Jtlarch 27, 1915 



HOBTICULTUEE 



419 



NEW YORK SPRING FLOWER 



SHOW 



This great event has now passed in- 

 to history and we are happy to say 

 that it far surpassed the most ardent 

 anticipations of its sponsors in the 

 public support and the financial re- 

 sults attained. The average attendance 

 was about 8,000 a day for the week of 

 the show, an unprecedented public tes- 

 timonial which was well merited. 



The Red Cross Tea Garden proved 

 a most valuable and remunerative 

 agency in securing the active co-opera- 

 tion of the society people and liberal 

 access to the reading columns of the 

 big newspapers, all of which gave 

 large space to illustrations from day 

 to day. The Tea Garden was in the 

 form of a spacious pergola, richly fur- 

 nished and adorned. A beautiful flower 

 garden extended the whole length, with 

 stucco columns and walls, with a 

 series of wall-fountains and water- 

 lily pools, alternated with antique and 

 valuable marble statuary. It cost some- 

 thing to get in there and have a cup 

 of tea poured by one of New York's 

 society buds. As one young man ex- 

 pressed it, "The Red Cross on this oc- 

 casion added new horrors to the war." 

 Yet even at that they had to turn peo- 

 ple away for lack of room. Of course 

 this is not exactly flower show news, 

 but the value of this recognition by 

 the 400 of the metropolis as an asset 

 for the future of the annual flower 

 show may be imagined. It was a mag- 

 net which gave to the show from stTt 

 to finish the atmosphere of a society 

 festivity, and among the people most 

 prominent in the Red Cross enterprise 

 were many folk whose estates were 

 large contributors to the exhibition 

 proper. 



We think the general arrangement 

 of the exhibits on the main fioor was 

 superior to that of any of its predeces- 

 sors, but it is almost hopelessly im- 

 practicable to make an effective and 

 harmonious whole in a hall so full of 

 heavy columns. Big bays and palms 

 sufficed to give pleasing outline ef- 

 fect as seen from the entrance, while 

 to enhance the brilliancy of color on 

 all sides would be next to Impossible. 

 The broken up character of the archi- 

 tecture of the great hall, while uncom- 

 promising as regards any general view 

 or vista had its compensating advan- 

 tages, offering abundant opportunity 

 for individual effort on the various dis- 

 plays and groups. 



Attention and admiration was large- 

 ly centered on the two splendid rose 

 gardens, by Cromwell Gardens and F. 

 R. Pierson Company, to which refer- 

 ence was made in our notes of last 

 week. The A. N. Pierson garden which 

 took 1st prize was enclosed with a low 

 rustic fence, gracefully festooned with 



Tausendschoen roses and the same 



beautiful rose clambered in natural 

 abandon over a rustic pergola. Quaint 

 flag stepping stones formed the paths 

 across a green moss lawn bordered and 

 bedded with Baby Rambler roses. F. 

 R. Pierson's garden was a model of 

 fastidious primness and flnish. It was 

 placed in a white lattice enclosure 

 with arbored seats and statuary and 

 a central sun dial. The beds were 

 fllled with delicate pink tinted Baby 

 Ramblers with the pots plunged out 

 of sight and the walks were of light 

 colored crushed stone. In addition to 

 second prize this garden was given a 

 special gold medal by the Horticultural 

 Society of New York for its artistic 

 excellence. 



The groups of flowering plants and 

 bulbs arranged for effect, 200 sq. ft., 

 were greatly admired and worthily so. 

 From a spectacular standpoint it 

 would be hard to beat Wm. Duckham's 

 group in this class. It was a bold riot 

 of color compelling attention by its 

 very daring, the central mass of glow- 

 ing bloom running into a background 

 of tall acacias and genistas overrun 

 with nasturtiums and flanked on either 

 side with masses of lilacs, schizanthus 

 and Cape plants. 



The F. E. Lewis group, which won 

 2nd prize presented a glorious spring 

 floral effect. Standard peaches and 

 laburnums figured impressively in this 

 exhibit. 



For uniqueness we cannot refrain 

 from words of praise for the group of 

 W. B. Thompson in the aforementioned 

 class. Abutilions, chorizemas, Rehman- 

 nia, climbing roses, trailing begonias, 

 cyclamen, wisterias, cinerarias, etc., 

 were arranged in masses, columnar 

 groups and over arches in most un- 

 usual combinations. 



