758 



HORTICULTUHE 



Juno 3, 1916 



STREET VIEW IN THE CONVENTION CITY. 



A census of the growth and indus- 

 trial progress of Houston, Texas, in 

 seven years — 1909-1915 inclusive- — 

 shows the following facts: 



Increase in population 46,200 



Paved 109V4 miles city streets $ 1,409,260.00 



Permanent bridges and via- 

 ducts 1,208,738.00 



Permanent Improvements city 

 waterworliB 794,930.62 



106 miles sanitary sewers 1,009,879.35 



34 miles storm sewers 1,416,936.81 



39 new scbool buildings erect- 

 ed 1,531.347.00 



City hall annex and city audi- 

 torium 577,137.28 



Invested in park area 515,499.00 



Increase In city assessment 

 'Oil 75..i.i7.000.00 



15 modern hotels erected 5,800,000.00 



Wm. M. Rlre Institute, per- 

 manent Improvements 2.000,000.00 



Wm. .M. Rice Institute, per- 

 manent Improvements, com- 

 pleted eventually (endow- 

 ment ?10,000,000) 5,000,000.00 



14 churches erected 1.400,000.00 



T. M. C. A., hospitals nn<\ 

 similar institutions 750.000.00 



as apartment houses erected.. 2.800,000.00 



County court house and fed- 

 eral building erected 1.101,000.00 



Gross receipts of cotton in 7 

 years, value l.l.".,o.'vt,.380.00 



Production In oil in Harris 

 county in 7 years, value 26,000,000.00 



Deposits In national banks, 

 increase 16,.38.'),320.00 



The reconstruction of Main street 

 boulevard, five miles in len.i;tli. is 

 rapidly nearing completion, and as- 

 sures the city of Houston a strikingly 

 attractive and Ijeautiful boulevard — a 

 tribute of the citizenship of today to 



the memories of Wm. M. Rice and 

 Geo. H. Hermann. Mr. Rice bequeathed 

 to posterity the William M. Rice Insti- 

 tute, and Mr. Hermann, likewise, the 

 Geo. H. Hermann Park of 287 acres, 

 and the Geo. H. Hermann Charity 

 Hospital, ail located on Main street 

 boulevard. 



We give these statistics as a matter 

 of justice to this progressive Texas 

 city, for the information of our read- 

 ers, especially those who are mem- 

 bers of the Society of American Flor- 

 ists, many of whom we feel sure will 

 be rather surprised to learn how 

 rapidly Houston is progressing in 

 everything that appertains to munici- 

 pal greatness, in hopes that this 

 knowledge, together with additional 

 interesting information which we hope 

 to present from time to time, may 

 perhaps serve as an incentive to some 

 who have not yet made up tlieir 

 minds to take the trip to Texas next 

 August. Considerable has been said 

 as to the duty of the S. A. F. to carry 

 its banner into districts remote from 

 the scenes of its former activities and 

 to shed its benign influence for the up- 

 lift of horticulture impartially in every 

 section of our great country. How the 

 S. A. F. may do this and how it might, 

 perhaps, fall short of accomplishing 

 its full purpose in Texas, is considered 

 in an editorial note on page 7.54 of 

 this issue. 



Obituary 



Michael J. Tobln. 

 Milford. Maaa. MlciiiK-1 J. Tobln. 

 roriniTly a gurdoncr i-mployed at a 

 gret'nliousc, died of cancer of the 

 Htomach, on Thursday, May 18, at 

 llydi' I'ark. 



Wm. F. Jones. 

 William F. .Tones, superintendent of 

 the Mlshkan Tetliu ccinetery in Wake- 

 liold. .Mass.. dropped dead in the cem- 

 etery on May I't!, while talking to 

 I.ouls K. Carter, Kuperlntondcnt of the 

 Lakeside cemetery, which adjoins. He 

 liad been superintendent of the Jew- 

 ish cemetery for the past 40 years. 

 He leaves two sous and three daugh- 

 ters. I 



Herbert J. Palmer. 

 Lance Corporal Herbert J. Palmer 

 was killed in action (casualty list) 

 while fighting with the Canadian con- 

 linsenl at the front. The news just 

 reached us through his cousin. Albert 

 Jay, of Hinghani. Mass. Mr. Palmer 

 was for some time employed as as- 

 sistant under Charles Sander on the 

 estate of Prof. C. S. Sargent in Brook- 

 line and was a member of the Garden- 

 ers' and Florists' Club of Boston. 



Mrs. A. J. Simmons. 

 News of the sudden death of .Mrs. A. 

 .1. Simmons, 63rd St.. Chicago, came 

 as a shook Saturday morning, when 

 word was received in the market that 

 she had passed away apparently in full 

 health. Mrs. Simmons was the practical 

 head of the flower store. Mr. Simmons 

 having been in poor health for some 

 time, and was greatly respected for 

 her business methods as well as for 

 her pleasing personality. Death found 

 her at her post. With the telephone 

 receiver in her hand, slie was taking 

 an order about ten o'clock Saturday, 

 May 27th when a customer chanced 

 to see her apparently fainting. She 

 was caught and tenderly laid down, 

 but in that brief instant life had de- 

 I)arted. For twenty years Mrs. Sim- 

 mons had been engaged in the florist 

 l)usiness on the south side, and would 

 have been 42 years old on June Iflth, 

 invitations being out for celebrating 

 that event. Besides lier husband she 

 leaves one daughter Ruth. 18 years 

 old, two sisters and one brother. The 

 funeral was held on Monday, May 29. 

 from Oak Woods chapel and in spite 

 of a downpour of rain, the building 

 was crowded and many could not get 

 inside to pay their last respects to 

 one who was a friend to all and an 

 honor to the florist trade. 



NEW CORPORATIONS. 



Syracuse, N. Y. — Russell Bros., four 

 houses, each 40 x 125. 



Hartford, Ct.— Hill Floral Co., cap- 

 ital stock $50,000. Incorporators. A. P. 

 Pitner. J. H. Peck and R. M. Grant. 



Streator, III. — Thornton Floral Co., 

 capital stock, $6,000. Incorporators, 

 Fred R., John P. and L. M. Thornton. 



