378 



II O HT I C U LT UR E 



March 18, 191$ 



NEWS ITEMS FROM EVERYWHERE 



BOSTON. 



Very few HelKinn salesmen are com- 

 ing over this year and local buyers 

 will find a convenient source of sup- 

 ply i'l A. Hans, of Woburn, who Is 

 representing K. .1. Kuyk, of Ghent. 

 and will book orders at rejiular im- 

 port prices. 



Montague Chamberlain, ex-presldent 

 of the American Gladiolus Society, has 

 been in the Mass. Homeopathic Hos- 

 pital, for the past two weeks, follow- 

 ■ Ing a serious operation. He was on 

 the dangerous list for some time but 

 we are pleased to state that he is now 

 convalescing nicely. 



The Boston Herald, in its advance 

 notes on the .March Show at Horti- 

 cultural Hall, says that "over half a 

 million blooms" are to be seen there. 

 Probably, if one counts the individual 

 flower on the ericas, schizanthuses 

 and acacias. Perhaps the Herald un- 

 derestimates the number, which is 

 very reprehensible from the stand- 

 point of sensational impressiveuess. 



In the old ilnys n sot of "old fogies" were 

 ruunlni; the roiid. "All they knew about 

 the business was to keep the stock up, pro- 

 Tide good facilities for the shippers, pay 

 dividends to the stookliolders and reduce 

 rates once In a while," he said. "Then 

 came some high ettlclency nun, lieaded by 

 Mellen, who did none of the tilings the 'old 

 fogies' did. After some reckless driving 

 they landed the road In a ditch, and, like 

 most other reckless drivers who land In 

 ditches, they called on the nearest farmer 

 to help them out." 



The foregoing remarks were made 

 by W. H. Elliott in the course of a 

 hearing in Boston on the petition of 

 the Boston & Maine railroad to in- 

 crease its rates on shipments of milk 

 and other things. Right you are. Mr. 

 Elliott. 



Chairman Dillon, of the Park ('om- 

 mission, has recommended the follow- 

 ing division of the Parknian fund ex- 

 penditure for the ensuing year: 

 Franklin Park greenhouse. J.'jO.OOO; 

 walks on Boston Common, $10,000, 

 improvements and maintenance of 

 golf links, $3,000; improvement and 

 maintenance of Fens, $25,000; of bear 

 dens. $3,000; of zoological gardens, 

 $25,000; of Public Gardens, $5,000; of 

 small parks and squares, $30,000; of 

 the Aquarium and Marine Park, $10,- 

 000; of the Riverway and Common- 

 wealth avenue. $30,000; total, $191,000. 

 Mr. Dillon advises that the proposed 

 erection of a horticultural building in 

 tne Fenway should be postponed in 

 favor of the Franklin Park green- 

 house. 



Willimantic, Conn. — Many florists 

 have been visiting Willimantic to see 

 how the new carnation Red Wing is 

 behaving in W. A. Dawson's houses. 

 Mr. Dawson says that every one, with- 

 out a single exception, has placed an 

 order. This sterling scarlet carnation 

 received a certificate of merit from 

 the American Carnation Society. It 

 seems to be exceptionally well forti- 

 fied with the desirable qualities of a 

 really profitable "cut and come again" 

 variety. 



CHICAGO, 



Following the hint that fashion has 

 set for corsages of tiny roses the Bud- 

 long greenhouses will contain some of 

 the "Baby Doll" roses this year. 



Michael Wiltjen, of Kvanston, had 

 the misfortune to lose his greenhouse 

 and barn by fire on March 8, caused 

 by the dumping of ashes too close to 

 the buildings. The loss included also 

 an automobile, two horses and a cow. 



Something new was a "seed service" 

 in one of the large local churches 

 March 12. Following an appropriate 

 service, packages of flower seeds were 

 given away and notice given that a 

 floral service would occur when the 

 seeds had produced flowers. 



The Woman's Outdoor Art League 

 is sending out its letters offering 

 penny seed packets as in other years. 

 This time wooden window boxes and 

 soil are offered also at very low prices. 

 Special prizes will be given for best 

 results in cultivating plants, etc. 



P. J. Foley made a brief business 

 trip east last week. Mr. Foley's two 

 sons, .1. P. and P. J., .Ir., are both in 

 the business with their father. 



Work is under way for the new 

 greenhouses for Geo. Weiland, of 

 Kvanston. and they will start erecting 

 about April 1. 



