September 19, 1914 



HORTICULTURE 



421 



THE S. A. F. AND THE F. H. A. 



Editor HoKTicri.TURE: 



I read with much interest your ed- 

 itorial for August 29. I had noticed 

 indications coming from Secretary 

 Esler that he felt the Society of Amer- 

 ican Florists had not given the Hail 

 Insurance Association all the endorse- 

 ment which the secretary thought was 

 due to that very worthy child of the 

 equally worthy parent organization, 

 which is not an evidence of strength 

 on the part of the secretary for, as 

 it looks to all broad-minded persons, 

 the Hail Association would not have 

 come into existence had it not been 

 for that grand organization the So- 

 ciety of American Florists. 



It is quite true every member of the 

 S. A. F. did not endorse with enthu- 

 siasm the coming of the Hail Associ- 

 ation, and when on that Friday even- 

 ing during convention week at Phila- 

 delphia 1886,— after the members had 

 been having a good time during the 

 afternoon at, "Wootton" the coun- 

 try estate of the late Geo. W. Childs, 

 they did not at first take kindly to 

 the serious work of considering the 

 organization of the Hail Association, 

 at an evening session and, indeed ad- 

 journment had actually taken place 

 and quite a stampede was in progress 

 to vacate Horticultural Hall, when 

 the writer met J. C. Vaughan. who 

 said "this is a put-up-job" (or words 

 to that effect) and some of us pro- 

 ceeded to turn the tide and enough 

 members were brought back to reor- 

 ganize tor an evening session. After 

 some few differences of opinions duly 

 expressed we eventually heard Mr. Es- 

 ler read his plan, which with some 

 alterations proposed by Mr. May was 

 adopted and an organization devoted 

 to Hail Insurance became a reality. 

 This took place in connection with the 

 second convention of the Society of 

 American Florists, which was held in 

 good old Philadelphia. Meetings have 

 been held annually during the conven- 

 tions of the parent society. 



It would he better after all these 

 nearly thirty-years to acknowledge the 

 power of the Society of American Flor- 

 ists and make it still more powerful 

 by a general affiliation. Everyone rec- 

 ognizes Secretary Esler's ability as 

 the executive officer of the Hail Asso- 

 ciation, and gives him due credit for 

 the good work he has done in making 

 the association the success which it is. 

 Yours truly, 



EOWl.N LONSD.M.K. 



BOSKOOP, HOLLAND, IN THE WAR. 



The following communication has 

 been received from the American Ex- 

 port Nurserymen's Society at Bos- 

 koop. We gladly give it space in our 

 columns. 

 Editor Hokticulture: 



Since the first of the month of Au- 

 gust, the European war is raging with 

 an intensity such as the world has 

 never experienced before. The glori- 

 ous discoveries of the times of peace, 

 ingenious and practical as they are, 

 are now misused for purposes of war, 

 for killing and destroying and the more 

 skilful the product of science became, 

 the more effective they now prove to 

 be. We are happy to state that Hol- 

 land so far kept neutral and we have 

 the most decided assurance that our 

 government will keep this up with 

 every might and power. This is for 

 us a great consolation as we have no 

 desire to mingle in the great fight 

 against nations with which we have 

 lived in peace for ever since we can 

 remember and for which we have feel- 

 ings of friendship only. 



The neutrality of Holland places us 

 in the happy position that we can ship 

 to several countries. It may be that 

 there will be some delay as we will 

 depend upon the steamships available, 

 but we are assured that the Holland- 

 American Line will keep up its serv- 

 ice and that there will be no increase 

 in freight rates and insurance prem- 

 iums except a little addition to the lat- 

 ter when molest is included. We can 

 report that owing to the favorable 

 weather all during the growing sea- 

 son the stock is in beautiful condition 

 and there is plenty of help to keep it 

 so. Pacicing and shipping will there- 

 fore find no or little delay. Prices have 

 not changed materially on account of 

 the war. The growers do not feel like 

 sacrificing on same since it is certain 

 that conditions may change soon. Nur- 

 serymen and florists who placed theii 

 orders with Boskoop houses can de- 

 pend upon receiving their goods as 

 usual without increase of cost. It is 

 sincerely to be hoped that the war 

 may soon be over and that the higher 

 human motives may ultimately tri- 

 umph in Europe. 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL 

 COLLEGE NOTES. 



In the Floricultural Department tliere 

 is an increased enrollment in each 

 course. Professor Nehrling's effort to 

 make floriculture a standard profes- 

 sion should receive earnest support. 

 The chrysanthemums in the new 

 houses are in fine condition, quite free 

 from disease, and many fine blooms 

 •will be exhibited in Northampton at 

 the Holyoke and Northampton Gar- 

 deners' and Florists' Club's exhibition. 



