314 



HORTICULTURE 



August 28, 1909 



were unable to do anything more than 

 what the official classifications callea 

 for, unless that classification was 

 changed, and stated that, "cut flowers 

 are charged merchandise rates and I 

 think that you will agi'ee with me, that 

 when we accept shipments of this char- 

 acter at the same rates for wliioh we 

 accept and transport ordinary mer- 

 chandise, we are making a very liberal 

 classification." Following this the 

 American Express Traffic Department 

 sent out letters to the agents, request- 

 ing reports as to the quantity of ship- 

 ments and the average weight of the 

 same. We asked for reports from ship- 

 pers all over the country as far as we 

 could through the trade papers and 

 sent out a number of letters. 



The point where there seemed to he 

 the most interest in the matter was 

 Chicago and several large shippers 

 sent on their opinion that it was desir- 

 able to get the concession on the gross 

 weight. These letters were laid before 

 the General Traffic Manager, Mr. Brad- 

 ley, who advised that he had not sup- 

 posed that such shipments were being 

 made to any extent, where ice was 

 used and said, "I will at once investi- 

 gate the question of ice with shipments 

 of flowers. I will make inquiry of our 

 agents at the principal cities and will 

 give it full consideration." During 

 this investigation we received from 

 New York City particular objection to 

 the charge for returned empties and 

 to this we were advised, "that the 

 classification always provided that re- 

 turned empties must be delivered at 

 the depot by the shipper and taken . 

 from the depot by the consignee. We 

 know that our agents did not live up 

 to the classifications in this particular 

 and tiiat they had been picking up and 

 delivering empties for certain patrons. 

 Agents at other points did not do so 

 for any patrons and it constituted a 

 discrimination which we are obliged to 

 overcome by putting into effect a class- 

 ification providing for an additional 

 charge, where pick up and delivery 

 service was rendered, and further- 

 more we must not lose sight either of 

 the transportation and delivery of cut 

 flowers in the extreme cold or extreme 

 heat calling for extra services in many 

 cases." 



The outcome of the investigation 

 was as follows: While there may be 

 shipments where the ice weight could 

 properly be allowed, under the present 

 Interstate Commerce Law it was not 

 in the power of the express company 

 to make any special allowance unless 

 It was done equally to one and ever.v 

 shipment. The quantity of small pack- 

 ages which go from the distributing 

 centers, contained more or less ice, is 

 large and the charges on such small 

 packages are the minimum. On the 

 other hand, in the case of commodities, 

 particularly fish, where the ice allow- 

 ance amounted to considerable, the 

 weight for which they paid was great- 

 er in evei-y instance than any ordinary 

 shipment of flowei s and the delivery 

 of flowers outside the shipping market, 

 entailed usually additional cost for 

 delivery so that the companies could 

 not afford to modify. 



After this conference with the traffic 

 people, I conferred with a competent 

 legal adviser as to what show there 

 would be to take this matter before 

 the Interstate Commerce Commission 

 for p. revision. 



The Society of American Florists 

 placed at the command of this 

 committee $100 for expenses. Th.s 

 lias not been touched. The ad- 

 vice thai I received was that the 

 facts in the case as it stood would 

 not be strong enough to carry 

 before the Interstate Commerce Com- 

 mittee, because the Express Com- 

 panies' statement of the case would 

 receive equal weight with that of the 

 shipper and unless a case strong 

 enough could be made showing that 

 injustice was done, the point could 

 hardly be conceded. 



These facts were made known and 

 circulated through the trade papers 

 and Messi-s. Patrick Welch of Boston, 

 and Alfred Langjahr «f New York, 

 both for their respective localities, 

 were much interested in trying to 

 bring about pi-essure that would se- 

 cure desired results for both the New 

 York and Boston intei'ests, but as far 

 as the placing of ice allowance upon 

 the bases that the General Specials 

 are, a ease will have to be presented 

 showing specific shipments and the 

 average quantity of ice used for the 

 country generally, if the schedules now 

 in use by the companies named are to 

 be modified. That data I was unable 

 to obtain. 



Annual Report of the Maryland State 

 Vice-President to the S. A. F. and 

 O. H. Convention at Cincin- 

 nati, August 17, 1909. 



