade like other types. The 

 amabilis variegata is prized for its 

 variegated leaf, but the flowers do not 

 show off to good advantage with such 

 light-colored foliage. Eva Rathke has 

 a deep crimson flower quite distinct 

 from all others, and blooms a few 

 days later. 



The Yellow Rambler rose is fine, but 

 as the blooms mature it is hard to as- 

 sociate the name with the plant, as 

 the color changes to white. The buds 

 are a good yellow and the flower 

 opens a light yellow but fades to white. 

 Its foliage is rich and glossy. 



The Dawson rose is quite free — 

 flowers rose-pink and about the size 

 of a half-dollar. It makes a good 

 hardy climbing rose. 



It is too bad that the tamarisk is 

 not used more extensively in shrub- 

 bery planting. The pink flowers al- 

 ways attract attention, and the deli- 

 cate foliage is effective all through the 

 season. 



The writer saw a very pretty effect 

 produced on the edge of an evergreen 

 plantation by the use of Enonymus 

 radicans variegata. This is often con- 

 sidered only as a vine, but if occa- 

 sionally pruned it makes a pretty 

 dwarf shrub. 



Helenium Hoopesei is now in flower, 

 and its color, a good deep orange, is 

 quite distinct. 



Iris "Silver King" deserves mention 

 on account of its delicate fragrance 

 and beautiful silvery color. 



One of the earliest ami showiest 

 climbing roses is Paul's Carmine 

 Pillar. It should lie planted more 

 generally. 



Salvia nutans is making a pretty 

 show at this period and can be recom- 

 mended as a good perennial for cut- 

 ling. It grows about three feet high 

 and the pretty blue flowers have a 

 graceful drooping habit. 



An excellent time to separate and 

 transplant the roots of the German 

 Iris is when they are through flower- 

 ing. They then make new roots ami 

 become established, thus insuring 

 flower for next season. 



In cutting peonies care should be 

 exercised to see that not too much of 

 the stem is cut away, as it tends ti> 

 weaken the plant and reduce its flow- 

 ers for next season. 



WARREN J. CHANDLER 



INCORPORATED. 



.The Griswold Greenhouse Co., 

 Ashtabula, O. Capital, $50,000. Presi- 

 dent, Thomas Fricker; vice-president. 

 C. M. Stone; treasurer. J. L. Smith: 

 secretary and manager, J. H. Rici 

 The establishments of Mrs. F. G. Boalt 

 and J. H. Rice have been purchased by 

 the company, and they propose *<i de- 

 vote the plant to lettuce and cucum- 

 bers. Extensive additions and im- 

 provements are already under way. 



WHOLESOME CHESTNUTS. 



Better flowers, and plants of comelier 

 form result if dahlias are grown with 

 but one stem, and they are easily 

 grown that way, even if the old tubers 

 are planted, by just selecting one to 

 go ahead and removing all the others. 

 Dahlias are exceedingly susceptible to 

 good treatment which consists chiefly, 

 first in good soil and next in thorough 

 cultivation of the soil from the time 

 the plants are in the ground until 

 frost nips the flowers and leaves. The 

 best way to cultivate the soil is by 

 frequent hoeing paying but little heed 

 whether there are weeds there or not: 

 raking does more harm than many are 

 aware of, because it is apt to put a 

 crust on the soil. 



Chickweed is very annoying in the 

 lawn and next to impossible to remove 

 by hand, not to mention the expense 

 when it has to be done on a large 

 scale. Try raking before every mowing 

 and see if by degrees it doesn't grow 

 beautifully less. 



On small places where nice paths 

 easily trod are a prime consideration 

 lor the sake of comfort as well as 

 appearance, it is a mistake to hoe 

 them; better far to either pick out, the 

 weeds by hand or uproot them with a 

 drawhoe than to dig up the gravel 

 piece meal thereby softening the whole 

 surface of the path; an occasional 

 rolling helps also to keep paths in 

 good order. 



OBITUARY. 



Hermann Rolker died May 28 at his 

 Brooklyn, N. Y.. residence after a 

 lingering illness of nearly seven years. 

 Mr. Rolker severed his connection 

 with the firm of A. Roiker & Sons in 

 1903 after having been with them for 

 about fifteen years, part of that time 

 as a partner in the firm. He was 57 

 years old and leaves a widow and five 

 children. 



David Gray, for many years a lead- 

 ing florist of Brockton, Mass., died at 

 bis home in that city on the morning 

 nt May 2S. aged 4!) years. He had 

 been in failing health for over a year. 

 Mr. Gray was a native of Vermont, 

 and came to Brockton, where he es- 

 tablished himself in business, twenty- 

 five years ago. At one time he held 

 the position of city forester. He was 

 a man of congenial temperament, and 

 had many friends. He leaves a widow, 

 one son and one daughter. His son. 

 John C. Gray, is superintendent of 

 Union Cemetery. 



C. H. Kunzman. a highly respected 

 florist of Louisville, Ky., died on May 

 22, aged 44 years. Mr. Kunzman had 

 been in failing health for some time, 

 Inn his death came suddenly and as a 

 great shock to his friends and trade 

 associates. He was a member of the 

 S. A F. and was for many years treas- 

 urer of the Kentucky Society of 

 Florists, every member of which sin- 

 cerely mourns his loss. He was a 

 specialist in growing carnations and 

 was very successful. He leaves a 

 widow and one son. Burial was in 

 l till cemetery. 



H. W. Field, florist, of Northampton. 

 Mass., has purchased from Dr. E. W. 

 Higbee the block on Main street in 

 which his store is located. 



