October 3. 1914 



HORTICULTURE 



485 



HOLLYHOCKS. 



To the Editor of Horticulture; 



I was very much interested in what 

 Reverend C. S. Harrison had to say 

 in a recent issue of Houticultube 

 about that useful biennial which heads 

 these notes. Mr. Harrison did not say 

 what was the percentage of those vari- 

 eties of Hollyhocks which he has been 

 raising from seed, which did not come 

 true. This would have been interest- 

 ing. 



The reason I am writing at this time 

 on this subject, is because my experi- 

 ence has been quite different; indeed, 

 quite the opposite to Mr. Harrison's. 

 For instance, we have quite a dozen 

 varieties which came practically true 

 to color and type, and this goes to 

 show that W. Atlee Burpee & Co., have 

 trained their Hollyhocks in the way 

 they should go. It all depends, of 

 course, where these stocks come from. 

 For my own gratification, I am this 

 year securing seed from an entirely dif- 

 ferent source, for the purpose of com- 

 paring them with the stock that W. 

 Atlee Burpee & Co. are growing out 

 on their "Floradale" Seed Farm in 

 California. 



A good many years ago — yes, in the 

 early seventies, the writer had sorne 

 experience with growing Hollyhocks in 

 the nurseries of the late and highly 

 respected Thomas Meehan of German- 

 town, Philadelphia. At that time seed 

 of a special variety was sown, which 

 by the way was a beautiful shade of 

 pink, and this as long ago as the time 

 Indicated, came absolutely true to col- 

 or and manner of growth, and coming 

 as it did, was an actual surprise be- 

 cause it was not expected. This mat- 

 ter was brought up in a small organi- 

 zation which was in existence in those 

 days— I forget now the title, but it was 

 something like this.— The Gardeners' 

 and Florists' Improvement Society — 

 and we had no hall rent to pay as we 

 had the privilege of meeting at the 

 home of .loseph Meehan, and John Bur- 

 ton was also a member of this organi- 

 zation, and W. E. Meehan, the elder 

 son of the late Professor Meehan, who 

 although at that time was engaged in 

 the nursery work, is not now con- 

 nected with horticulture in any way at 

 all, but has charge of the Fish Com- 

 mission in the City of Philadelphia. 



Among the varieties which came ab- 

 solutely true from seed with us at 

 "Floradale" are rose pink, two shades 

 of yellow, a white with blush on the 

 outer edges of the petals, two shades 

 of crimson, and some others which at 

 this time I cannot call to mind. 



Hollyhocks here, while we classify 

 them as biennials, frequently are per- 

 ennials, and we feel encouraged with 

 the progress we are making, and hope 

 for better things in the future. 



Edwin Loksd-^le. 

 Lompoc, Cal. 



A BERKSHIRE HILLS GARDEN. 



Landscape, Looking Out from Formal Garden at Wcatlelgh, Lenox, Mass. 

 George H. Thompson, Gardener. 



THE NEWER COMMERCIAL ROSES. 



Among the newer roses (commercial) 

 of last year's and recent introduction, 

 an especially good word must be said 

 for Hadley. Everywhere we hear the 

 same report— a wonderful grower — and 

 in the market has the call among the 

 crimsons. One of its strongest points 

 is its fragrance. Richmond cannot 

 compare with it. Hadley and Russell 

 are both good all the time, all of which 

 counts on the square-foot return— 

 which is the final test of any rose. 

 What Francis Scott Key will do. 

 among those reds, has yet to be de- 

 termined. So far, this season, it is 

 showing up pretty good. One of our 

 prominent retailers — who knows noth- 

 ing about new roses (please excuse) — 

 until they are shoved under his nose— 

 commercially— said the other day: 

 "Let me tell you. George, you are only 

 a seedsman and don't know; but that 

 Russell rose we get up at Pennock- 

 Meehan's is the greatest thing yet in 

 roses. Fragrant, and beautiful, and a 

 great seller. Only we've got to get 

 there early in the morning. By after- 

 noon they are all gone." 



At which outburst we said nothing; 

 but had quiet, inward satisfaction— 

 as we have been propheting and 

 preaching that very thing ever since 

 we saw her (Russell) at Montgomery's 

 five years ago. "Killarney Brilhant," 

 seems to have borne out expectations 

 pretty well— judging from the first 

 cuts, which are just commencing to 

 arrive, but we will know better four 

 or five weeks from now. 



George C. Watson. 



GREENHOUSE GRAPES. 



The growing of tender grapes under 

 glass is on the increase in this coun- 

 try. We had the privilege of seeing 

 the stock of vines advertised by R. & 

 J. Farquhar & Co. in this paper and 

 they are about the finest two and 

 three-year-old pot grown stock that can 

 be imagined. They are thick-stemmed, 

 well-ripened up. and with plenty of 

 fruiting eyes. The disturbances abroad 

 should help the sale of home-grown 

 fruit of this sort. 



ILLINOIS STATE FAIR. 



The State Fair at Springfield, 111., 

 was a success as usual this year. 

 The plant awards were largely 

 won by the local growers and several 

 fine specimen plants which have done 

 duty for several years were again 

 successful in their classes. Poehl- 

 mann Bros, exhibited both plants and 

 cut flowers, winning first on a collec- 

 tion of large cyclamen plants. In 

 roses they won first prize in a majori- 

 ty of the classes. Their Mrs. Russell 

 won out in the best fifty roses of last 



year's introduction. Twenty-five each 

 of six varieties were won by Milady, 

 Ward, Hadley, Shawyer, Bulgarie and 

 Sunburst. In carnations Ward won 

 1st in the dark pink class, White Per- 

 fection in white, Enchantress in flesh 

 pink. Champion in red and Philadel- 

 phia 2nd in light pink. 



COVER ILLUSTRATION. 



Our front cover this week depicts 

 a well-planned estate at Bryn Maur, 

 Pa. The picture was taken under 

 very trying conditions on a windy day 

 from the top of a water tower where 

 there was scarce clinging space for 

 one of our long tailed ancestors, let 

 alone a camera enthusiast. The artist 

 took such a long chance in securing 

 it because it was such a strikingly 

 fine example of the landscape archi- 

 tect's, Mr. H. W. Sonners, skill in 

 making a compact grouped composi- 

 tion as interesting as it is charming. 

 It admirably reflects the increasing 

 desire among owners to have their 

 greenhouses intimately associated with 

 their residence. ^ ^ .u- 



Another thing noticeable about this 

 lavout is the garden's snugness and ir- 

 regularity. Neither property line or 

 command of funds in any way limited 

 its treatment— but the artistic concep- 

 tion of the architect did. The green- 

 houses and attached buildings were 

 constructed by Hitchings & Co., Eliza- 

 beth, N. J. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW AT 

 CHICAGO. 



The executive committee of the Hor- 

 ticultural Society of Chicago met on 

 Tuesdav. September 29. and arranged 

 for a seasonal display of chrysanthe- 

 mums to be held at the art institute 

 november ninth and tenth, offering sil- 

 ver and bronze medals for the best 

 displavs of plants, cut blooms, floral 

 arrangements and novelties. Premium 

 lists will be ready shortly and may be 

 had on application to L. M. McCauley. 

 418 Saint James Place, Chicago. 

 Plants and cut blooms intended for 

 this display should be addressed to C. 

 W. Johnson, Art Institute. CIik;,::.) all 

 express and other charge? • ^' ''I- 



