THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



75 



The orf/anization some would have i/.v amaUjuiiKitv iiith /I'/.s «/ 

 late years ca.-pressed deep eoneern for the prirate yardeiier riiul liis 

 uelfare. Al its eonventlon in Boston Inst Aiujnst it had n nieni- 

 her in the trade prepare a paper on "Why the Hardener Shoutd 

 Flock to the Standard of Said Onjani^tition." I tool: earifiil 

 iu)te of menihers of the trade attendiiiii this nuetinij. and flieii 

 totaled three. Surely this inilieulis a n-onderfnl adniirulinn tor 

 the prirate ynrdencrs! 



In the Hardeners and Florists' Club of Boston ire hare a nn ni- 

 hership rjf four hnn<lred and si.rty-eiijht, pretty evenly divided he- 

 tu-een the trade and prirate yardeners' interests. We rated to 

 co-operate with the A'. .1. ';. 



('an anyone tell us nhat Ixnefit nonid ennn to the ,\ . ,1. (1. if 

 it ever affiliated trith a eommereial organization, and irhut iniod 

 any yarden eluh could gain from .inch an union.' 'I Ik \. .1. (.'. 

 needs erery encouragement and should hare the ivhole souletl sup- 

 port of every gardener, ^^'e can eu-oyerate with the other organi- 

 zations in the trade for the advancement of horticulture. Ijut 

 affiliation nould mean the death knell of oar on-n hotly, and suvelii 

 no true gardener wants that to occur. Our interests and the in- 

 terests of the trade sticieties arc as divergent as the poles, and t 

 hope to see a quietus put on such ill-advised union as has lieen 

 suggested. W . A. '7,' Md. 



IlrooUlinc. Mass, 



OF INTEREST TO ALL 



A PLEA FOR THE SMALL ESTATE GARDENER. 



Ilof'cntly miu-li ju^l ainl unjust eriticisni Ii:is iiccu (lii('ctc(l nt 

 the sninll osti\tp nnr<U"iu>r. (Note I did imt say "small i>ai- 

 deiicr.'") Tt is not my iiurprise or iiitciitiuii in tliis articli' to 

 Justify or cniulpniri this criticism, as T 'wish more particularly 

 to cxplaiii my version of one reason why the small estate gar- 

 dener is scliloni heanl from and why he has reasini to hccome 

 disconrafied. 



The fault lii's. in a j;reat measure, in the present arranjicmeul 

 of classes al all flower e-xliilnts. which make it impossible for the 

 small estate fjardeiier to show his prodnets with a ho]:ie of sue 

 cess; in fact, he cannot show at all in most eases. 



A brief outline of what a gardener with a sreenhonse 100 x 2.") 

 feet has to ])r<iduce will explain why. 



V'nc thousand to 10.000 hedding; plants, early eanlillower. salail. 

 tomato plants, etc, roses in three colors, carnations in three 

 C(dors. snapdrauon. lilies, spireas, bulbs, liydranueas. azaleas, 

 cyclamen, befronias, palms, ferns, f;ardenias, cinerarias, primulas, 

 daisies, j;enista stocks, mignonette, lilacs, callas. sweet peas. 

 ste\ia, poinseliia.s. ehrysan'liemnms and a few more. He also 

 has to grow most, if not all. stock and beg or liorrow anything 

 new. Many a gardener has hut four (iorgeons. six Matchless 

 anil two Cham]iion and is growing Beatrice Ahry for white. Fur- 

 thermore, he ma.v be allowed to grow only certain colors or kinds 

 of flowers, etc., not called for in the various classes, as the tastes 

 or his employers vary. These flowers are for his employer, his 

 friends ami relatives, who vie with each other in securing the 

 larger share. To fail to produce them means the gardener's 

 dismissal. 



Now Class D calls for twelve single-stem chrysaTLthemums in 

 pink. He grows twenty-five at least to select twelve. Class F 

 calls for fotu' varieties, four colors, six each, lie grows at least 

 fifty plants for a selection —and the worst is yet to come. Class 

 calls for four I4-ini'li pots, fcuir colors — lint what's the use. "it 

 can't be done." 



The same ride apjilies to the Soring Show, and to classes of 

 decorative and flowering plants, forcing the grower to grow a 

 certain kind and color, si/e and number, lie is a good gardener 

 and no doubt can make "two blades of grass grow where but one 

 giew before." but he cannot ))rodu(e show stuff under these (on- 

 ditions with only that miieh glass unless he is allowed to show 

 his products from 2.o00 square feet of glass in competition with 

 somebody else's products of 2.")00 square feet of glass. Why not 

 let votir schedule of prizes include; 



Class A — 2.500 or le^s square feet of glass. 

 Class B-2..500 to 5.000 square feet of glass. 

 Class C — 5.000 to 7.500 square feet of glass. 



Let these classes call for anvthing the garilener has to show, 

 irrespective of color or kind, to 1111 a certain nuiuber of square 

 feet of floor s])ace : deconttixe abiiity to <'ounr also, or lunke 

 smaller classes of various kinds, but governed by the luiniber of 

 square feet of glass the exhibitor has at his command. 



