924 



HORTICULTURE. 



December 25, 1909 



Railroad Gardening 



The Illustrations of railroad garden- 

 ing from the Reading system, given 

 in this issue, are good examples of 

 the effective use of flowering and foli- 

 age plants in embellishing stations. 

 The Philadelphia and Reading Railway 

 has long been a conspicuous and credi- 

 table force in this direction, and un- 

 der the able management of Paul 

 Huebner has become the Mecca of the 

 railroad gardeners of the country. The 

 comi. (Unity which the Reading system 

 so efficiently serves are given constant 

 pleasure by this policy, and are in- 

 spired thereby to efforts of their own 

 along horticultural lines. Of course, 

 the management of the company look 

 at the matter from a purely utilitarian 

 standpoint — a dollars' and cents' prop- 

 osition entirely — nevertheless, they are 

 to be commended for their breadth of 

 view and far-seeing good policy. There 

 can be no question but what travel 

 and settlement along its lines is in- 

 creased thereby, while at the same 

 time the value of its real estate Is 

 greatly enhanced. Mr. Huebner uses 

 plenty of flowering shrubs and hardy 

 plants in his woric; but as the illus- 

 tration shows, he is wise enough not 

 to despise the splendid and glowing 

 effect that can be secured only through 

 the use of the cannas, geraniums and 

 other tender subjects which make 

 these erstwhile dull and unsightly lo- 

 cations a glory all summer long. A 

 spirited discussion took place at the 

 third annual convention of the Rail- 

 road Gardeners' Association of Amer- 

 ica, held in Philadelphia last August, 

 on the subject of "Shrubs vs. Flower- 

 ing Plants," and the consensus of opin- 

 ion there was undoubtedly in favor of 

 a liberal use of both. After going over 

 the Reading system in a body, the 

 members of the Association were al- 

 most unanimous in the aforesaid view, 

 more especially as they had an oppor- 

 tunity of comparing the other idea in 

 the Pennsylvania Railroad system — 

 which does not use flowering plants 

 in its gardening. 



Cx. C. -WATSON. 



Station Gardening Notes 



IVloose Jaw, Saskatciiewan. — N. Stew- 

 art Dunlop, chief of the floral depart- 

 ment of the C. P. R., has sent out 

 some half a million bulbs to station 

 agents all along the system. 



These are arranged in packages, both 

 for indoor and outdoor growth, the 

 Idea being to encourage the station 

 agents and employes in beautifying the 

 grounds around the stations, especially 

 in the rugged country to the north of 

 Lake Superior and also the stations on 

 the western prairies. 



Last summer the company had over 

 fifteen hundred gardens between the 

 two oceans, and this fall an additional 

 five hundred packages have been sent 

 out. A prize of $10 is offered for the 

 best garden of each superintendent's 

 division, and an additional prize of $50 

 for the Ijest on the division of each 

 general superintendent. Pipestone, Le- 

 duc and Grand Forks received the pre- 

 mier prizes this year. 



Bedding at Trenton Junction, Reading R. R. 



Shore R. R. in his district. He has 

 charge of all the gardening between 

 Chicago and Toledo. 



Paul Huebner. 



We have much pleasure in giving 

 herewith a very good portrait of that 

 picturesque and lovable personality, 

 Paul Huebner, landscape gardener for 

 the Reading Railroad system. Some 

 of Mr. Huebner's work is illustrated in 

 this issue. He has held this position 

 for nearly twenty years and by hi3 



Carl Hirsch, of Hillsdale, Mich., in 

 addition to his regular product of flor- 

 ists' stock, roses, carnations, etc., furn- 

 ishes all the plants, shrubbery, etc., 

 for the station grounds of the Lake 



Paul Hurbner 

 splendid work, combined with execu- 

 tive ability and tact of a high order, 

 has made the Reading famous. His 

 early training in horticulture was ob- 

 tained in Berlin, Pai is, London, and 

 New York. The Reading management 

 are justly proud of him, and if they 

 don't pay him ten thousand a year on 

 account of advertising it is not because 

 he does not deserve it. G. C. W. 



A GLIMPSE OF CALIFORNIA. 



The following is a synopsis of an inter- 

 view witli Edwin Lonsdale by our I*bila- 

 ilelphia representative, George C. Watson, 

 pre\'ious to Mr. Lonsdale's final departure 

 for Lompoc. 



The valley of Lompoc, Cal., is an 



ideal situation from the standpoint of 



the seed grower. -Although most of 

 the crops had been harvested there 

 were evidences of the yield having 

 been very heavy. Sweet peas were a 

 great seed crop, I was assured by those 

 who had grown them. In some fields 

 where the crops had been gathered, 

 some of those self-sown were in fine 

 flower and there was a freshness to 

 the colors and a general vigor to the 

 plants that did one's heart good to see. 

 It should be borne In mind in this 

 connection that no rain had fallen on 

 the ground where these self-sown 

 plants were blooming, since last May. 

 It is evidently a soil that retains 

 moisture for a great length of time. 

 Tliis is largely owing to its depth, and 

 which is unknown, so the neighbors 

 say, a statement which is backed by 

 the whole of the residents of the val- 

 ley. ^^■hat is meant by that is — when 

 wells are being drilled a black material 

 is brought up which has the appear- 

 ance of loam. No manure or other 

 concentrated fertilizers are needed on 

 the ranch, its natural fertility is so 

 great. 



I noticed some verbenas growing 

 and seeding in the garden surround- 

 ing the cozy cottage which is on the 

 place, and a fair-sized bush, in tree 

 shape, of the well-known "lemon ver- 

 bena" (Aloysia citriodora). Among 

 roses thriving with great luxuriance, 

 were Marie Van Houtte, Papa Gontier, 

 Safrano, Mme. Lombard and several 

 others. Salpiglossis were blooming In 

 great profusion, so also were ten-week 

 stocks. The zonal pelargoniums, or 

 geraniums as we call them generally, 

 were evidently very much at home 

 there. A clematis of the Jackmann 

 type trained on our cottage porch,' 

 was in full bloom when we were there, 



