June 14, 1913 



HOKTICULTURE 



.SiS'J 



SEEN WITH FOUR EYES 



CATTLEYA DOWIANA. 



An Acquisition in Geraniums. 



We advise all our readers who sell 

 or use bedding geraniums to get in ■ 

 early on the new Paul Grumpel, a 

 single scarlet so vivid in color and so 

 large of flower and truss as to put all 

 the older varieties in the background. 



A Rose of Merit. 



Referring to our recent plea for a 

 square deal for the new rose intro- 

 ductions. C. H. Totty asked us to in- 

 spect his houses of the novelty, Mrs. 

 Shawyer, and point out a mildewed 

 leaf if such could be found. Not a 

 trace of either old or new mildew was 

 seen, although every part of the 

 houses was searched. Mr. Totty as- 

 serts that this has been the condition 

 all winter through and he certainly 

 has demonstrated the validity of his 

 claim that Shawyer. under intelligent 

 culture, is not a mildewed rose. As 

 to its productiveness any one who has 

 ever seen it growing will be fully pre- 

 pared to vouch for it. 



At South Orange, N. J. 



A Rambler rose which has been in 

 existence for several years and merits 

 wide distribution, but is scarcely 

 known outside W. A. Manda's nurser- 

 ies at South Orange, N. J., is Pink 

 Pearl, a cross between Wichuraiana 

 and Meteor. The flower is a lovel3' 

 shell pink, exceedingly double and 

 beautifully modelled. The foliage is 

 very large and glossy. 



Mr. Manda is dividing and potting 

 for the last time the stock of his big 

 novelty Polypodium Mandaianum, 

 w-hich is to be sent out in the fall of 

 1913. Houses and frames are filled up 

 with it as it is a very rapid propa- 

 gater and lively grower. A new tree 

 fern from Australia seen here is Al- 

 sophila robusta. It seems to be all 

 that the name implies. 



A Carnation Grower. 



We had the pleasure of looking over 

 two houses of carnations recently 

 which, in our humble opinion, were 

 about the finest we have ever seen at 

 this time of the year. They are the 

 Backer range at Billerica, Mass., and 

 are in charge of Gustave Thommen. 

 Never have we seen plants more 

 healthy and robust and many of the 

 flowers stand on three foot stems. Al- 

 though no syringing is done and the 

 last fumigation was given in January 

 there is no trace of either thrips. 

 spider or aphis. "Kill the father and 

 mother and children are impossible," 

 is Mr. Thommen's remedy for these 

 pests. Early and thorough work in 

 the fall saves all future trouble and 

 the condition of these houses with 

 their 20,000 plants is indisputable 

 proof of the correctness of this 

 method. 



Orchid Hints. 



Joseph A. Manda's two new houses 

 are, as well as the old ones, filled to 

 their capacity with orchids, cattleyas 

 mainly. Gigas is now flowering grand- 

 ly and Gaskelliana is already expos- 

 ing its sheaths. Mr. Manda says that, 

 contrary to the experience of most 

 growers of cattleyas for commercial 

 cut flower purposes, he finds Schroe- 

 derae a profitable investment. This, 



One of the must gorgeous of the 

 cattleyas in size of flower and rich- 

 ness of coloring. The big frilled lip 

 is purple and violet rose, beautifully 

 streaked with gold and the sepals and 



petals are bright nankeen. It is a 

 strong grower and requires more heat 

 than the cattleyas usually grown com- 

 mercially. The flowers generally 

 bring the top price in the market. 



he explains, is due to careful planning 

 to flower it out of the natural bloom- 

 ing season, thus avoiding the time of 

 oversupply. Dowiana is a prime fa- 

 vorite here and Mr. Manda has prob- 

 ably a larger stock of plants of this 

 species than can be seen elsewhere in 

 this country. Imported labiatas are 

 running small now and it is evident 

 that the district has been practically 

 denuded of the large plants which 

 were collected and so freely distrib- 

 uted a few years ago. 



A Great Nursery. 



The extensive nursery establishment 

 of R. & J. Farquhar & Co., at Ded- 

 ham. Mass., is rapidly assuming an 

 appearance of completeness and when 

 additional greenhouses and driveways 

 now contemplated are finished they 

 will have an up-to-date outfit unriv- 

 alled in many respects by any in this 

 country. Among the buildings to be 

 erected at once is a herbaceous plant 

 propagating house, 40 x 200. 



In the large houses of the main 

 range may be seen a new and very 

 serviceable style of concrete bench. 

 The width of the houses accommo- 

 dates eight benches, each 4% feet 

 wide. The sides, instead of being of 

 even thickness, as customary, are ta- 

 pered up to the top to fit the bevel of 

 a flower pot, thus saving considerable 

 bench room. 



The big packing shed, 60 x 300, with 

 cement walls and floor and glass roof, 

 is a busy place and a model of con- 

 venience. Another cement apartment, 

 partially underground, 50 x 125 feet, 

 has recently been constructed for use 

 as a winter store-house. It is the aim 

 at this establishment to be able to 

 supply all the hardy herbaceous plant 

 stock in pot-grown form for shipment 

 in summer — in fact, all the year round. 

 Roses are supplied in this way in- 

 stead of being dormant. 



PERSONAL, 



George Xewshani of .\ew Orleans, 

 La., left for England last week on the 

 S. S. Baltic. 



Mrs. H. H. Berger and Miss Berger 

 of New York sailed on the S. S. Lap- 

 land May 31st for Europe. 



P. Ouwerkerk of Weehawken 

 Heights, N. J., sailed for Europe June 

 10th on the S. S. New Amsterdam. 



J. C. Vaughan, Chicago, and Mrs. 

 Vaughan, sailed from Montreal for 

 Europe June 5th, on the S. S. Vic- 

 torian. 



Mr. and .Mrs. John Olinger of Auro- 

 ra. 111., are visiting their son and 

 daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. P. J. 

 Olinger at the latter's home in Belle- 

 vue. Ohio. 



Sydney B. Wertheimer and wife 

 (nee Miss Edna Leimdorfer), who 

 were married on June 3rd, sailed for 

 Europe on the steamship France, June 

 5th, and will return early in the au- 

 tumn. 



Cincinnati visitors: Chas. Dudley 

 and daughter. Parkersburg. W. Va. ; 

 Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Beckmann. Middle- 

 town, Ohio; Mr. and Mrs. Nerval 

 Kizer, Marietta Ohio; A. W. Brandt, 

 Indianapolis, Fred Rupp, Lawrence- 

 ubrg, Ind.; Henry Lodder. Hamilton, 

 Ohio, and H. A. Staley. Vancebury. Ky. 



George Janes, formerly employed 

 with George H. Penson in the fruit 

 department at Duke's Park, Somer- 

 ville, N. J., and now in charge of the 

 park and greenhouses on Mr. Wheat's 

 estate at Gaftney, S. C sailed on 

 the steamship Mauretania on June 11, 

 and will return with his bride on the 

 steamship Oceanic, leaving Southamp- 

 ton. July 9. The happy young lady is 

 Miss Besie Griggin. of Princes Ris- 

 boro, Bucks, England. 



