September 14. 1918 



HORTICULTUEE 



271 



Obituary 



William F. Dreer. 



The Grim Reaper has certainly cut 

 a wide swath in the Philadelphia 

 seed trade during the past few years. 

 First it was Robert Buist, then short- 

 ly after. Wm. Henry Maule. Herbert 

 Johnson, W. Atlee Burpee and Walter 

 P. Stokes. Now comes the sad news 

 of the passing over the Great Divide 

 of William F. Dreer, head of the 

 world-renowned firm of Henry "A. 

 Dreer. Incorporated. Mr. Dreer was 

 a great seedsman in every sense of 

 that very inclusive and exhaustive 

 term, having got his early training 

 under his father in Philadelphia, this 

 being later supplemented by study and 

 practice abroad in Erfurt and Paris. 

 He knew the business in all its 

 branches — seeds, bulbs, plants — and 

 achieved fame and fortune as de- 

 served as it was great. He was a 

 man of most engaging personality — 

 quiet, unassuming, genial, gentle and 

 democratic. He had hosts of friends 

 the world over who will cherish his 

 memory while memory lasts. 



Geokge C. W,\tson. 



Historical sketch of Mr. Dreer and 

 his firm by J. Otto Thilow, secretary 

 of the company. 



Mr. Wm. F. Dreer, president of 

 Henry A. Dreer, Inc.', died at Wood- 

 stock, Vermont, September 8th, at 

 8.30 p. m., aged 69 years. 



Mr. Dreer was active in business 

 for nearly fifty years, and was still 

 the guiding hand of the firm up to 

 two years ago, when his health began 

 to fail. 



His father, Henry A. Dreer. the 

 founder, died in 1873. Since that time 

 and before, Wm. P. Dreer has had the 

 responsibility of directing the affairs 

 of a fast increasing seed, plant and 

 bulb business, which is now entering 

 upon its 80th year, being established 

 in 1838, and incorporated in 1892. His 

 early training began directly upon 

 leaving school at 18, when he was 

 sent to Germany and served with one 

 of the largest seed firms, thereafter 

 going to Paris and continuing until 

 qualified to handle and direct the af- 

 fairs of an increasing business of 

 many details. 



In 1892 the firm was incorporated, 

 J. D. Eisele, vice-president, and G. A. 

 Strohlein, director, assuming the re- 

 sponsibility of the plant department 

 in full. Under this management the 

 plant department grew to great pro- 

 portions well known to the trade. Mr. 

 Eisele has been with the firm since 

 1876, thus serving a lifetime hard and 



sincere. Mr. TuU, treasurer, has been 

 with the house over 30 years, and is 

 responsible for the management of 

 the office. J. Otto Thilow. secretary, 

 came to the house in 1884. Geo. D. 

 ("lark, director, who is in charge of 

 the flower and bulb department, has 

 been with the house since 1895. Geo. 

 A. Strohlein. director, has given 35 

 years of service in the plant depart- 

 ment. Chas. H. MacKubbin, director, 

 is in charge of the vegetable and ag- 

 ricultural seeds, is also manager of 

 the advertising department. 



Mr. Dreer was always in close touch 

 with the business, even up to two 

 years ago, when he began to fail in 

 health. He went to Woodstock, Vt., 

 in July, but shortly after arriving 

 there he was stricken with acute 

 Bright's disease. He died after much 



Wii.r,i.\M F. Dreer. 



suffering and was buried on Wednes- 

 day, Sept. 11th, at Woodstock. Mr. 

 Eisele, Mr. Tull and Mr. Thilow at- 

 tended the funeral. 



Matthew Todd. 



Extracts fr"m The Horticultural Trade 

 Journal. 



After a lingering illness. Mr. Mat- 

 thew Todd, J. P.. Edinburgh, having 

 reached the threshold of four score 

 years, passed away on August 7th. A 

 native of Ayrshire he was appren- 

 ticed to the horticultural trade in Kil- 

 marnock, and when a young man was 

 chosen by Messrs. Peter Lawson & 

 Sons, Edinburgh, to fill an important 

 position in their seed establishment. 

 About forty years ago he commenced 

 business on his own account. After 

 a long and honorable career his mor- 

 tal remains were laid to rest in War- 

 riston Cemetery, on ^August 10th, 

 amidst many manifestations of genu- 

 ine sorrow. Not only the horticultural 



fraternity of Edinburgh, but of Scot- 

 land generally, and many beyond her 

 borders, mourn the death of Ma;tthew 

 Todd, and realize that beret of his 

 presence and counsel the horticultural 

 ranks of our country are decidedly 

 poorer, for the influences of his life's 

 work and teachings extended far be- 

 yond the city of Edinburgh. Although 

 his business was eminently that of a 

 florist he had considerable knowledge 

 of all branches of the trade. 



Practically from its inception, he 

 was one of the supporting pillars of 

 the Scottish Horticultural Association, 

 occupying every post of honor which 

 it was within the power of his con- 

 freres to confer upon him. He was 

 president in the years 1897-98, and, 

 always a host in himself, his occu- 

 pancy of the chair was characterized 

 by cordial, genial meetings, rendered 

 so no doubt in good part by his tact- 

 ful demeanor, as well as by his se- 

 rene and placid, yet vivacious nature 

 of his contribution to the discussion. 



By the passing away of Mr. Mat- 

 thew Todd is extinguished the bright- 

 est star in Edinburgh's horticultural 

 firmament, and its orbit so long illum- 

 inated and resplendent is henceforth 

 to be the dimmer but still no less 

 pleasing and abiding memory. 



Robert Ferguson. 

 One of the few remaining members 

 of a once distinguished Philadelphia 

 family of florists. Robert Ferguson, 

 was buried at Laurel Hill on the 9th 

 of September. He was a younger son 

 of David Ferguson, a contemporary of 

 the elder Buist, both of whom cut 

 quite a figure in the horticultural 

 world from the 40's to the 70's in 

 America. Through financial troubles 

 the Ferguson place passed away and 

 became Westcott's Laurel Hill Nur- 

 series about thirty years ago, since 

 which time the Ferguson family has 

 not been much in the public eye. 



Mrs. Edward S. Leonard. 



We regret to record the death of 

 Mrs. Edward S. Leonard, wife of Ed- 

 ward S. Leonard, secretary of the 

 Leonard Seed Company of Chicago. 



Mrs. Leonard was operated on about 

 six weeks ago for appendicitis and ap- 

 parently got along real well for 

 about two weeks when complications 

 set in and she died on the morning of 

 Sept. 5th and was buried on Sept. 7th. 



The objectionable nursery stock 

 bill recently filed in the Georgia legis- 

 lature has been defeated. It will be 

 remembered that this bill established 

 the measure of damage when fruit 

 trees proved untrue to name. 



