July 15, 1916 



HORTICULTURE 



77 



registration and recognition of new 

 varieties which can not be done effec- 

 tively only through a national organi- 

 zation. 



These with various other considera- 

 tions would lead one to advocate some 

 such idea as you put forth in your 

 editorial, and it would seem the more 

 feasible as the by-laws of the society 

 provide for sectional vice-presidents, 

 who. when the need arose could look 

 after the interests of their respective 

 sections. 



This is the first time that the nec- 

 essity for such appointment has 

 arisen and it would seem only fair 

 that advantage should be taken of it, 

 for the benefits would be mutual and 

 instead of two independent societies, 

 often working at cross purposes, there 

 would be two affiliated organizations 

 working along the same lines. 



A. H. Fewkes. 



Newton Highlands, Mass. 



CLUB AND SOCIETY NOTES. 



The St. Louis Retail Florists' Asso- 

 ciation meets Monday. July 17, at Mis- 

 sion Inn Garden. 



The St. Louis County Growers' Asso- 

 ciation held a meeting at the Eleven 

 Mile House last Wednesday, at which 

 some interesting discussions tooK 

 place. It was decided to hold the an- 

 nual picnic next month, the date and 

 place having not as yet been name'!. 



A GREAT LILY. 



On Wednesday, July 12, the mem- 

 bers of the Horticultural Club of Bos- 

 ton and others visited, by invitation, 

 the field of Lilium myrophyllum (re- 

 gale) now blooming at the Roslindale 

 Nurseries of R. & J. Farquhar & Co. 

 It was certainly a sight such as has 

 never been seen in this country, rival- 

 ling in beauty and impressiveness the 

 famed lily fields of Bermuda and 

 Japan. Here are a quarter of a mil- 

 lion bulbs, and a very conservative 

 estimate of the number of flowers 

 that smiled a welcome to the visitors 

 is a round million. 



This superb lily, which is one of the 

 best "finds" of E. H. Wilson in his 

 Chinese travels, has all the qualities 

 to make it in time the leading lily 

 for florists' use. Being absolutely 

 hardy, and producing seed freely, 

 bulbs can be raised in any quantity 

 in practically any part of the United 

 States. The pink flush on the buds 

 and the golden tint in the heart of 

 the flower are unique qualities and 

 the fragrance is very pleasant. An- 

 other good trait is that the pollen 

 does not shed and stain the petals 

 as in other lilies, so that with this 

 lilv the florist, at Easter time, will 

 escape the troublesome job of pick- 

 ing the stamens from flowers as they 

 open. 



Mr. John Farquhar gave a dinner 

 to the visitors. The trip was by auto- 

 mobile, through the parkway and call- 

 ing on Jackson Dawson whose health 

 has been very poor of late. 



CALIFORNIA WILD FLOWERS. 



By Morris M. Uathhuii. 



Lovers of wild flower life in South- 

 ern California at last have realized 

 one of their fondest dreams — a wild 

 flower garden near the heart of Los 

 Angeles. The first blooms have come 

 to the plants in nearly five acres of 

 Exposition Park, one of the newest in 

 the city's breathing spots, and thous- 

 sands have made the acquaintance of 

 rare blossoms heretofore accessible 

 only after long trips into the hills in 

 all parts of the state. 



The wild flower garden idea was 

 born some years ago, when the park 

 was acquired by the city. One of the 

 most enthusiastic workers in obtain- 

 ing the land was Frank Wiggins, sec- 

 retary of the Los Angeles Chamber of 

 Commerce. For years he had sought 

 the money to carry out one of his pet 

 ideas for the park — a wild garden ol 

 sufficient size to contain every variety 

 of native plant life in the state. His 

 idea was heartily endorsed by Theo- 



Classes from the public schools and 

 colleges are in attendance every hour 

 of the day, Saturday and Sunday after- 

 noons are given over to receptions to 

 ihe children. A thoroughly posted at- 

 tendant is placed in charge, who ex- 

 plains to the children the characteris- 

 tics of the different flowers. 



One of the first inquiries of visitors 

 from other cities is concerning the 

 cost. Labor, cultivating, equipment 

 including sprinkler system, plants and 

 incidentals are given as less than 

 eight thousand dollars. The verdict is 

 unanimous that as an attraction and 

 educational feature in a land of flow- 

 ers, the wild garden is worth many 

 times its cost. 



MT. DESERT NATIONAL PARK. 



President Wilson, by oflicial procla- 

 mation, on July 11, created a new na- 

 tional playground of 5000 acres. The 

 Sieur de Monts National Monument, on 

 Mt. Desert Island, Me., a territory of 



View iu tile Los Augeles Wild Flower Garden. 



Bridgeport, Conn. — Carl C. Reck of 

 John Reck & Son, florists, left with 

 the Shriners last Sunday for Buffalo. 

 Mr. Reck will leave the party at Buf- 

 falo, branching off from the main tour, 

 and will take in the lake section, stop- 

 ping at Detroit, Duluth, etc., crossing 

 into Canada. 



dore Payne, a florist who is credited 

 with a wide knowledge of the unculti- 

 vated flowers of California. 



But little headway was made until 

 two years ago, when the county su- 

 pervisors appropriated nearly half a 

 million doUers for "beautifying and 

 entertainment purposes during 1915," 

 this being California expositions' year. 

 A part of this fund became available 

 and last year, prior to the beginning 

 of the winter rains, two hundred and 

 thirty varieties of wild flowers, shrubs 

 and trees were planted. 



The work of planning, preparing 

 and planting was under the direction 

 of Mr. Payne, and it was literally a 

 labor of love. He believes that Cali- 

 fornia's wild flowers cannot be matched 

 anywhere for beauty and variety. The 

 desert, valleys, woodlands and moun- 

 tains were searched for superior speci- 

 mens. Journeys aggregating thousands 

 of miles would have to be taken to 

 view what here are gathered in five 

 acres. 



In the late spring nearly every 

 blooming variety was in flower, mak- 

 ing a sight dazzling to the nature 

 lover. The garden proved of strong 

 attraction not only to sight seers but 



majestic beauty. The proclamation 

 was recommended by Secretary of the 

 to students of horticulture and botany. 

 Interior Lane. The acceptance of the 

 Mt. Desert Island tract follows a tender 

 of the tract to the government several 

 weeks ago by George B. Dorr, repre- 

 senting the Hancock county trustees of 

 public reservations. 



The new national park embraces 

 more than 5000 acres of rugged moun- 

 tain land directly south of Bar Harbor, 

 its northern boundary lying within a 

 mile of that famous resort. Touching 

 the Schoonerhead road on the east, ap- 

 proaching within a mile of Seal Har- 

 bor on the south and being less than 

 that distance northeast of Northeast 

 Harbor. It is surrounded on all sides 

 by extensive summer colonies. 



The Sieur de Monts National Park 

 includes four lakes and no less than 

 10 small mountains. The lakes are 

 Jordon pond. Eagle lake. Bubble pond, 

 and Sargent Mountain pond. 



Mr. Dorr, who is projirietor of the 

 Mt. Desert Nurseries, has worked for 

 years on this project and has expended 

 much time and money to preserve and 

 beautify the tract which now becomes 

 public property forever. 



