August 31, 1912 



HORTICULTURE 



317 



PHILADELPHIA NOTES. 



The returned prodigals from the 

 Chicago convention have nothing but 

 good words about their reception at 

 the hands of the brethren in the great 

 western metropolis. There are many 

 comical incidents being related but 

 nothing reflecting on the good will and 

 hospitality of their hosts. The latch 

 string seems to have been out every- 

 where judging from the private firms 

 and individuals who threw everything 

 to the winds and devoted their re- 

 sources unreservedly to giving every 

 visitor they could reach "a good time." 



Among those who are most loud in 

 their praises is our "commodore." 

 John Westcott. He had a splendid 

 time and was much pleased that his 

 good friend, John Farquhar, got the 

 presidency. 



Another distinguished delegate who 

 has a good word to say is the presi- 

 dent of our Florists' Club, J. Otto Thi- 

 low, who said that one of the most 

 delightful experiences of his trip was 

 his meeting with Will Currie of Mil- 

 waukee. To say that he, Currie, was 

 a most charming man seems limber 

 and Frenchified. To say he was a 

 friendly and jolly spirit unexpectedly 

 met in the desert with manna and 

 honey and the water of Moses when 

 he struck the rock, in his hands, comes 

 a little nearer to it; but the real efful- 

 gence that emanates from this unique 

 Scot is really impossible of descrip- 

 tion. No man can describe or account 

 for the magnetism: but we all feel it. 

 What the writer thinks about Currie 

 was well put by Andrew Carnegie 

 once: "He's a pawky chiel" and no 

 one but a Scot will ever be able to 

 sense that expression. 



When "Young Fred" Michell started 

 to tell us about it all the adjectives 

 came so thick and fast we had to guess 

 at them. But one thing seemed clear: 

 events so crowded themselves on him 

 that it will take at least six months to 

 get a consecutive narrative. An in- 

 terviewer has rights. He cant make 

 a story out of a perpetual chuckle. 



B. Eschner, of M. Rice & Co., was all 

 wreathed in smiles when yours truly 

 called on him this week, still busy 

 taking care of the largest business 

 ever transacted by this house at a 

 convention. Mr. B. has been the re- 

 cipient of numerous congratulations on 

 the splendid exhibit of florists' sup- 

 plies and ribbons at Chicago. 



"They may all talk as they please," 

 said Duncan Macaw of Craig's, after 

 his return from Chicago, "but certain- 

 ly nothing in sight could touch us in 

 cyclamen, Lorraine begonias, or any 

 of our specialties. Orders came thick 

 and fast and many went away that we 

 could not wait on." But the mails are 

 still open, the Craig Quality it; still 

 unimpaired and the Honorable Rob- 

 ert wears that same smile of welcome 

 and can show the goods to all call- 

 ers. 



The horticultural trade of America 

 owes far more than is at present ap- 

 preciated to W. Atlee Burpee and his 

 colleagues in their struggle for fair 

 play with the postal authorities at 

 Washington the past three mouths. 

 The good news that they have won out 

 and that there is to be no change in 

 the eight cents per pound rate we have 

 so long enjoyed, is most glorious, wel- 

 come and gladsome. There is not the 

 slightest doubt that if it had not been 

 for the magnificent fight put up by 



Burpee and his committee Congress 

 would have — unwittingly perhaps, but 

 none the less surely — done irreparable 

 injury to the mightiest agency for the 

 uplift and advancement of the coun- 

 try, the horticultural bodies, who are 

 tar more than mere business interests, 

 who are, moreover, the pioneers of the 

 aim we all have at heart — to make 

 the wilderness blossom as the rose. 

 To put a brake on that proposition 

 would forever condemn Uncle Sam 

 as a hopeless reactionary. 



And while we think of it, let us not 

 forget that other wonderful personal- 

 ity who first got us the eight cent rate 

 — as against other merchandise at six- 

 teen cents, many years ago. Under 

 the magnetism of a committee of the 

 S. A. F., headed by Patrick O'Mara of 

 Peter Henderson & Co., of New York 

 City, that great boon of eight cents a 

 pound was granted and no man can 

 tell the wonderful things that the con- 

 cession has produced in these succeed- 

 ing years. 



We hail Burpee; we hail O'Mara; 

 and we hail the S. A. F. who were be- 

 hind Patrick O'Mara, and are now be- 

 hind Burpee. 



John Duncan, now of Spokane, 

 Wash., informs us that the climate out 

 there has been a revelation to him. 

 Hot as here during the day but two 

 blan', ets at night. Lots of timber 

 land yet — Pinus ponderosa, Abies Dou- 

 glas!, and such. The fruit growers. 

 the wheat growers, and in fact all 

 along the line of farming — no better 

 anywhere. Sweet peas — stems two 

 feet long and six and seven flowers. 

 Mr. Duncan thinks the eagle eyes of 

 Burpee and the rest of our great seeds- 

 men are on the blink as yet about this 

 latitude and Northern Idaho. 



A. Zirkman of M. Rice & Co., is in 

 town this week after a long successful 

 trip to the coast and having just fin- 

 ished a strenuous week at the Chicago 

 Convention. 