With all due respect to the men whose names are familiar ones 

 in the show ring. I make bold to say that there are many gar- 

 deners on small estates wdio are producing more good goods to the 

 square foot of glass than some of them are. These men should 

 receive credit and encouragement. They will respond, anil wi' 

 will have more enthusiastic workers in our societies as a result. 



TIUCH B. BARCLAY. 

 [Criticisms of this sURgestion are in order. — Editor.] 



THE MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION GARDEN. 



( )n account of the large amount of annual planting material 

 ie(|uired to till Ibe garden, which, because of the reiiuirenients for 

 bedding plants for other |iarks we are not al)le to furnish from 

 our own pro|ia,i;atin,« plant, it seems advisitble to change the lay- 

 out of the garden to in-ovide a|i]UM|iri:tte room for a larger i)uuil]er 

 of pereiuiials and ntljcr bnrdly pbiiits which do not require re- 

 idaeing every year. 



We cannot expect muside growers to furnish large ipnintities 

 of ijlants every year to help lill this large .garden, and we do not 

 intend to ask them to do so. We are, however, not only willing 

 liut anxious to have all growers who wish to do so, make use of 

 those display grounds to intrijduce and show tlieir novelties in 

 large or small numbers. Exhibits sent us fur that lairiiose will 

 be given a consiiicnous place in the garden among the class of 

 plants to which they belong. They will be properly labeled, giv- 

 ing the exhibitor's full name and address. We simply asU that 

 prospe<'tive exhibitors write to us before .\pril 1 what tliev wish 

 to exhibit, so that we may reserve space for llieir exhibits, and 

 that the plants be sent, freight or express pre].aid. ;il the propjer 

 time of planting. 



i)nr Inline |ieople are taking a great interest in the garden right 

 ailing, and there can be no cpiestion as to the advertising value of 

 an exhibit at those well-kept exhibition grounds. I therefore ex- 

 tenil a hearty invitation to all growers and introducers of novel- 

 ties and meritorious plants to m;ike use of our garden. We will 

 do our sliare to grow tlie idants as nearly to pcrfectio;) as |ios- 

 silile and to thus serve the interests of the exhibiloi's and imblic 

 alike. THEODOUK WIltTII. 



Superinlendeiit ni' I'arks. 



A NEW BOOK ON TREES. 



"Studies of Trees." by .T. .1. Levison. >L F.. Lecturer on Orna- 

 r.ient:il and Shade Trees, Yale L'niversity Forest ScliO(d : Forester 

 to the Department of Parks, Brooklyn, X. Y.. gives briefly the 

 means of identification of the more important native and exotic 

 trees commonly found in the States east of the tireat Lakes and 

 north of Maryland in the LInifed States. It describes the leaf, 

 flower, twig, wood and habit characteristics wdiich distinguish 

 them from other trees; and answers besides many questions wliich 

 would naturally arise in the mind of a jierson interested in trees, 

 such as how large they grow : under what conditions of soil and 

 climate do they thrive best : what are the enemies and how can 

 they be overcome : what is their value for wood and other useful 

 products; what is their protective value; are they useful for ])lant- 

 ing along .streets and in parks and in regenerating forests: how 

 can the trees of our streets and lawns be preserved and lepairecl 

 as they begin to fail from old age or other causes? 



In the preface. Director .T. W. Toumey, of the Yale University 

 Forest Seliool, says; "The author's training as a forester and his 

 experience as a professional arboriculturist has peculiarly fitted 

 him to speak in an authoritative and interesting way about trees 

 and woods." 



The value of tin' liook is not in new knowledge Init in tlie siii]|ile 

 statement of the most important facts relating to some of our 

 common trees, individually and collectively <-onsidered. 



.Tohn Wiley & Sons. Inc.. New York, are the imblishers. The 

 liiiok consists of 2(iO pages, well illustrated. Price .IJI.CiO. 



A CREDITABLE ANNIVERSARY NUMBER. 



.\t its liirlii ten ye.ars .ago I lie pnlilisliers of the darden Maga- 

 zine announced it to be "the logical working out of the growing 

 interest in the garden as a delight and ptirsuit for the busy people 

 who find a new fasciiuition in the things of the soil." 



Its tenth anniversary number, the February issue, presents 

 everv indication that it has been more than successful in its 

 mission during its ten years of life. The contents of the Garden 

 I'lanning Manual, as this special number is described, has it.s 

 pages loaded with interesting sub.iects for the garden lover. .\_s 

 its publishers say, ten years ago plants were known as "trees" 

 and "bushes" and "Howers." Today the owner of a garden knows 

 his plants by name iind demands more scientific knowledge on the 

 culture and habits of plant life tlian he did a few years ago. The 

 cobimns of the darden Magazine show that this paper has recog- 

 nized the growing interest of the suburbanite, and that it is cater- 

 ing to his desires. 



We congratulate the darden Magazine and its entire staff on 

 what it has achieved with its tenth anniversary nutiiher. 



