10 



HORTICULTUEE 



July 6, 1912 



Obituary* 



John A. Pettigrew. 



John Allgood Pettigrew, superin- 

 tendent of Boston parks, died at his 

 home in Jamaica Plain, Mass., on July 

 2, of heart disease, from which he had 

 been suffering for several months. Mr. 

 Pettigrew was born near Newcastle, 

 England, on April 25, 1844. His father 

 ■was a gardener and he began his own 

 experience in that profession when a 

 boy of 10 years. He came to this coun- 

 try at the age of 22 and settled in Chi- 

 cago, where he was engaged in flori- 

 culture and landscape work for some 

 13 years, afterwards spending several 

 years in the stone contracting busi- 

 ness. Returning to landscape work he 

 was selected as superintendent of Lin- 

 coln Park which was then in the con- 

 structive stage and the result of his 

 magnificent abilities in this work and 

 In the treatment of the lake shore 

 drive soon brought to him and the de- 

 partment under his care a world-wide 

 repute. His accomplishments in the 

 Chicago park system were justly called 

 "a triumph of the gardeners' art, over 

 apparently insurmountable adverse 

 conditions" and there was great popu- 

 lar indignation when through the po- 

 litical tyranny of an unscrupulous 

 governor Mr. Pettigrew was forced out 

 of his position. Politics again was the 

 cause of his leaving the Milwaukee 

 park system where he spent one year 

 after leaving Chicago. He then came 

 to Prospect Park, Brooklyn, where he 

 displayed high administrative ability 

 and made a splendid record of efficien- 

 cy and further secured his reputation 

 as the foremost park superintendent 

 In America. On January 1, 1897, he 

 was called to take charge of the Bos- 

 ton park system and here he has la- 

 bored unceasingly over since, sturdily 

 advocating and practicing the best 

 principles of landscape art and ren- 

 dering invaluable service in providing 

 healthful recreation facilities for all 

 the people, young and old. 



Mr. Pettigrew was identified with 

 many organizations. He was the or- 

 ganizer and first president of the 

 American Association of Park Super- 

 intendents; president of the Garden- 

 ers' and Florists' Club of Boston for 

 two terms; trustee of the Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Society; member of 

 the Society of American Florists, the 

 American Forestry Association, the 

 Appalachian Mountain Club and the 

 Horticultural Club of Boston. He read 

 papers before several of these bodies 

 on various occasions, on the subject to 

 which he had devoted his life work 

 and was at all times a willing helper 

 on committees and other society 

 duties. He leaves a widow, one son 

 and three married daughters. 



As to Mr. Pettigrew's personality 

 and qualities as a friend and compan- 

 ion words fail to express- the writer's 

 emotions as he recalls the years of 

 close intimacy with that generous and 

 noble character. A true and ever-loyal 

 friend, a wise and far-seeing counsel- 

 lor — 



"Friend to tiutli! of sonl sincere, 

 In action faitliful. and In lienor clear, 

 AVbo broke no promise, serv'd no private 



end. 

 Who cain'd no title, and who lost W) 



friend." 



We now give way to the heartfelt 



tribute of one who v/as, perhaps, Mr. 

 Pettigrew's closest confidant and 

 friend among the Boston horticultural 

 fraternity. 



It falls to the lot of few men to be 

 so widely appreciated and esteemed, 

 and by his closer friends so deeply 

 beloved as was the late John Allgood 

 Pettigrew. His calling was dear to him 

 and any one interested in any branch 

 of horticulture or forestry had ready 

 access to his marvelous fund of knowl- 

 edge. His closest friends were chosen 

 from among his fellow craftsmen and 

 to such his friendship knew no limit. 

 Even among these it was seldom that 

 the subject of conversation drifted be- 

 yond topics relating to his life calling. 



Mr. Pettigrew died in the midst of 

 his work; he never relinquished it. 

 His single purpose was the formation 

 and continuance of a system of parks, 



John Allgood Pettigrew 



boulevards and playgrounds in the 

 City of Boston that would meet the 

 high standard that he himself had es- 

 tablished, a standard not approached 

 by any other system in the world. 