I would judge by the reliable ther- 

 mometer "Building Activity," that the 

 kind hand of Providence has been lib- 

 eral In handing out prosperity to the 

 llorist of Maryland, as 1 understand 

 that there is more new glass going up 

 this season than ever before, that it is 

 being done in a very substantial man- 

 ner, that nothing but the very best ma- 

 terial will do, and that the most mod- 

 ern ideas in scientific construction are 

 the order of the day. There has been 

 no failure of any account as far as we 

 can learn among the craft anywhere in 

 the state this year. 



The Florist Exchange, which is the 

 main distributiug point of the whole- 

 sale growers, reports business on a 

 steady increase with bright prospect 

 for the future, on account of out-of- 

 town trade which it is developing, and 

 reports that considei-able new glass 

 will be added to its source of supply. 



We notice with a good deal of satis- 

 faction the inclination of our largest 

 growers to endeavor to produce the 

 very highest grade of stock — that is, 

 quality in preference to quantity. Sev- 

 eral new retail stores have opened up 

 showing that there are still those who 

 have faith in the business, and yet 

 with the new ones in the field the old 

 stands are still on the job. 



There seems to have been very little 

 cause for complaint in regard to the 

 spring bedding trade, all good stock 

 appar-ently being cleaned out early. 

 Geraniums were scarce before the end 

 of the season, a condition caused no 

 doubt by the better class that is being 

 grown. 



The Florists' and Gardeners' Club is 

 in prosperous condition. During the 

 past winter we had several very in- 

 teresting and instructive lectures by 

 the Professors from the Agricultural 

 and Experimental Station, also a very 



enjoyable illustrated lecture by Mr. J. 

 O. Thilow of Dreer's, Philadelphia, on 

 the Yellowstone Park. At nearly every 

 meeting there have been very merito- 

 rious exhibits of flowers and plants, 

 especially on Geranium Night when R. 

 Vincent, Jr. and Sons Co. exhibited 

 some 20U varieties, and on Carnation 

 Night when many of the newer varie- 

 ties were exhibited as well as some 

 very fine seedlings, among them one by 

 .Mr. Thaw, which he has grown for two 

 years and will offer this fall. It is 

 brighter' in color, large and fuller than 

 Harlowarden. 



The annual meeting and exhibition of 

 the Maryland State Horticultur-al So- 

 ciety with which many of the florists 

 are affiliated, was a revelation of what 

 the state can produce. The display of 

 horticultural products of evei-y kind 

 w-hich practically filled the 50,000 or 

 nrore square feet of available space irr 

 the great hall of the Fifth Regiment 

 Armory, ranked as first-class among 

 all exhibits of like nature in the United 

 States. 



The State .-Vgricultural College and 

 Experiment Station with their efficient 

 staff of officers have done very effec- 

 tive work during the past year in 

 working out difficult problems of plant 

 diseases and injurious insects and also 

 in the dissemination of useful bulle- 

 tins covering every department of the 

 work and investigation. 



As far as 1 can learn, notwithstand- 

 ing the dry summer, carnation plants 

 are looking generally better than a 

 year ago. There have been fewer roses 

 carried over this year than last, there- 

 fore necessitating the planting of con- 

 siderably mor'e young stock, which is 

 reported as looking well. 



The seedsmen repoil a very prosper- 

 ous season, both for the counter trade 

 and mail order business. Through the 

 opening up of direct steamship com- 

 arunication with the south, Baltimore 

 will have unequalled opportunity to 

 become a great distributing center for 

 seed and farnr supplies. One house re- 

 ports selling over 275 carloads of seed 

 during the past season. 



There is at present considerable sub- 

 urban develoiiment aroirnd Baltimore 

 and hirndreds of new country resi- 

 dences arff being buiit, creating a very 

 perceptible demand for florist and nur- 

 sery stock. R. A. VINCENT. 



"SOLD OUT." 



Please discontinue our Carnation ad. 

 HORTICULTURE has done its good 

 work and we are sold out. Send bill 

 and we will mail check. 



AUG. GAEDEKE & CO. 



Nashua, N. H., Aug. 24, 1909. 



ywAmvwwwwww a wwxvaw w wwa 



New Spawn 



100 lbs. $7.00 



Including our Treatise How to 

 Spawn A Bed Successfully. 



W. ELLIOTT & SONS, 



NEW YORK 



