December 30, 1905 



H ORTI CULTURE 



made in tliem. The next summer they all died and 

 thousands in the neighborhood had to be cut down. 

 Bay trees grew in the dooryards of most laborers' cot- 

 tages, some of them more than 100 years old, and all 

 were destroyed. I liave occasion to remember this dis- 

 aster for it caused me to pull up stakes and cross the 

 briny brook, a. step which I never regretted, for I 

 found Uncle Sam a first-rate foster father for my 

 family. 



A Rose House Reverie 



"Musing alone by Ibe firolight dim, 

 With the evening shadows stealing in. 

 It seems to me like a living thing — 

 Telling of days gone by." 



In a recent issue of Horticulture I read an article 

 about a young woman horticulturist in England having 

 gone into business and making a decided success. We 

 have heard lately much about college graduates and 

 things in general in that line, but one doesn't very often 

 see a lady doing practical work in the green house line. 

 I remember, seven years ago, while visiting the Eoyal 

 Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, seeing some up-to-date 

 young ladies filling their positions in a practical man- 

 ner. It was certainly a surprise to me and it was then 

 an oddity. They were watering the plants, handling 

 the watering can like an expert, but one had to look 

 closer to know which sex tliey belonged to. The direc- 

 tors, I was told, didn't wish to be bothered "wi' lasses" 

 and put a clause in the agreement to the effect that 

 before receiving an appointment they were to dress 

 becoming to their work, lay aside their dresses, don 

 bloomers, and wear their hair high enough so that a cap 

 would completely hide th^ir tresses. I was told that two 

 of the number (I think tliere were six altogether) 

 dropped out as they considered the demand obnoxious. 



The innovation was discouraged somewhat by the pop- 

 ulace, but the young ladies arrived on time every morn- 

 ing, going into the room alloted to them and getting 

 into their working rig. I often have wondered how one 

 of them would stand the summer work in a rose house. 

 Ladies are very effusive on entering a rose house in 

 winter, telling of the joys, and heavenly surroundings, 

 hut in the heat of summer, it would be for the girl 

 graduate exit bloomers, dresses and all. 



Last summer while standing on the wharf at Grenock 

 I had an object lesson on handling roses. A young man 

 came down from Glasgow on the same train. Getting 

 off at Grenock, he seized a basket and started on a rush 

 for the wharf where there awaited him some half dozen 

 boys with basket trays in front of them suspended by 

 a strap over the shoulders. The roses were dumped into 

 the tray like so much hay thrown before a horse, the 

 boys running among the crowd shouting "Eoses ! roses ! 

 tuppence each; buy one for your lady." The growers 

 on the other side have much to learn in regard to 

 handling and packing roses. The man who has a love 

 for flowers can't stand and see them roughly handled 

 without having a shudder and a feeling of regret that all 

 people can't appreciate the beauty of nature. 



British Horticulture 



BRITISH COLUMBIAN FRUIT. 



A notable feature at the Colonial show organized this 

 week by the Eoyal Horticultural Society was the mag- 

 nificent display of apples from British Columbia. From 

 a conversation I had with Mr. E. M. Palmer, who was 

 in eliarge of the exhibit I learned that special efforts 

 are being made by the British Columbian growers, 

 backed by the government of the province, to capture a 

 share of the two million pounds a year Britishers pay 

 for imported, apples. 



To suit the requirements of the British market, I 

 gathered that it is intended to grow large quantities of 

 Blenheims and Cox's Orange Pippin, which are favor- 

 ite varieties here. The Eoyal Horticultural Society 

 granted a gold medal for the general display, besides 

 silver medals to individual exhibitors. Since the show, 

 through the courtesy of the Agent-General, I have been 

 able to sample some of the apples, which were beauti- 

 fully colored and of a delicious flavor. 



THE RAISER OF FRAMFIELD PINK 



During a quiet time at the National Chrysanthemum 

 Society's December show I had an interesting chat with 

 Mr. Norman Davis, the well known chrysanthemum 

 raiser, far-famed for Framfield Pink and other useful 

 varieties he has put in commerce. For nearly 40 years 

 Mr. Davis has been a "mummer," and he is one of tlie 

 pioneers of the National Society. Many of the chief 

 British and Continental novelties have passed through 

 his hands. In fact he has introduced about 2000 new 

 varieties. Mr. Davis considers his best latest novelty is 

 a Japanese exhibition variety, British Empire, which 

 has been raised at Framfield. This belongs to the re- 

 flexed section, and is of an orange yellow tint, overlaid 

 and tinted with reddish brown. This has been certifi- 

 cated by the E. H. S. and N. C. C. He is also very 

 proud of one named after himself. This is of brilliant 

 chestnut and bright gold, and is regarded as an im- 

 provement on Henry Perkins. Mrs. Hooper Pearson is 

 another showy bloom, of a lemon yellow tint, shaded 

 with chestnut. At the December show Mr. Davis gained 

 a certificate for Mrs. Geo. Beech. This is a golden 

 sport from Mrs. Swinburne, raised by Mr. Weekes. It 

 was a curious coincidence that Mr. H. J. Jones of Lew- 

 isham should have gained a certificate at the same show 

 for the last named. The new sport is a splendid bloom 

 for decorative work, and it has been greatly admired 

 at Covent Garden market, where Mr. Davis was able to 

 secure ' for it the satisfactory price of 10s. a dozen 

 blooms. 



>t>y, ^^^ 



London, Eng., Dec. 9th, '05. 



