November 20, 1909 



HORTICULTURE 



707 



chrysanthemums packed tightly in a conical bunch, the 

 different colors arranged in riogs alternately with car- 

 nations and inscribed "The style of 1870." Our mem- 

 ory goes back beyond 1870 and we recall something of 

 the kind built of "everlastings" and "princess pine" by 

 the country people, and exposed on the Christmas stands 

 at the market and that is as near as our friend comes to 

 facts as to the 1870 style of floral work. The truth is 

 that there were in Boston and elsewhere in 1870 floral 

 artists — and a few of them are still alive — who have 

 few rivals in the whole line of present-day florists; who 

 could take a pile of Bonsilene, Safrano, Malmaison or 

 Marcchal Niel roses, with heliotrope, jasmine or sim- 

 ilar material and choice ferns and in a few minutes tie 

 them into bouquets of such lightness, symmetry and 

 grace as would make the eyes of their successors of the 

 present day stick out in wonder. And the people who 

 bought flowers in 1870 knew a good thing when they 

 saw it as well as do those of 1909. It is incontrovert- 

 ibly true that in attaining the beautiful floral effects 

 which are at the disposal of the public today the grower 

 has done the lion's share. Beyond making use of the 

 abundance of improved material which the producer 

 has provided for him we do not see that the average 

 floral artist of the present time shows any particular 

 advancement over his predecessor. We admit that they 

 are very often brilliant business men, shrewd buyers 

 and clever traders but we should like to see some of the 

 young men in the retail trade get out and rub up against 

 one another in friendly emulation and rivalry at the 

 flower shows; study artistic effect in form and color 

 combinations and contrasts; educate themselves in art 

 as is being done by those engaged in professions artis- 

 tically far below that of the florist. The barouche load 

 of floral monstrosities so often seen in the van of a 

 funeral procession sufficiently shows what the florist 

 business of today is unfortunately compelled to answer 

 for. 



Allamanda Williamsii 



Editor HOBTICULTDBE. 



This useful Allamanda mentioned in Mr. Stewart's 

 interesting article in your last issue was raised by 

 Samuel Sarple, head gardener at Dallam Tower in 

 Westmoreland,' England. I have several times seen the 

 original plant and believe it is still in existence. 

 A. Williamsii is not a hybrid but a seedling from A. 

 Hendersonii. Mr. Sarple's stock was acquired by the 

 one-time well-known Upper HoUoway firm of B. S. 

 Williams & Son and introduced as stated by Mr. 

 Stewart in 1891. 



North Easton, Mass. 



€b^ 



Epidendrum decipiens 



■'i i^. 



The subject of the illustration is a handsome Epiden- 

 drum from Columbia, the flowers of which resemble the 

 well-known Epidendrum radicans. The sepals and 

 petals are orange scarlet and the lip bright orange, beau- 

 tifully marked with carmine. 



The plant was described by Lindley as long ago as 

 1853, but is still rarely seen in cultivation. It is alto- 

 gether a better plant than E. radicans, the flowers being 

 of a better color and the whole plant of a more com- 

 pact and neater habit. It grows about three feet tall 

 including the flowers, never roots along the stem like E. 

 radicans and is a rery free grower and bloomer. It 

 propagates itself quite freely from the nodes along the 

 flowerstems if these are left on long enough. 



The plant from wkich the photograph was taken was 

 collected by Mr. Carillo of the firm of Carillo & Baldwin 

 and is now in the collection of Mrs. B. B. Tuttle ai 

 Naugatuck, Conn. _ 



Naugaiuck, Conn. 



Next week the Thanksgiving Turkey has the right 

 of way on our regular publication day. We go to press 

 Wednesday, remember, and all communications — adver- 

 tisements or reading matter — must consequently reach 

 us one day earlier than the usual limit, for appearance 

 in next week's paper. 



