44b 



HOETICULTURE 



IJuly 13, 1912] 



BOSTON'S NEW PARK SUPERIN- 

 TENDENT. 



Much interest has attached to the 

 question of who should be selected 

 as the successor to the late J. A. Pet- 

 tigrew as superintendent of the Bos- 

 ton Park system. The choice, we 

 have just been informed, has fallen 

 on James B. Shea, who has been ably 

 filling the position of assistant super- 

 intendent for a number of years. We 

 think the action of the park authori- 

 ties in advancing Mr. Shea to this re- 

 sponsible position will meet with most 

 cordial approval from those who have 

 had opportunity to know that gentle- 

 man's qualifications. He probably, 

 more than any other person, knew 



James B. Shea 



Mr. Pettigrew's methods and purposes 

 and can be relied on to follow along 

 on consistent lines and governed by 

 the same wise policies which made 

 Mr. Pettigrew's work so notable. Per- 

 sonally, Mr. Shea is a genial, compan- 

 ionable and kindly gentleman, quiet in 

 manner, but none the less influential 

 on that account and has a myriad of 

 friends among all ranks of the Bos- 

 ton public as well as among the park 

 officials of the entire country. Bos- 

 ton's superb park system will still be 

 in good hands. 



Mr. Shea was born in West Rox- 

 bury in 1863. Graduating from the 

 High School in 1880, he pursued his 

 studies in Boston College and Law- 

 rence Scientific School at Harvard. 

 He has been employed in the Boston 

 Park Department for 22 years. In 

 1903 he was appointed general fore- 

 man by Superintendent Pettigrew and 

 in 1907 became assistant superintend- 

 ent. He is at present vice-president 

 of the American Association of Park 

 Superintendents. 



AT MARION, MASS. 

 On June 26 the committee on gar- 

 dens of the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society visited the notable estate 

 of Col. Harry E. Converse at Marion 

 which was awarded the Hunnewell 

 Premium in 1911. The afternoon was 

 spent in looking over the extensive 



grounds, noting especially the rose, 

 fruit and vegetable gardens as well as 

 the improvements made In the rock 

 and water gardens since the visit of 

 the previous year. The numerous 

 greenhouses with their collections of 

 flowering and foliage plants and fruits 

 were also inspected and a fine border 

 of larkspur and peonies attracted at- 

 tention. The rose garden was in, its 

 prime and presented a magnificent pic- 

 ture. The fruit garden was in fine cul- 

 tivation. Mr. Roy, the superintendent, 

 finds that In strawberries the Nich 

 Ohmer and Brandywine succeed best 

 here and in peaches he grows the El- 

 berta, Oldmixon, Stump, Early and 

 Late Crawford, and the Carman. For 

 plums he recommends the Burbank, 

 and for raspberries the Cuthbert and 

 Golden Queen. The extensive wood- 

 lands on the estate have been judi- 

 ciously thinned and on the borders of 

 the roads plantings of rhododendrons, 

 foxgloves and sweet Williams furnish 

 pleasing touches of color. Numerous 

 .small trees of catalpa seem to take 

 well here and Rosa rugosa, both white 

 and red varieties, find a congenial 

 home. For planting along the sea- 

 shore in masses this rose is especially 

 well adapted, and for a hedge plant in 

 exposed points is unexcelled. 



On the same afternoon the commit- 

 tee had the opportunity of making a 

 brief visit to the beautiful seashore 

 home of Andrew Gray Weeks also at 

 Marion. The most important improve- 

 ment made in this estate since the 

 visit of last year is the completion of 

 the sea wall thereby permitting the ex- 

 tension of the lawn to the very water's 

 edge. This great expanse of lawn with 

 its plantings of trees and shrubs is 

 one of the features of Mr. Weeks' es- 

 tate. In the rear of the mansion 

 house is a luxurious growth of native 

 trees and shrubs with many introduced 

 garden species planted along the nu- 

 merous woodland paths. 



The visiting committee consisted of 

 President C. W. Parker, Secretary W. 

 P. Rich, T. D. Hatfield, W. Wheeler, 

 Wm. Downs. A. H. Fewkes and Jack- 

 son Dawson. WM. P. RICH, Secy. 



The next exhibition of the Massa- 

 chusetts Horticultural Society will be 

 held at Horticultural Hall, Saturday 

 and Sunday, July 13 and 14. It will 

 be devoted wholly to sweet peas and 

 will be rendered additionally interest- 

 ing from the fact that the National 

 Sweet Pea Society of ATuerica will 

 hold its fourth annual exhibition and 

 convention in connection with this 

 show. The schedule has been ar- 

 ranged to include the private gar- 

 dener, the amateur, the school 

 children, as well as the commercial 

 grower and retail florist. Special 

 features will be dinner tables and 

 mantels decorated with sweet peas, 

 centerpieces, and bridal and corsage 

 bouquets of sweet peas. It promises 

 to be a wonderful exhibition of the 

 progress made in this popular flower 

 in recent years. The exhibition will 

 be free to all and will be open Satur- 

 day from 12 M. to 10 P. M., and on 

 Sunday from 2 to 10 P. M. 



A VALIANT PRIZE WINNER. 



The accompanying picture depicts 

 W. A. Manda attired in his truly Eng- 

 lish togs and the smile which he wore 

 when he counted his 22 prizes at, the 

 International Exhibition. We are 

 pleased to add to our previous felicita- 

 tions, congratulations to Mr. Manda on 

 the award of a first-class certificate 

 for Polypodium Mandaianum at the 

 Holland House Show— the highest 

 award that can be given there to any 

 novelty. Also the award of a first- 

 class certificate for the same at the 



Yorkshire Gala Flower Show at York 

 and a botanical certificate for Antheri- 

 cum Mandaianum. 



BRITISH HORTICULTURE. 



The full details are not yet pub- 

 lished as to the financial results of the 

 International Horticultural exhibition. 

 It is rumored that after meeting the 

 very heavy expenses there will be a 

 surplus of several thousand pounds 

 available for the gardening charities. 

 — Great satisfaction is felt in the gard- 

 ening world that the Board of Agricul- 

 ture in future will have a special 

 division set apart for horticulture. 

 Mr. A. G. L. Rogers will be in charge 

 assisted by entomological and other 

 experts. — This year the Council of the 

 Royal Caledonian Horticultural So- 

 ciety has awarded the Neill Prize 

 to Mr. John M. Hattie, the Edinburgh 

 city gardener. The prize, awarded for 

 eminent services In horticulture, is 

 the interest of a sum bequeathed by 

 the late Dr. Patrick Xeill for the pur- 

 pose, and is dealt with every two 

 years. — The honor of Iniighthood has 

 been conferred upon Lieut. Col. D. 

 Prain, director of the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens, at Kew. — A baronetcy has 

 been conferred on Mr. Alexander 

 Cross, the senior partner in the firm 

 of Alexander Cross and Sons, manure 

 merchants and horticultural sundries- 

 men. Sir Alexander Cross has for 

 many years been a prominent publ:c 

 man, having for IS years been a mem- 

 ber of Parliament. W. H. ADSETT. 



