October 24, 1914 



HORTICULTURE 



»83 



ANTIQUATED PHILOSOPHY. 



Twenty-eight years ago the stand- 

 ardizing of geranium prices started in 

 Philadelphia. One dollar a dozen. The 

 meeting was held away out about the 

 Bull's Head, 40th and Market streets. 

 They all agreed to $1.00 a doz., yes; 

 and so for a month or two they thought 

 they had reached the millenium. Then 

 they discovered that one of the signers 

 was giving fifteen for a dozen! The com- 

 bination busted right there and then, 

 and the "fifteen for a dozen" man has 

 never been able to see why. Some of 

 our modern agitators seem to be start- 

 ing at that very point — twenty-eight 

 years behind the times, with the idea 

 that it is possible to standardize prices 

 in flowers. 



It can't be done: Why, even the 

 great United States Steel Co., cannot 

 standardize prices; nor the sugar 

 trust; nor even the United States it- 

 self. Take the gold standard for in- 

 stance. The immensely increased pro- 

 duction of gold In recent years makes 

 our gold dollar of less purchasing 

 power. The "high cost of living" 

 proves that. Commodities accommo- 

 date themselves quicker to the de- 

 creased value of the dollar than sal- 

 aries do. The only thing that can 

 standardize a price is an absolute mo- 

 nopoly. Without that, the law of sup- 

 ply and demand works inevitably, and 

 makes the price, no matter how power- 

 ful the bull, edict or proclamation 

 may be; nor how powerful the indi- 

 vidual, corporation, state or nation 

 that may utter same. 



By the way — if we must put up 

 funds for the cotton growers, if they 

 exceed their market, why not also for 

 the American Beauty growers? or 

 growers of anything else, for that mat- 

 ter. There's the apnle crop this year 

 — a drug — because Hamburg is closed. 

 Why not a bounty to the apple men? 

 Sounds ridiculous don't it, when you 

 come to think it over. Paternalism run 

 mad. George C. W.\tson. 



WINTERING BAY TREES. 



ON THE GULF COAST IN DIXIE. 



.\11 along the gulf coast there are 

 evidences that seeds and nursery stock 

 are in good demand. The development 

 of the South along the lines of citrus 

 and other fruits has been very rapid 

 and makes ready sale for the output of 

 the many nurseries that are increasing 

 rapidly in this land of sunshine. They 

 are scattered all along the gulf and 

 the larger nurseries have branches in 

 several towns. It was interesting to 

 note the degree of perfection to which 

 the Japanese have brought their nur- 

 series and their advice is eagerly 

 sought by their neighbors and it is 

 freely given. 



The South is suffering more from 

 the European war than are other parts 

 of the country. With their market, 

 which is largely a foreign one, cut off, 

 nearly all lines of business are de- 

 pressed. The cotton situation has been 

 helped to a degree by the "Buy a 

 bale" movement and the response 

 given to it is everywhere evidenced 

 by the bales of cotton placarded. 

 "This is our bale, where is yours?" 

 This has helped out the growers, but 

 has only passed the solution of the 

 problem on to the merchants, who are 



Bay Tree Storage House at Dreer's, Riverton, N. J. 



Conditions in the bay growing dis- 

 tricts in Belgium are not reassuring 

 as to the continuance of the abundant 

 supply of trees which has been com- 

 ing to this country in the past. and. 

 no doubt, those now in the hands of 

 dealers will be carefully looked after. 



A cool shed or a cellar where light 

 and air are sufficient will keep these 

 trees over the winter in good condi- 

 tion. They need a rather moist atmos- 

 phere and a temperature of 40 to 46 

 degrees. Our illustration shows the 

 ideal way to winter bays, however. 



advocating the growing of other crops 

 next year instead of cotton. The 

 seedsmen are busy and to sit in their 

 stores and watch the people come and 

 go, one could but be impressed with 

 the idea that the seedsman is getting 

 his full share of what business there 

 is. 



The planting of pecan orchards is 

 working a revolution in this country 

 too, and the nurseries are busy supply- 

 ing the young stock of the many im- 

 proved varieties. Ornamental stock 

 is also grown, but the effort at beauty- 

 ing the homes is far from general and 

 public parks are extremely few. The 

 South is like a new country with only 

 a touch here and there showing what 

 can be done in this land of fruit and 

 flowers. Northern capital is going 

 theie to develop the land and in its de- 

 velopment the seedsman and the nur- 

 seryman will play an important part. 

 M. B. Hancock. 



The list of jurors selected to try 

 Mrs. Carman in the famous murder 

 case at Mineola, N. Y., includes two 

 gardeners and one florist. The ac- 

 cused lady is said to have character- 

 ized the jury as "splendid." No doubt. 



Jefferson, Ohio — The Jefferson 

 Greenhouse Co., which was organized 

 last M'ay, has practically completed 

 one of the most modern vegetable 

 greenhouse plants in the country. 

 Four thousand tomato plants, aver- 

 aging four feet in height, under six 

 houses, each house 15 by 200 feet. As 

 soon as the tomato crop is disposed of, 

 lettuce, cucumbers and other vegeta- 

 bles will be planted. 



A modern packing house, 30 by 100 

 feet is on the property, being used 

 also for the boiler room where two 

 massive Erie City boilers of 100-horse 

 power are stationed. A gas engine 

 pumps the water used for Irrigation 

 purposes, and the office is located at 

 the entrance to the building. A threa- 

 ten auto truck will shortly be put into 

 commission, and a thousand barrel 

 cistern has been constructed. Stock in 

 this enterprise is all practically owned 

 in Jefferson, the capitalization being 

 $10,00, paid up. L. J. McNutt is presi- 

 dent; R. G. McNutt, secretary, and H. 

 J. Warner, treasurer. A. V. Miller, 

 of Ashtabula, is manager. 



