June 5, 1915 



HORTICULTUEE 



751 



DINNER TO THOMAS F, GALVIN 



Complimentary dinner to Tliomas F. 

 Galvin on the fit'tietli anniversary of 

 his career as a florist and horticultur- 

 ist by a few of his friends. Thus 

 read the inscription on tlie menu in 

 the big banquet hall of the Copley- 

 Plaza Hotel on Wednesday, evening, 

 June 2. The "few" friends of Bos- 

 ton's widely known and universally re- 

 spected retail florist numliered fully 

 one hundred of the leading men in the 

 florist and seed trade of Boston and 

 vicinity together with representatives 

 of other professions and of men prom- 

 inent in legal and political life, who 

 cheered and sang themselves hoarse in 

 honor of popular "Tom" Galvin. It 

 was an ovation from start to finish 

 of which any man should feel proud, 

 dominated and permeated through and 

 through by sincerity of the most pro- 

 nounced type. 



Patrick Welch presided and Judge 

 C. W. Hoitt of Nashua, N. H., once 

 more proved himself a shining light in 



TH0^r.\s F. Galvin 



the role of toastmaster. Among the 

 speakers were J. K. M. L. Farquhar, 

 Hon. Jos. Conry, Park Chairman John 

 H. Dillon, Henry Penn, District At- 

 torney Pelletier, Jackson Dawson, Hon. 

 Joseph H. O'Neill. W. E. Doyle, Col. 

 W. W. Castle, F. R. Pierson of Tarry- 

 town, N. Y., and Wm. J. Stewart. A 

 beautiful diamond ring was presented 

 to Mr. Galvin, the presentation speech 

 being made by Mr. Pellitier in most 

 eloquent phrases and the recipient re- 

 sponding in words of grateful appreci- 

 ation. It was certainly a red letter 

 night for the iiarticipants, a success 

 which will be long remembered and 

 there surely was no happier man in 

 Boston that night than Thomas F. 

 Galvin. May he continue for many 

 .Ncars more to adorn the business in 

 the upbuilding of which he has taken 

 so influential a part for half a century. 

 The committee which carried out 

 this very successful affair was com- 

 posed of William H. Elliott, Henry M. 

 Robinson, Alexander Montgomery, Pat- 

 rick Welch, Wni. R. Nicholson, Jas. B. 

 Shea, Patrick J. Donalioe, Wm. J. Ker- 

 nan, Thomas Roland, treas., John Mc- 

 Farland, chairman. 



The G.VLViN Di.nner .vr tub Cow-ey-Plaza. 



ROOT ROT OF THE IRIS. 



Though tlie rhizomatoiis irises are 

 the healthiest of all flowers yet some- 

 times there will be a complaint. \oir 

 for the cause. It is hard for people 

 to realize that the irises are not water 

 plants. The vast liost of the Germanic 

 must have dry feet. Often people 

 make the mistake of putting them in 

 wet ground. While tliey rejoice in the 

 sun and the heat and often of their 

 own accord lift tliemselves out of the 



.ground to bask in the light and 

 warmth, they do not like the shade. 



It has been demonstrated that in all 

 our semiarid regions where the moist- 

 ure is light — a region embracing a 

 fourth of our country — these flowers 

 flourish where other flowers cannot 

 live. This is a boon for our vast deso- 

 lations. We have liad in this region 

 fearful and very prolonged drouths, 

 but never lost a plant of them. 



C. S. Hahuison. 



Schenectady, N. "/. — Leon Varney 

 and George Matthews have taken over 

 the James E. Felthousen greenhouses 

 in Van Vranken avenue and will con- 

 tinue the business, Mr. Matthews hav- 

 ing had a large experience in the busi- 

 ness. Mr. Felthousen was one of the 

 pioneer florists of this city, having 

 been engaged in the business for about 

 forty years. 