"He is easily first among us," said 

 an able park superintendent in speak- 

 ing of Mr. Pettigrew at the Rochester, 

 N. Y.. convention two years ago. and 

 only the other day a letter from one 

 of the foremost park men in the coun- 

 try referred to him as "our dean and 

 leader." 



Nor was his fame confined to this 

 country — he was well known and his 

 work and opinions most highly re- 

 garded in Europe. When in Europe 

 last month the writer had many in- 

 quiries for and compliments paid to 

 our departed friend; Mr. W. Watson, 

 director of the Royal Gardens. Kew, 

 spoke of him most enthusiastically, 

 while Mr. William Atkinson of the 

 famous Hansworth Nurseries, said, 

 "Pettigrew and I understand each 

 other — of trees and plants we think 

 alike and talk in the same language." 



How much we in Boston who liave 

 seen so much of him shall miss him! 

 His great work remains and will go 

 on, and wherever we turn in this city 

 we shall see it — we shall not forget 

 him, for in it all he will still be with 

 us. JOHN K. M. L. FARQUHAR. 



Mrs. Wilhelmina Rosmarin. 



On June 16, Wilhelmina, wife of 

 George Rosmarin, proprietor of the 

 Encinal Nursery, 1419 Bay street, Ala- 

 meda, Calif., died at her home, aged 

 61 years. She was a native of Ger- 

 many and was well known in the 

 trade. Her husband and two daugh- 

 ters survive her. 



Peter R. De Muth. 



Peter R. De Muth, head of the firm 

 of P. R. De Muth & Sons, florists, 81, 

 South Pittsburg street, Connellsville, 

 Pa., died on June 20, aged 79 years. He 

 was born in Connellsville township 

 and began gardening and florist work 

 while still a boy. He leaves a widow, 

 three sons and two daughters. 



John L. Froding. 



At the age of 67 years, John L. Pro- 

 ding, landscape gardner, Oconomowoc, 

 Wisconsin, died suddenly on June 18. 

 A widow, one son, and two daughters 

 survive him. 



Daniel Springer. 



Daniel Springer, florist, 29 Chitten- 

 den avenue, Columbus, O., died from 

 an attack of heart trouble on June 29. 



NATIONAL SWEET PEA SOCIETY 



OF AMERICA. 



Program — First Day, Saturday, July 



13, 1912. 



3 P. M. — Address of Welcome; 

 President Sim's Address; Secretary's 

 Report; Prof. A. C. Beat's Report on 

 our Trial Grounds at Cornell Univer- 

 ity; Treasurer's Report; Nomination 

 of Officers for 1912; Invitation for the 

 Next Meeting Place; "Our Present 

 Knowledge of the Sweet Pea Diseases 

 and their control, by Prof. J. J. Tau- 

 benhaus of the Delaware College Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station; Election 

 of Officers. 



8 P. M. — Vote on the Next Meeting 

 Place; Addresses and Discussions; 

 Question Box; Unfinished Business. 



Second Day, Sunday, July 14, 1912. 



Lectures which will be announced 

 later. 



Announcements. 



The Gardeners and Florists' Club of 

 Boston will invite the members of the 

 N. S. P. S. of A. at an informal lunch- 

 eon at 7 P. M., Saturday evening. 



The executive committee recom- 

 mends that the name of our society be 

 changed from the National Sweet Pea 

 Society of America to the American 

 Sweet Pea Society. This will be voted 

 upon at the next meeting. Kindly be 

 present and express your views. 



The final schedule of the exhibition 

 and i)rizes is out and copies can be 

 had of Secretary H. A. Bunyard, 342 

 W. 14th street. New York. Ii is a big 

 prize list in which commercial grow- 

 ers, amateurs, private gardeners, re- 

 tailers and school children are all 

 sumptuously provided for in the way 

 of liberal premiums, among which .•ire 

 many valuable cups. The Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Society also offers 

 a page of money prizes and medals. 

 Complete schedule will appear in our 

 next issue 



