December 8, 1917 



HORTICULTURE 



595 



The question of a coal supply for 

 florists is now approaching a critical 

 point. Evidently, it is not improbable 

 that an embargo will be placed on 

 shipments of coal to growers, and, as 

 Secretary of the S. A. F. and 0. H., 

 I have been in correspondence with 

 W. F. Gude. Washington Representa- 

 tive of the Society, as to the advisa- 

 bility of having a delegation of our 

 members appear before Coal Adminis- 

 trator Dr. Garfield in Washington to 

 state the florists' side of the matter, 

 and urge their claims to especial con- 

 sideration, as exemplified in the fol- 

 lowing letter to Mr. Gude: 



Mr. W. F. Gude. 



1214 F St., N. W., 



Washington, D. C. 

 Dear Mr. Gude: 



Referring to our recent correspondence in 

 regard to coal supply conditions, I have 

 made a somewhat extended inquiry as to 

 the needs of establishments to whom in- 

 ability to get a coal supply would mean 

 little short of ruin, and I realize that the 

 situation is serious. 



If an embargo on coal for florists' use 

 should go into effect, very many of our 

 plant and flower growers would be ruined, 

 for their stock would be killed by freezing 

 and most of it could not be replaced. As 

 this embargo, if it is instituted, must be 

 ordered on the advice of Dr. Garfleld, as 

 Coal Administrator, no effort should be 

 spared to get an interview with that gen- 

 tleman. In order that the absolute reqaire- 

 ments of our industry be understood. 



When I say requirements. I do not mean 

 that any of our florists will seek to obtain 

 a supply of coal in excess of the amount 

 actually needed to prevent freezing and 

 consequent ruin of stock which has taken 

 years to collect, but simply sufficient to in- 

 sure that this loss shall be avoided. 



I am sure Dr. Garfleld would give con- 

 sideration to the fact that the florists' ur- 

 gent coal necessities cover only a period of 

 ai-xteen weeks under average conditions, 

 while the coal needs of other industries are 

 existent practically fifty-two weeks in the 

 year. Our need is to save our investments 

 anil keep our industry alive, rather than 

 make profits similar to those accruing to 

 industries which, perhaps, could suspend 

 ■action without detriment to a particular 

 business other than loss of profit during a 

 period of inactivity. 



Several of our members, leading growers 

 of our industry, have expressed their will- 

 ingness to appear before Dr. Garfield, or 

 his representative, to explain the necessi- 

 ties of the situation, with a view to avoid- 

 ing an embargo, which would perhaps, to a 

 large extent, wipe out the florist industry 

 and destroy the work of many years. 

 Yours very truly, 

 (Signed) John Young, Secy. 



In the face of a seeming impossibil- 

 ity, Mr. Gude succeeded in obtaining 

 an appointment for a hearing, and 1 

 at once telegraphed those who had ex- 

 pressed a willingness to join such 

 delegation that an interview with Dr. 

 Garfield had been fixed for Tuesday, 

 December 4th, at 3 p. m. 



Irrespective of any favorable result 

 which may come from this interview, 

 there is much that florists in all parts 

 of the country who anticipate a short- 

 age of coal can do individually. Each 

 should get in touch witli State or local 

 Coal Administration Commissioners 

 and state what his requirements will 

 be as to an adequate supply of coal 

 to carry his stock through the free/.ing 

 leriod. It is absolutely inadvisable 

 to ask tor assistance further than is 

 required for the period when the de- 

 gree of colli would injure or destroy 

 stocks, as to ask for more would prej- 

 udice proper consideration of the 

 claims in the circumstances. 



My letter to Mr. Gude embodies an 

 argument which could with justice be 

 used when approaching a commis- 

 sioner, and I would urge immediate 

 action on tlie lines suggested. 



It is not the case of the florist busi- 

 ness being scheduled as a "non-essen- 

 tial"; it is rather a question of a flor- 

 ist being ruined through the withhold- 

 ing of a coal supply sufficient to in- 

 sure his stock against total destruc- 

 tion. John Young, Secy. 



THE FLORISTS' FUEL CONFER- 

 FERENCE AT WASHINGTON. 



The notable event of the week here 

 was the visit of a delegation of flo\yer 

 and plant growers under the leader- 

 ship of Secretary Young of the S. A. 

 F. and W. F. Gude, Washington repre- 

 sentative of the S. A. F., to inter- 

 view the Fuel Administrator on the 

 situation as regards the supply of coal 

 for greenhouse use this v.'inter. The 

 delegation numbered about thirty, 

 representing the florists' organizations 

 of twenty-three states. They met on 

 Tuesday morning at the store of Gude 

 Bros, and there carefully mapped out 

 their plea, showing the ruin that 

 would follow the closing up of florists' 

 greenhouses should they be deprived 

 of coal. This was embodied in a paper 

 prepared by a selected committee of 

 five and presented in the afternoon at 

 the office ot Fuel Administrator Gar- 

 field through his representative Mr. 

