April 27, 1918 



H HTI C U L T U R E 



415 



that France has made tremendous 

 sacrifices to share with us even more 

 than she could afford to spare of her 

 seed supply the last year. Germany 

 produces about two-thirds of the best 

 flower seeds, but with its expert grow- 

 ers gone it will take years to recover. 



Mr. Farquhar declared that our agri- 

 cultural colleges should instruct how 

 to grow seeds that this industry might 

 be increased at home. He also strongly 

 recommended that more detailed in- 

 structions be disseminated among the 

 amateur gardeners on how and when 

 to plant particular seeds which would 

 help to avoid much of the present 

 wastefulness in that direction. 



Attention was also directed by Mr. 

 Farquhar to the difficulty of getting 

 plants from Europe, owing to Govern- 

 ment restrictions and frequent em- 

 bargoes placed on foreign nursery 

 stock, that on the other hand though 

 Holland threatens a shortage, it is be- 

 lieved that the Dutch bulb supply will 

 again be plentiful, though prices 

 higher. 



In the discussion that followed it 

 was proposed that witli the tendency 

 In this country drifting towards more 

 natural effects in gardening there 

 should be a more widespread interest 

 in the cultivation of our native plants, 

 though it was admitted that it will 

 take several generations before Amer- 

 ica can .even attempt to compete with 

 some of the fine sorts that reach us 

 from the European countries. 



Secretary Ebel of the National Asso- 

 ciation was present to furnish any de- 

 sired information on the activities of 

 the organization and explained the 

 plans to develop the Service Bureau. 

 The holding of local conferences among 

 gardeners was generally commended 

 as being a step in the right direction 

 towards building up the profession. 

 There was some discussion as to what 

 properly constitutes the functions of 

 a gardener, some contending he should 

 confine himself strictly to gardening, 

 while others agreed that he must de- 

 velope his scope of knowledge so that 

 he may in a practical way be prepared 

 when called on to supervise all the de- 

 partments that compose a modern 

 country estate which includes the 

 different phases of agriculture as well 

 as horticulture. Such will be the suc- 

 cessful men of the profession in the 

 future, for if the gardener will not pre- 

 pare himself to undertake these respon- 

 sibilities, he will have to accept a sub- 

 ordinate position, while the farm 

 manager will do the supervising as is 

 already the case in some known in- 

 stances. The profession of gardening 

 has entered in the progressive stage 

 and its followers must keep pace with 

 the demands of the constantly chang- 

 ing conditions in horticulture as in all 

 fields of endeavor. 



The coal problem caused quite a dis- 

 cussion, but it was the consensus of 

 opinion that with the coal situation 

 shaping as it now is with the prospects 

 most favorable to the private green- 

 houses being able to get a coal supply, 

 further agitation of the subject would 

 he unwise, at this time at least, and 

 that the matter be left in the hands 

 of those looking after the floricultural 

 Interests in general. After the con- 

 clusion of the meeting it was pro- 

 posed that another conference bo held 

 In Boston some time during the sum- 

 mer months. 



IRIS PALLIDA DALMATICA. 



Of the great genus of Iris there 

 is no more satisfactory species than 

 the well-known Iris pallida in its 

 many varieties and, among the latter, 

 pallida dalmatica is one of the best. 

 Of exquisite color, delicious fragrance. 



tall and robust, it is deservedly popu- 

 lar and extensively planted in park, 

 gardens and private estates. The pic- 

 ture herewith shown is from a photo- 

 graph taken in the grounds of the 

 Bayard Thayer estate, Lancaster. 

 Mass. 



LANCASTER COUNTY FLORISTS' 

 ASSOCIATION. 



Thursday, April 18th, found a very 

 worried bunch of men hanging 

 around the Pennsylvania depot when 

 Mr. W. F. Therkildson did not arrive, 

 but at 6.38 the cloud of gloom was 

 dispelled by his appearance and 

 Messrs. H. A. Schroyer, Harry K. 

 Rohrer, B. F. Barr, Elmer Weaver, 

 Frank Kohr, Willis B. Girvin, J. 

 Wade Galey and Albert M. Herr con- 

 ducted him to the Elk's Club and had 

 a dinner that stretched the limits of 

 conservation. 



When the Club was called to order 

 and the regular routine business 

 transacted, part of which was to ar- 

 range for a picnic, B. F. Barr kindly 

 invited the Club to picnic at his farm 

 and the invitation was accepted for a 

 date in Jvily to he fixed later on. 



Mr. Therkildson then gave us a very 

 Interesting talk on seeds, seei raising 

 and horticulture on both sides of the 

 water, as well as some very interest- 

 ing things connected with his firm. 

 W. Atlee Burpee & Co., and wound up 

 with a strong appeal for the support 

 of the publicity work of the S. A. F. 

 He was given a rising vote of thanks 

 and as this had been designated as 

 Ladies' Night, refreshments were 

 served and a social hour was spent 

 after the meeting. 



T. J. Nolan was with us and, like 

 the true scout he is, stayed with the 

 little party who escorted Mr. Ther- 

 kildson to the station for the 10.16 

 p. m. train, which arrived promptly 



at 12.15 a. m., and several members 

 reached their homes in the morning 

 hours, but well satisfied with the 

 evening's work. 



Albert M. Herb. 



A REMARKABLE ORCHID HYBRID. 



Brasso-cattleya A. W. Preston, a 

 picture of which appears as our cover 

 illustration this week, is a hybrid be- 

 tween Brassavola Digbyana and Cat- 

 leya Enid. It was shown on December 

 22, 1917, before the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society, at Boston, and 

 was awarded a gold medal, this being 

 the first time that a single brasso- 

 cat'leya had ever gained that award, 

 and it is believed to be the largest and 

 finest brasso-cattleya ever exhibited. 

 The flower measured 9 in. across, and 

 9 in. deep. The labellum was 3% In. 

 across and 4% in. deep. The color 

 was a light heliotrope on the sepals 

 and petals; the lip had a soft yellow 

 throat with dark chocolate markings, 

 beautifully fringed. There are only 

 two of this variety in existence, both 

 of which are in Mr. Preston's collec- 

 tion. The plant was admirably grown 

 by Mr. J. Smith, superintendent for 

 A. W. Preston, Beach Bluff, Swamp- 

 scott, Mass. It was originally Im- 

 ported from Sanders, St. Albans, where 

 the seedling was raised. 



Scarsdale, N. Y. — George A. Relyea, 

 formerly foreman for John C. Hatcher, 

 Amsterdam, N. Y., has leased the 

 greenhouses of Dr. J. F. Goger for a 

 term of years. 



