232 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



flowers that can degrade a man. On the contrary, it is 

 the most elevating pastime that a milHonaire can spend 

 his time and money in following. 



Those of you who saw the International Show in Lon- 

 don this year, or who followed it closely, could not fail 

 to be struck by the thousands of wealthy men who gave 

 their time and money generously to make this show the 

 glorious success it was. 



Conceding that this interest is not so widespread in our 

 own people, still it is bound to come, and I want to see 

 the gardeners occupy their proper position at the head 

 of the procession, and there is no better place to leap with 

 one bound into this premier position than next spring at 

 the National Flower Show in New York. New York 

 has not had a really representative show for years. The 

 exhibitions have always been badly handicapped by the 

 many local societies that are holding their own exliibitions 

 at about the same time. Loyalty to his local society and a 

 desire that his employer (who is very often still stopping 

 at his country house) will see his products make the gar- 

 dener look after his local show first. In this case we 

 have a grand spring show when there will be no other 

 flower shows to take away the interest of the exhibits, 

 and I look to see the gardeners make a show worthy of 

 the highest praise. 



Since the preliminary list was printed we have received 

 many handsome donations of cups, gold, silver and bronze 



medals, and from the purely material standpoint of get- 

 ting something in exchange for one's labor, the show will 

 be something worth while. 



As an educational feature, the society is planning to 

 give two lectures a day on dififerent matters pertaining to 

 horticulture every day during the exhibition. Felton, for 

 instance, whose fame is international as a color artist on 

 flowers and plants, will speak on "Color Harmony and 

 Floral Arrangement." Mr. J. K. L. M. Farquhar will 

 give us one of his inimitable talks on some of the gardens 

 of the old world. One or more American floral artists 

 will give lectures on their ideas of Floral art from an 

 American point of view, and other well-known men will 

 speak on difTerent phases of horticulture. In this branch 

 alone these lectures ought to put horticulture at least ten 

 years ahead. 



This is not an American show alone. Some European 

 exhibitors are having stock especially grown and bulbs 

 forced in this country to give it an international flavor. 



The Chicago and Massachusetts Horticultural Socie- 

 ties, the Shaw Botanic liardens of St. Louis, Mo., all 

 offer gold, silver and bronze medals for this show, as does 

 also the American Institute of the City of New York. 



Th4 hall is large enough — the number of classes is large 

 enough, and every man here present this afternoon can 

 be. if he wishes, represented to a greater or lesser degree 

 in this "Teat show. 



How To Grow and Plant Conifers In the Northeastern States 



iCcUiiuied from October issue.) 



By C. R. PETTIS, Expert in Planting, U. S. Dept. of Agri. 



WHITE PINE. 



The seed of white pine is the easiest to collect, and the 

 methods already described are the results of long experi- 

 ence with this species. The cones usually should be col- 

 lected between September 1 and 15, but the time for col- 

 lecting may vary over a period of six weeks. 



BALS.\M. 



The time for gathering balsam seed is also during the 

 first two weeks in Septemfeer. When fully ripe the cones 

 of this species fall to pieces, and therefore must be gath- 

 ered before maturity. They may be spread on the floor of 

 the curing room to ripen, when they will fall to pieces and 

 be ready for cleaning. They are cleaned and fanned like 

 white-pine seeds, with the same sized screen mesh. 



NORWAY SPRUCE. 



Norway spruce has been introduced from Europe for 

 ornamental purposes and for forest planting. The cones 

 should generally be collected during the first two weeks 

 in September, and when fresh cones are obtainable they 

 may be collected and cured in the same manner as white 

 pine. 



RED PINE. 



It is most difficult to cure the cones and extract the 

 seed of red pine. The cones should ordinarily be collected 

 between September 1 and 20, yet the cones on the south 

 side of the tree will open early and lose their seed, while 

 those on the north side may remain closed all winter. It 

 takes about two weeks in the drying room to open them, 

 while white pine opens in about six hours. The drying 

 trays should be fitted with a covering of cheese cloth over 

 the wire bottom, because the seeds are so small they will 

 fall through the wire mosquito netting. If there are only 

 a few bushels of cones of this species it is best to place 

 them in trays in the upper part of the drying room and 

 leave them there for several weeks while. drying other 



cones, though if there are enougli to warrant it they should 

 be dried separately. It will be impossible to extract all 

 the seeds, but those which are retained at the butt and tip 

 of a cone are usually not fertile. 



PITCH PINE. 



The cones of jiitch pine may be collected during the 

 months of September and October. When the cones re- 

 main on the tree they may hold the seed for years, but 

 they open readily in a drying room. There is no pitch, 

 the seeds come out easily, and the yield is large. The 

 only difficult part of the process is the removal of the 

 seed wings, and the best way is to rub the seeds on an or- 

 dinary washboard before fanning. 



ARBORVIT^. 



The cones of arborvitje should be collected from about 

 September 5 to 20, and should be spread out on the cur- 

 ing-room floor to dry, since after they are cured the seeds 

 can be pounded out of the cones witliout heating. If the 

 cones are free from leaves the result will be clean seed. 

 The wings cannot readily be separated from the seed. 



Hemlock cones are small and hard to collect, and the 

 seeds are not easily cleaned. They may be collected from 

 about September 5 to 20. They can be cured and dried 

 easily enough, because the thin cone scales soon lose their 

 moisture ; but unless all dirt is removed before the cones 

 open it will be almost impossible to separate it from the 

 tiny seeds afterwards. The cones need to be cured for 

 some time, and then will open after a few hours in the 

 drying room, when they will be ready for thrashing. As 

 in the case of red pine, the bottom of the drying-room 

 trays should be covered with cloth, and since the cones are 

 small they may spread on the floor of the curing room in- 

 stead of on racks. 



