314 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[October, 



is capable of preserving the dignity and breadth 

 of his own art ; at least such seems to be the case ; 

 for, as we have sadly said, among all the'advocates 

 of art in the question of a Grant memorial not a 

 landscape gardener comes forward to claim a 

 place. The Le Notres, Reptons, Loudons and 

 Downings are no more. 



Where to Locate. — We were in some doubt 

 about passing R. C. Poppey's paper in our last. 

 It had too personal a tone about it, and yet seemed 

 to be disinterested. We are now sorry we did. 

 Mr. Grove P. Rawson writes from Elmira, that 

 Poppey came to him on trial as a foreman. He 

 was found undesirable, and was given to under- 

 stand that he was not wanted around. He stayed 

 a few weeks in the town, and Mr. Rawson believes 

 there are some who would like to know where he 

 has gone to. On again reading Poppey's note it is 

 evidently so written as to convey the idea that 

 there are no florists' establishments in Elmira, 

 though he does not absolutely say so. Such was 

 our impression when we passed the note for publi- 

 cation. In reference to this Mr. Rawson says: 



" Elmira has seven distinctive florist concern?, 

 and some others who combine market gardening. 

 Four make a living, the others eke out in other 

 ways. I am doing well myself, for I have a good 

 location, have been long established and give 

 satisfaction ; besides, am fairly supplied with 

 means. I do not find it difficult to recognize the 

 spite in his article, as he had already hinted it. A 

 new-comer in Elmira would not find the rare in- 

 ducements referred to, but a competition as sharp 

 and earnest as anywhere." 



Mr. Rawson adds to the above some comments 

 in relation to the character of the communication ; 

 but we feel that these are needless, for every 

 reader will supply his own epithets much more 

 forcibly than any we dare put into print. 



Free Distribution of Seeds by the Govern- 

 ment. — At the third annual meeting of the Ameri- 

 can Seed Trade Association, held at Rochester, 

 June 9th, loth, and nth, 1885, the subject of the 

 free distribution of seeds by the government came 

 up, and Mr. Vick made the remarkable statement 

 that " I know of a. firm that sold a quantity of 

 beans to a dealer that he sold to the Government 

 at about six dollars per bushel, the same stock the 

 firm were about throwing away, as they were con- 

 sidered worthless. And I have heard of the 

 European houses laughing many times of the sales 

 they have made to our Government." 



It is difficult to see any distinction between the 



morahty of selling seeds known to be worthless, to 

 the Government at high figures, or selling them to 

 private individuals ; and, if we had not Mr. Vick's 

 positive statement that he "knew" the firm, we 

 should have promptly resented the imputation as 

 against any honorable member of the seed trade 

 in our country ; and we are the more surprised 

 that this statement, and the further one in refer- 

 ence to European houses "many times cheating" 

 — for it is nothing less — the American Govern- 

 ment, did not elicit some expression of surprise 

 from the members present. It seems to us that it 

 is due to the respectable members of the seed 

 trade, that more should be known of these trans- 

 actions, and those either in this or the old world, 

 who have no higher estimate of their moral obli- 

 gations, marked for reference. 



Poverty Weed. — A correspondent says that 

 under this name is known in Ocean County, New 

 Jersey, the pretty little plant known to botanists 

 as Hudsonia tomentosa. We find by making a 

 frame — a bottomless box — and placing it around 

 this plant, and then filling it up with sand, it is 

 easily cultivated. 



Randolph Peters. — Few men were better 

 known in the nursery trade than Mr. Randolph 

 Peters. He was a man of indomitable energy and 

 perseverance, and amidst many discouragements 

 brought a very small nursery business up to one 

 of large size and extensive reputation, near Wil- 

 mington, Del. His death occurred on the l6th of 

 September, in his 63rd year. We have no word 

 of the nature of his illness. 



Mr. Hitchings. — By a note in the American 

 F/ofisi hnef\y stating the fact, we learn, with re- 

 gret, of the death of this very useful man, whose 

 name is almost a household word with those who 

 have had to do with hot water heating. The 

 simplification of the work of warming, by the intro- 

 duction of his heaters, had much to do with the 

 great popularity of hot water heating in our coun- 

 try, and his name deserves a record in the history 

 of American gardening. 



The American Florist. — During the more 

 than quarter of a century of the existence of our 

 magazine, so many horticultural periodicals have 

 been born only to meet early graves, that we 

 heard of this one's entry on the stage of life with 

 the lightest enthusiasm natural under the circum- 

 stances. But with Nos. I and 2 before us, we feel 

 free to say that this has evidently come to stay. 

 It is a bright, newsy sheet, and deserves the 

 support of all who desire well to the florists' trade. 