One of the most enticing exhibits 

 for the real garden lover was the rock 

 garden by Julius Roehrs Company. It 

 was a beautiful conception and showed 

 elegant judgment in its arrangement. 

 Dielytras, low phloxes, aquilegias, 

 veronicas, sedums, dianthus, and a 

 host of alpine gems snuggled among 

 or drooped over the rocks and groups 

 of pyruses and hawthorns on either 

 side gave a welcome touch of realistic 

 spring to the whole. 



The group by R. M. Johnston, gar- 

 dener to W. B. Thompson which won 

 in the foliage plant class for private 

 growers was the finest arrangement of 

 foliage plants in the hall. In fact, we 

 do not remember to have ever seen 

 any group to surpass it anywhere. It 

 was an object lesson in plant grouping. 



The orchids were as usual a source 

 of wonder and interest to the visitors. 

 The orchid men fairly outdid them- 

 selves and there were many very ex- 

 tensive and handsomely grouped col- 

 lections. The unique arrangement by 

 Julius Roehrs Company which we illus- 

 trate herewith was much adraired. It 

 was on a much larger scale than the 

 picture suggests, the whole illuminated 

 by lights hidden behind the frame. 

 Clement Moore's collection was rich 



in hybrids of high caste. The exhibit 

 of George Schlegel was staged with 

 great taste. Cypripedium Morganae 

 Burfordense was one of the jewels of 

 this superb collection. 



In our humble judgment the most 

 beautiful orchid in the show was the 

 hybrid Odontoglossum Jasper, in the 

 exhibit of Arthur N. Cooley of Pitts- 

 field, Mass. Miltonia St. Andre in the 

 F. E. Lewis collection was another 

 gem. In Lager & Hurrell's display 

 some notable things were Cypripedium 

 Rothschildsianum and Miltonia Bleu- 

 eana, beautifully flowered specimens, 

 also Dendrobium Schuitzii, white flow- 

 ered, in way of D. formosum. The pets 

 in Julius Roehrs collection included: 

 Brasso-Cattlaelia Wotan. Odontioda 

 Madeline, Odontioda Keighleyensis, 

 Miltonia St. Andre, Odontoglossum 

 Loochristie var. excellens, Odontoglos- 

 sum X Dora, O. Wilekiamim. O. Ar- 

 mainvillierense. Brasso-Laelia Jessopii, 

 Cypripedium Maudiae var. Non plus 

 ultra and Odontioda Charlesworthii. 



Friday was Hotel Day in the table 

 decorations and seven of the leading 

 houses competed. Judging was done 

 by society ladies. Each hotel had its 

 champion among the onlookers and in 

 the judgment of each the favorite 

 "ought to have had it." The Holland 

 House won the Horticultural Society 

 Cup with a decoration of acacias and 

 sweet peas. The Ritz-Carlton came in 

 2nd with a miniature lake with flower- 

 adorned banks. The Aster, Biltmore, 

 Delmonico, McAIpin and Manhattan 

 were all well represented. 



The classes for table decorations by 

 private growers on Monday, March 

 22d, brought out six competitors, and 

 all were liberally rewarded. As a 

 whole, they were in our estimation 

 more artistic in conception and finish 

 than those shown by the commercial 

 florists previously. The winning en- 

 tries were models of exquisite simplici- 

 ty, and here it might be mentioned 

 that the judges acted seemingly from 

 the same motives as those in the Bos- 

 ton exhibition, almost invariably giv- 

 ing their commendation to those tables 

 which were the least elaborate in form 

 and color. The first prize table, en- 

 tered by A. Lewisobn, was decorated 

 with a tall vase of Dendrobium Wardi- 

 anum, Mrs. Aaron Ward roses and 

 Acacia pubescens. Second prize went 

 to R. M. Johnston's table, on which 

 Phalaenopsis and Schizanthus were 

 used. 



Other tables were as follows: 



P. W. Popp, dark Cattleyas, lily of 

 the valley and Primula malacoides, 

 special award. Wm. Brock, Hillingdon 

 roses and freesias, special silver medal. 

 W, Atkinson, pansies, special silver 

 medal. Thos. Aitchison. Afterglow 

 roses, special silver medal. M. J. Fitz- 

 gerald, Dendrobium Wardianum. D. 

 densiflorum and Chorizema, special 

 mention. 



The Department of Parks, as men- 

 tioned in our last week's issue, made 

 an exhibit which was a great garden 