 Noyes. 



The visitors were courteously re- 

 ceived and the interview lasted for 

 nearly two hours. They were told 

 that no classification of essential and 

 non-essential industries had been 

 made and that nothing of the kind 

 was contemplated. It was plainly 

 stated, however, that whenever and 

 wherever coal was needed by the 

 Government for industries necessary 

 to tlie prosecution of the war it would 

 be taken wherever found. Florists 

 will get all the consideration that any 

 business will. They were advised to 

 get busy with their respective local 

 dealers and secure needed coal, and in 

 view of tlie shortage, the sooner the 

 florists do this the better for them. 

 Extreme economy in the use of fuel 

 was urged and it was intimated that 

 a reduction of at least 25 per cent, in 

 the amount of coal used in green- 

 houses this season was regarded as 

 quite practical and sliould be effected. 



MASSACHUSETTS MARKET GAR- 

 DENERS. 



The Market Gardeners Association 

 of Worcester county met in Horticul- 

 tural hall, December 1, and elected 

 these ofllcers: President, II. A. Cook; 

 secretary and treasurer. H. .\. Midgley; 

 vice-presidents, Louis Ellsworth, Fred 

 Midgley and Charles Greenwood, all of 

 Worcester, and Park Welib, of Willcin- 

 sonville. Springfield, Boston and Wor- 

 cester each have a Market Gardeners' 

 Association and plans for bringing 

 the tliree together were discussed last 

 night. H. A. Cooli and H. R. Kinney 

 were elected a committee to represent 

 the Worcester society. A meeting In 

 regard to the state Market Gardeners' 

 .\ssociation will take place Jan. .5. 



GROWING VIBURNUMS FROM 

 SEED 



Seed of the native American Vibur- 

 nums fully matured do not germinate 

 the first season following. Neither do 

 they have the same period of germi- 

 nating. Viburnums americanum and 

 lentago germinate in September the 

 second year and the seeds should be 

 cleaned free from pulp as soon as col- 

 lected and sown at once in seed bed 

 or held stratified in damp sand until 

 August and then sown. The seeds ot 

 these two Viburnums if well cleaned 

 and held in naturally damp sand keep 

 well. If sown in seed bed as soon as 

 collected, there is the difficulty of keep- 

 ing the weeds out of the seed bed and 

 also to keep the seed bed damp in or- 

 der that the seeds do not get dried 

 out and their germinating quality im- 

 paired or destroyed. The most effi- 

 cient and surest method is to hold 

 the seeds stratified in damp sand. 



In growing seedlings of trees and 

 shrubs, a most essential aid is old 

 well rotten and well pulverized ma- 

 nure. Sow the seeds and cover lightly 

 with soil and then immediately give 

 the seed bed broadcast a coat ot this 

 old rotten manure as deep as the 

 seedling can push up through. It is 

 a good plan to set a small stick at 

 the ends of each row of seeds and ap- 

 ply the manure more heavily in the 

 spaces than over the seeds, then 

 when the young seedlings get above 

 ground sufficiently, this fine manure 

 mulch can be drawn in about the 

 stems of the young plants. 



Two difficulties will be met in grow- 

 ing these two Viburnums. As the 

 young seedlings germinate and get 

 above ground very late in the season 

 and are tender, October frosts often 

 seriously injure them in the stalks 

 and rarely in the leaves. The fine 

 manure banked about the stems in 

 October will nearly always save these 

 plants from hard freezing in October 

 and early spring. V. americanum and 

 V. lentago have flat seeds which are 

 the seed leaves and which cling to 

 the stems and make it difficult for the 

 young seedling to push up through 

 heavy soil. Light covering of soil and 

 fine manure mulch enables the seed- 

 lings to get out of and above ground. 

 The above directions faithfully fol- 

 lowed will enable anyone to success- 

 fully grow v. americanum and V. 

 lentago. 



Viburnum americanum is the native 

 American High Bush Cranberry which 

 is far superior to V. opulus for north- 

 ern planting and the stock of this va- 

 riety is very scarce in this country 

 and in great demand. The demand for 

 this variety is rapidly increasing and 

 much faster than the supply. 



A. H. Lakk. 



Marshfield, Wis. 



PERSONAL. 



Alexiinder Forbes, Jr.. of Newark. N. 

 J., and Miss Sarah T. Parker, ot Jersey 

 City were married on November 21 tn 

 Jersey City. 



A. N. Pierson of Cromwell, Conn., is 

 reported to be seriously ill. It is to be 

 hoped that he may have an immediate 

 and complete recovery. 



