April 26, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



403 



LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS 



PHILADELPHIA. 



Harry L. Bates succeeds R. C. Fon- 

 taine as head of the Philadelphia 

 branch o£ the Lord and Burnham Co. 

 Mr. Bates was previously with the 

 Rochester branch of the company. 

 Mr. Fontaine goes to Irvington — 

 which is now the headquarters, in- 

 stead of N. Y. City, as in days gone 

 by. Dennis T. Connor remains chief 

 assistant in the Philadelphia office, 

 and both he and Mr. Bates are old- 

 timers together; and are making 

 things hum. 



We have had a pleasant visit this 

 week from Robert Miller, who made a 

 mark for himself in his younger days 

 in the horticultural world in Boston, 

 New York, Washington and other 

 eastern centers, and who is now a 

 leading figure in Western development 

 along the same lines, being located 

 for the past nine years in Salt Lake 

 City and having built up a fine organ- 

 ization In the growing and flower 

 store ends of the business. He showed 

 himself wide-awake for new ideas and 

 very little escaped him from Battles to 

 Rlverton. He was quite refreshing in 

 his enthusiasm. If we were all Rob- 

 ert Millers we would have less need 

 for Henry Penns. This Is the first 

 time we have taken our hats off to a 

 Mormon. 



outside gardens, and occasional super- 

 vision of laborers in related work. 



A CORRECTION. 



On page 370 of the current issue of 

 your publication, you mention in the 

 first leading article in reference to the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society's 

 Orchid Show that "this will bring it 

 three days, after the closing of the S. 

 A. F. flower show in New York." 



As the show which is to be held in 

 New York next Spring is the Inter- 

 national Flower Show usually held by 

 the New York Florists' Club in con- 

 nection with the Horticultural Society 

 of New York, I wish you would make 

 proper correction in your next issue. 

 The S. A. F. flower show is the 

 national flower show held by the 

 Society of American Florists at inter- 

 vals of two years or more, conse- 

 quently, reference to the other show 

 as such, might be confusing to some 

 people. 



John Young, Secy. 



CHICAGO NOTES. 

 The Civil Service Board of the West 

 Chicago Park Commissioners will hold 

 the following examination on the dates 

 and at the places given below. Appli- 

 cation blanks may be obtained at the 

 office of the Board in Union Park or 

 at the West Park playgrounds. 



Examination No. 399. 



Gardener, Class G, Rank II, Division 

 Z. Original Entrance. Pay, 37%c. to 

 50c. per hour. To be held April 30th, 

 1919, at 9.00 a. m., at the Garfield Park 

 Pavilion. Open to men 21 years of 

 age or over, regardless of residence. 

 Applications must be filed in the office 

 of the Board in Union Park before 5.00 

 p. m. of April 29, 1919. Subjects: 

 Special Subject, weight of 6; Experi- 

 ence, weight of 3; Physical, weight of 

 1. Special Subject: To include a test 

 identification, general care and plant- 

 ing and characteristics of trees, shrubs 

 and perennials, and on making and 

 maintaining lawns. 



The duties of Gardener include the 

 planting, pruning and general care of 

 trees, shrubs, perennials, lawns and 



POLYANTHA ROSES AS BEDDING 

 PLANTS. 



These charming roses are becoming 

 more popular as their undoubted mer- 

 its are known. In these days of short- 

 age of labor, when bedding plants are 

 difficult to rear, what can be more ac- 

 ceptable than these delightful decora- 

 tive roses? Even if one could obtain 

 bedding plants I question if those who 

 have tried Polyantha Roses will ever 

 wish to return to the old and expen- 

 sive plan of annual bedding with gera- 

 niums, etc., when more effective and 

 permanent material is at hand. One 

 has only to view beds of Orleans rose, 

 Jessie, Mrs. Cutbush and others after 

 a heavy rain to at once see their far 

 superior effect to beds of Zonal gera- 

 niums; and they also provide the 

 grower with ample material for table 

 decorations where the geranium would 

 not be so useful or lasting. 



Undoubtedly the best mode of cul- 

 ture is to prune down hard each spring 

 — then one obtains more uniform 

 growth and finer trusses of blossom; 

 although should it be desired to have 

 large bushes, this is quite practicable 

 by non-pruning. I have bushes of some 

 kinds that are never pruned, and they 

 are fully 4 feet high and as much in 

 width. 



In preparing the bed it is well to dig 

 the soil deeply and enrich it with ma- 

 nure as much as one would for the 

 choicer roses. A distance apart of 15 

 inches to 18 inches each way ensures 



an even mass of blossoms, although 

 2 feet apart may be allowed if Violas 

 or other carpet plants are to be plant- 

 ed beneath. A few half-standards of 

 the same or contrasting variety 

 look extremely well, while quite dwarf 

 standards, with about a 15-inch stem, 

 make effective displays with low bed- 

 ding plants beneath. Perhaps it would 

 be advisable to replant the Polyantha 

 roses triennially, especially if the soil 

 be none too good. This ensures a 

 vigorous, healthy condition of the 

 plants, and thus treated they will last 

 for years. 



Varieties are very numerous. For 

 bedding purposes I would strongly ad- 

 vise one color only in a bed. There 

 are practically two distinct types of 

 Polyantha roses, one favoring the Mul- 

 tiflora ramblers in their dense clusters 

 of blossom, the other having trusses 

 much after the style of Hybrid Tea 

 Roses. The former are the best for 

 bedding. Of brilliant reds and scar- 

 lets, Jessie, Triomphe Orleanaise and 

 Merveille des Rouges are the best. 

 Erna Teschendorff is a fine rich crim- 

 son, but rather inclined to mildew. Of 

 deep rose pinks, Orleans stands pre- 

 eminently the grandest, but Aennchen 

 Muller and its deeper sport, Erau E. 

 Kreis, are very fine. A lovely variety 

 of cherry rose color is Ellen Poulsen, 

 and it possesses a sweet fragrance. Of 

 lighter pinks, Mrs. Cutbush and Perle 

 Orleanaise are splendid while of the 

 blush pinks, Edward VII., Jeanny Sou- 

 pert. Aschenbrodel and Louise Walter 

 are really excellent. Pure whites are 

 found in Katherine Zeimet, Jeannne 

 d'Arc and Little Meg, this latter pos- 

 sessing a most exquisitely shaped bud. 

 Of yellows we are still waiting their 

 advent; that is. in the big cluster sec- 

 tion. Perhaps the nearest is the pink- 

 ish yellow Eugenie Lamesch with its 

 Violet-like perfume, while Perle d'Or 

 makes a fairly good show. Tiny Tim 

 will be a real gem. It is pinkish 

 orange in hue and quite attractive, 

 with buds shaped like Perle d'Or. 



Perhaps some of my readers may 

 desire to plant these roses as edgings 

 to rose beds or walks and drives; if so, 

 all the above named are good; while 

 to those who would desire a collection 

 to be planted together in a border, in 

 addition to the above I strongly recom- 

 mend Cecile Brunner, Frau C. Walter, 

 Leonie Lamesch, George Elger, Miere 

 and Susie. There are others extreme- 

 ly pretty, and a complete collection 

 would add a distinct charm to any gar- 

 den. — The Garden. 