It is the opinion in the flower trade 

 that the effect of the lenten season is 

 less each year. A few days after Ash 

 Wednesday the flower demand be- 

 comes normal again. Quite a number 

 of social affairs are booked for early 

 April and they call for the use of 

 many flowers. 



One of the unique window attrac- 

 tions was that of Geo. Wienhoeber, in 

 honor of St. Patrick's Day. A six-foot 

 frame in the shape of a harp, was 

 carefully mossed and given over to a 

 grower some weeks ago with the re- 

 sult that a harp of real live shamrock 

 was forthcoming this week. The effect 

 is very good. 



Only those who placed orders early 

 have been able to get the quantity of 

 shamrocks wanted, for the stock w-as 

 exhausted nearly a week before St. 

 Patrick's Day. The two principal 

 growers furnished about thirty thou- 

 sand each. Poehlmann Bros, turned 

 down many orders. The little mailing 

 boxes holding two plants each proved 

 even better sellers than a year ago. 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 

 The establishment of an experi- 

 mental farm near Plainview, Texas, is 

 contemplated in a bill just introduced 

 into the Senate. The sum of $50,000 

 will be appropriated if the bill is 

 passed. It will be placed under the 

 control of the Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture. 



R. Lloyd .Jenkins, of C. L. Jenkins 

 & Son, Suitland, Md., is convalescing 

 after an illness of nearly a month. 

 He was at first thought to be suffer- 

 ing from pneumonia, but later it was 

 found that he had scarlet fever, a vei^' 

 dangerous illness for adults. 



N t W YORK. 



IC. H. Wilson of Boston lectured on 

 Wednesday. March 15, before the Hor- 

 ticultural Society of New York at the 

 Museum of Natural History. 



John Lewis Chllds had the exciting 

 experience of being on a train return- 

 ing from California which passed 

 through Columbus, N. M., at the time 

 of the Villa raid on that town. He 

 gives a very vivid circumstantial ac- 

 count of the affair as seen by him, in 

 the New York Herald for March 13. 



It is understood that between the 

 Horticultural Society of New York and 

 the New York Florists' Club over 

 $4,00(1 was raised towards the pre- 

 mium list of the spring show. This 

 seems to prove the wisdom of abandon- 

 ing the personal guarantee system. The 

 society and club each guaranteed 

 $5,000 and this made the securing of 

 special jiremiums much easier. 



Never before has the New York flow- 

 er market displayed such a variety of 

 tulips as are seen this season. In past 

 years half a dozen old standard varie- 

 ties have i)ractically monopolized the 

 market. Now we see such lovely gems 

 as Thomas Moore, Prince of Austria, 

 Brilliant Star (scarlet with black cen- 

 tre) Flamingo, Calypso, DeWet 

 (orange), Cherry (Rose LaReine), Jen- 

 ny (cherry rose) and others, which 

 have given the tulip market a new life. 

 Even the Darwins are seen here and 

 there and where is there a finer than 

 the beautiful lilac Darwin, William 

 Copeland, which is an early forcer, 

 possible for the third week in January. 

 Most of the foregoing are Van Waver- 

 en specialties and it is not surpris- 

 ing, after their success in this market 

 as cut flowers during the present sea- 

 son that the demand for next years' 

 bulbs is very great already. 



NEWS NOTES. 

 Lancaster, Pa. Mrs. George G. 

 Goldbach has sold her greenhouses on 

 East Orange street to Aaron H. Wls- 

 sler, of Rossmere, Pa. 



Shelburne Fall, Mass.— P. R. Burtt, 

 the florist, is tearing down the Lucius 

 Fife greenhouses which he has pur- 

 chased and will use the parts to in- 

 crease the capacity of his houses at 

 West Deerfleld. 



Hartford, Conn. — Considerable dam- 

 age was done by flre to the green- 

 houses of James W. Scott. 514 Blue 

 Hill avenue last week. One green- 

 house was burned out, the potting 

 shed was destroyed and plants were 

 hurt from exposure. 



Mandan, N. D.— The Mandan Flow- 

 er Club was formerly launched at a 

 meeting held in the Mandan com- 

 mercial club rooms. Rev. F. W. 

 Thompson acted as chairman. It is 

 expected that the flower show which 

 will be held during the height of the 

 blooming season will arouse much in- 

 terest, as a contest is planned in 

 which valuable prizes will be awarded. 



