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HORTICULTURE 



April 1. 1916 



r 



NATIONAL FLOWER SHOW 



I 



A Notable Triumph Exhibits of Exceptional Quality A Great 

 Trade Section —Trade Visitors from All Over the Country 

 f —Philadelphia Public Enthusiastic- List of Prize Exhibits 



Till' «rc:il onlerprisi' ujioii wliicli 

 the leaders of the S. A. F. and amii- 

 ated orKanizatioiis, togetlier with 

 representative hortieullural people 

 of Philadcl|)hia, have been preparing 

 for so assiduously is now a reality. 

 It opened on scliedule time, Saturday 

 afternoon. March 25. far from com- 

 plete because of congested traffic con- 

 ditions on the railroads, and exasper- 

 atiUK slowness on the part of the ex- 

 press companies but far enough ad- 

 vanced to set at rest forever any 

 doubts as to its success in every re- 

 spect and witli more than enough ma- 

 terial to fill the big exhibition build- 

 ing to the corners. 



It was a rhost glorious day — the 

 opening of the long deferred spring 

 weather. The exterior appearance as 

 one approached the building was in- 

 spiring, H. F. Michell Co. and H. A. 

 Dreer having adorned the lawns on 

 either side witli handsome evergreens, 

 Michell including a brilliant display 

 of hyacinths and tulips, while Adolph 

 Muller had done his share in and 

 around the entrance witli groups of 

 conifers. Inside of the building there 

 was much confusion owing largely to 

 the excess of material and the problem 

 of finding a place for it all. There 

 were S. A. F. members on all sides- 

 old war liorses and young recruits — 



■ \' iKinging greetings and dodgiiiK Ik- 

 times to avoid the scurrying exliibi- 

 tors and helpers and noisy trucks. 

 Promptly at 2 o'clock the music 

 started up and shortly afterward the 

 dignitaries of the city and the S. A. F. 

 appeared on the balcony and words of 

 welcome and exjiressions of responsive 

 pleasure were voiced. Among the rep- 

 resentatives of the S. A. F. participat- 

 ing in the opening formalities we 

 noticed W. F. Gude of Washington, 

 President MrcHorie of San Francisco, 

 George Asmus of Chicago and the 

 veteran Hobert Craig of Philadelphia. 

 While this was going on the judges 

 with commendable patience and faith- 

 ful zeal were working away on their 

 herculean job and it was not long be- 

 fore blue ril)l)ons and red ribbons be- 

 gan to tell their story here and there, 

 carrying joy here and consternation 

 there and i)recipitating many a dis- 

 cussion as to the "wliy and wherefore." 

 The National Flower Show at Phil- 

 adelphia is undeniably the most daz- 

 zling floral spectacle ever presented in 

 this country. The vast space in the 

 main ball, without pillar or obstruc- 

 tion of any sort, amply lighted from a 

 roof of moderate height, lends itself 

 well to an exhibition of this char 

 acler and whatever defects one might 

 find are mainly due to the superabund- 

 ance of exhibition material. 



A Ro.sE Bed i.\ the Dreer G.\rdex. 



EXHIBITORS AND AWARDS. 

 Pliiladelphia's Convention Mall, oc- 

 cupying an entire city square, proved 

 to be far too small for the exhibits, 

 and there is really enough plant and 

 flower material llir<)iij;hout Its acres 

 of floor space which would easily fill 

 two halls of such area. Many of the 

 groups are massed as close as the pota 

 can be placed together, and the aisles 

 are totally inadequate for the throngs 

 of visitors. Apart from the Impres- 

 siveness of the groups from the view 

 point of the general public, there are 

 some features of this exhibition which 

 to the professional present qualities 

 of excellence and novelty seldom 

 reached. 



Lists of first and second prize 

 awards in detail are at all times very 

 dry reading and in that form they in- 

 terest but few. In the present in- 

 stance where the schedule comprises 

 nearly one thousand classes, each In- 

 cluding first and second prizes, we 

 have preferred to condense consider- 

 alily without, however, intending to 

 omit mention of any worthy winner. 

 While not intending to make any 

 suggestion of comparative priority 

 or value or to overlook any of the 

 many exhibits which won honor In 

 the various classes, we name a few 

 outstanding exhibits which impressed 

 us as exceptional in their character. 

 Taking up the decorative plants we 

 would mention first the group of 

 acacias arranged by Thomas Roland. 

 We have not words at our command 

 to fully describe the beauty of this 

 group, It was a picture never to be 

 forgotten and if Boston gets nothing 

 else in the shows of 1916 this one 

 triumph is sufficient. The group com- 

 prised thirty varieties of acacias, al- 

 together three hundred plants, inclu- 

 sive of a splendid line of Erica 

 melanthera which formed the outline 

 of the group. The acacias were super- 

 bly flowered and in size up to twenty- 

 five feet In height. 



The garden of hybrid tea roses by 

 H. A. Dreer, which was not entered in 

 competition but which was the winner 

 of two special gold medals, was one of 

 the most deservedly admired exhibits 

 in the hall. It must have occupied a 

 space of not less than one thousand 

 sq. ft. and the roses which were ar- 

 ranged in four long l)ods bordered 

 with sod were remarkable for their 

 splendid foliage and flowers. We do 

 not think there ever was a group of 

 garden roses staged in this country to 

 equal it. At each end there was a bed 

 of bulbs in flower and in the center a 

 basin of aquatics. In passing we 

 miglit mention two new nymphaeas 

 shown here. One was a new hardy 