Visitors: John A. Beck, Milton 

 Pa.; Robt. L. Smith and S. G. Barnes 

 of the Flower Shop, Pittsfleld, Mass.: 

 H. L. Holmes. Harrisburg, Pa.; Sid- 

 ney Hoffman, Boston, Mass. 



PROVIDENCE NOTES. 



Theodore R. Peterson of Benefit St., 

 has gone to Morristown. N. J. for his 

 vacation. 



^V■illiam Cohen with William Hoff- 

 man, has returned from a two weeks' 

 vacation at Newport. 



Samuel Reswick, a clerk in the sto.e 

 of Joseph Kopelman, is back fioni a 

 vacation at Cape Cod. 



Charles Johnston, who has been ill 

 for a long time, is reported this week 

 as being slightly better. 



N. D. Pierce, of Norwcod, who sub- 

 mitted to an operation at a private 

 hospital in this city on August 23. is 

 reported as resting comfortably. 



Joseph Kcpelman has made exten- 

 sive repairs at his store on Washing- 

 ton street. The arrangement of the 

 furnishings has been changed so that 

 the store makes a much better appear- 

 ance and gives additional room. 

 ■ Robert Johnston, Prof. H. J. 

 Wheeler and Eugene McCarron, the 

 special committee in charge of meet- 

 ings, have something interesting for 

 the next meeting of the Florists' and 

 Gardeners Club on September 16. 



Horseshoe Brand Lily Bulbs 



The Clops of all early furciug lly bulbs 

 of guod quality are very short this year, 

 owing to a lack of rain at the proper time. 

 At such times many bulbs of inferlur qual- 

 ity And a ready sale in the market. Those 

 who want gocd lily bulbs should therefore 

 not delay a day in placing their orders. 

 The foil iwing are the revised prices for 

 jHorseshi e Brand bulli.s, the best produced 

 in the AA'orld. Immediate delivery. 



L,IL,IUM FORMOSUM. 



Excellent stock — extra in size and quality 



Size C/S iu., $20.00 per case of 400 bulbs 



" 7/9 in., 22.50 per case of 300 bulbs. 



.8/10 in., 22.50 per case of 2.t0 bulbs 



9/10 in., 22.00 per case of 200 bulbs. 



9/11 in., 19.80 per case of 180 bulbs 



" 10/11 in., 18.00 per case of 1.50 bulbs 



n/i:i in., 18.00 per case of 120 bulbs 



We advise early orders— very limited stock. 



1.ILIIIM GIGANTECM— (to arrive soon). 

 Size 6/8 in., $16.00 per case of 400 bulbs. 

 " 7/8 in., 16.00 per case of 350 bulbs. 

 7/9 in., 16.00 per case of ;;00 bulbs. 

 8/10 in.. 22..5l> per case of 250 bulbs. 

 9/10 in., 22.00 per case of 200 bulbs 

 9/11 in., 21.60 per case of l.«0 bulbs. 

 " 10/11 in., 22.iJ0 per case of 150 bulbs 

 " 11/13 in., 24.00 per case of 120 bulbs 

 'The above Giganteum are from the finest 

 helcls m .Tapan. Prices on Auratum, Rub- 

 rum. Mngnifleum, Album, etc., etc., upon 

 application. 



FRENCH BULBS. 



From tl)e celebrated flelds of Martial 

 Bremond, world's largest grower of French 

 Bulbs. 



WRITE FOR PRICES 



on Paper White Grandiflora, French Trum- 

 pet Majors and Frecsias, if interested. 



Prices are F. O. B. New York City, duty 

 paid, terms three months or 2 per cent, ten 

 days. A special discount of 5 per cent, will 

 be granted only when cash accompanies 

 the order. 



Write for the Book of Bulbology, 



Ralph M. Ward & Co. 



71 Murray Street 

 NEW YORK CITY 



Not How Ctieap 

 But Bov Good 



John r. Lindblom, familiarly known 

 to the trade as "Long John," for the 

 past six years foreman of the houses 

 of Miss Florence A. Willard on Mass- 

 achusetts avenue, left this week for 

 Portland, Ore., to accept a position 

 there. He will be succeeded by Louis 

 Wells who has been assistant foreman 

 at the Willard range for some time. 

 Miss Willard's specialty is ferns and 

 orchids. Bcitb men are experts in this 

 branch of the trade. 



Boston, Mass. — A new plan to in- 

 crease the usefulness of the parks to 

 the people has been put in operation 

 by Superintendent Shea. Auto phae- 

 tons have been provided iu which for 

 the sum of ten cents a six or seven- 

 mile ride through Franklin Park and 

 adjoining reservations may be enjoyed 

 and many parts hitherto almost inac- 

 cessible except with carriages are 

 thus brought within reach of the gen- 

 eral public. 



Henry Eckford's £1000 sweet pea 

 competition took place at Wem, Eng., 

 on the 18th of July. In the five classes 

 the money was awarded in the follow- 

 ing manner: Three first prizes of 

 £200 each, two of £100 each and 200 

 consolation prizes of £1 each. The 

 competition was very keen, the en- 

 tries numbering close on 3,000. 