The classes in landscape gardening 

 are also increasing. Special attention 

 is given landscape students in the 

 course on Plant Material, which takes 

 up the identification of trees, slirubs 

 and herbaceous perennials. 



No one has been secured as yet to 

 take charge of the Market Gardening 

 Department. 



W. H. H.\TFIEL1). 



VINCENT'S ANNUAL DAHLIA 

 SHOW. 



The Annual Dahlia Show at the es- 

 tablishment of R. Vincent, Jr.. & Sons 

 Company at Whitemarsh. Md.. will 

 open on Sept. 29, continuing five days, 

 and promises to excel any of its pre- 

 decessors in glory. The B. & O. R. R. 

 will put on an extra special train each 

 day and have promised a special 

 through from Washington on Thurs- 

 day. Oct. 1, which will carry the Wash- 

 ington florists, members of Congress. 

 Department of Agriculture and Board 

 of Trade of Washington. This train 

 will stop at College Park to take on 

 the party from the Maryland Agricul- 

 tural College. 



BRITISH HORTICULTURE. 

 Some Effects of the War. 

 An indication of the changed condi- 

 tions which have arisen as the out- 

 come of the war was afforded me 

 when 1 recently paid a visit to the 

 hall of the Royal Horticultural So- 

 ciety in London. The familiar scene 

 of the leading floral exhibits now bore 

 a severe military aspect, ^''th the arms 

 and accountrements of a detachment 

 of soldiers stationed there, whilst on 

 an open space fronting the hall were all 

 the hurrv and bustle of a nation arm- 

 ing for conflict. The fortnightly show^ 

 of the Society are now suspended un- 

 til happier conditions prevail. The 

 autumn show of the National Rose So- 

 ciety has been abandoned, and the 

 same thing has happened with regard 

 to several of the leading Pyovmoa 

 shows. One great change which will 

 be made by the war is the stoppage 

 of the seed supplies from Germany, 

 Hitherto this has been an '■"po>-t«^t 

 feature in the horticultural trade^ Jhe 

 absence of Germany as a competitor 

 fn the future should be advantageous 

 the Br tish traders. Our own firms 

 iVnotTontemplate that tj^ere will be 

 any serious shortage on this side ow 

 ins to the cutting off of this source 

 of supply It was anticipated at the 

 outset of the war that the shipments 

 of bulbs from Holland would be ser- 

 "ouslv interfered with. Thanks to our 

 Command of the sea there have been 

 several shipments lately. It is satis 

 factory to find that the Dutch bulb 

 armers are unlikely to have this im- 

 portant market cut oft from them. 

 A Timely Caution. 



W Cuthberston and C. l^-^ l^^^f "" 

 have issued a circular on behalf of 

 fhe Council of the Horticultura Trad- 

 ers' Action of Great Britain and 

 ir land. They advise the members to 

 avoid a pessimistic view of the situ 

 at ion as far as possible, and to con- 

 Unue their businesses on norma lines. 

 The Council feels that anything m 

 thP wav of a panic, resulting in the 

 ^ismlfal of e^iployes -uld throw 

 out of employment many thousands oi 

 "irJ,- the most deserving classes of 



workmen in the country. It snouiu 

 be rSi'embered." the circular adds 

 nhaf gardens are not altogether a 

 luxury but minister largely to the 

 o 'supply and health of our popu- 

 lation and garden owners will be do 

 'nl Public service by maintaining 



hem ma good condition, and thereby 

 S ov ding private employment for 

 fi,anv thousands of *°'-l<"i*^n- . T"!'! 

 will "also prevent a large area of land 

 from =oing out of cultivation, to the 



•uin of many of those concerned and 

 \l ...duction of the food suppl of 

 the country." ^^ • "• -'^l'^'••"■ 



The stir is in our blood: tbe sap flows 



swift. , , , 



A pause — and tlicu tlip autuuui wlilr or 



Youth flying south. See! Where the 

 sharp frost stings 

 The trails blaze crimson! In the valleys 

 lift 

 Mysterious purple mists: Through the 



wind's moans 

 The wonder songs of life s great over- 

 tones. 



A. Hensi-EV. 



PERSONAL. 

 K Vincent, .Ir.. of Whitemarsh. Md., 

 who has been suffering with a severe 

 attack of lumbago contracted on nis 

 way home from the Boston Conven- 

 tion, is now better. 



William Ferre. a florist of 197 Ferry 

 street Newark, N. J., who is warbound 

 in Europe, has been heard from by his 

 brother-in-law. Louis Holzhauer. Mr. 

 Ferre had cabled that he had reached 

 Rome, but did not know how soon he 

 could get away from there. 



