336 



HORTICULTURE 



September 2, 1911 



longing to our Society with a staff of 

 practical men, and consider what a 

 training school for young men such a 

 garden would bo and the beneficial re- 

 sults that would follow as efficient 

 well trained men became available for 

 positions in private or commercial 

 places. Our ranks are being constant- 

 ly recruited by importations from Eu- 

 rope, because of the degree of 

 efficiency these recruits possess. We 

 lack the facilities to give our young 

 men practical training in a manner 

 that appeals to them with the assur- 

 ance of an endorsement upon proved 

 competency; this would also be a sub- 

 stantial aid to material advancement. 



The working staff of the Royal Hor- 

 ticultural Society's garden is largely 

 composed of students who, for a small 

 remuneration, work and study with 

 facilities not to be had in the ordinary 

 private and commercial place. Per- 

 haps the best testimony of the 

 efficiency of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society's work along these lines is 

 that it has been continuous for over 

 fifty years, that the trials of fruits, 

 vegetables and flowers conducted 

 therein have been most beneficial to 

 horticulture and a large number of the 

 R. H. S. men hold positions of promi- 

 nence in all parts of the world and one 

 of them is a director of the S. A. F. 

 at this time and another prominently 

 mentioned for your presidency. 



This it seems to me at some future 

 time could be started in some good 

 and practical way by the members of 

 this splendid organization and men 

 would be willing to finance such a 

 project, and there are plenty of them 

 in the S. A. F., and it would greatly 

 help the florist and gardener in the 

 ever increasing and perplexing ques- 

 tion of securing efficient help. 



Some may say while there are 

 plenty of men coming from the other 

 side what is the use of all this, but it 

 must be remembered that a good deal 

 of chaff gets in with the wheat. 



I have failed to know the reason so 

 few gardeners are members of the S. 

 A. F., whether because each locality 

 has its own local society that they 

 think by being a member it is all that 

 is necessary and feel content with 

 local conditions, but its effects are 

 soon evident and instead of broaden- 

 ing his usefulness, narrows It and 

 soon becomes dormant. If it were pos- 

 sible for all the societies to amalga- 

 mate with the S. A. F., and I see no 

 reason for not doing so, then I believe 

 our local societies would also be In- 

 corporated with the above and then 

 perhaps the gardeners would become a 

 part of the S. A. P., as in my opinion 

 they should be. 



Several attempts have already been 

 made. I believe, to form a gardeners' 

 society and one has been organized, 

 but with what degree of success I do 

 not know, any more than I believe the 

 time to be opportune for such a con- 

 solidation of florists and gardeners 

 for the mutual and best interests of 

 all, and one that would make of our 

 P. A. F. such a national organization 

 that would easily become the greatest 

 of its kind in the world. 



In conclusion 1 might say that I 

 shall do all in my power to advance 

 the interests of your society, and will 

 also endeavor to interest as many of 

 my profession as possible and explain 

 to them the broadness and scope of 

 your organization and the good work 

 it is carrying on. 



Obituary 



Mrs. Jane Buxton. 

 Mrs. Jane Buxton, widow of R. A. 

 Buxton, who carried on the Riverside 

 Greenhouses at Bridgeton, R. I., died 

 suddenly on Aug. 16, aged 69 years. 



PHILADELPHIA NOTES. 

 The Pennock-Meehan Co. announce 

 that they will close at noon, Labor 



Archibald Smith. 



Mr. Archibald Smith, seed merchant, 

 Oxford, who suffered for some years 

 from heart trouble, has passed away 

 at the age of 51 years. He was a na- 

 tive of Stranraer, Scotland, and re- 

 ceived his early training in his 

 father's nurseries and seed business 

 there. He filled several important po- 

 sitions in the seed trade in the United 

 States, prior to taking over the Ox- 

 ford business. — From the British 

 Horticultural Trades Journal, Aug. 16. 



Mr. Smith will be best remembered 

 on this side of the water from his long 

 connection with the firm of Joseph 

 Breck & Sons of Boston, where he was 

 for many years manager of their seed 



department. 



Joseph Schmidt. 



Joseph Schmidt, one of Harris- 

 burg's veteran florists, died on Aug- 

 ust 23. His death was due to old age, 

 although he had been ill for some 

 time. 



Mr. Schmidt was born at Heidick, 

 Germany, April 12, 1827. He came to 

 this country in 1S60, and lived in Phil- 

 adelphia for five years, after which he 

 came to Harrisburg, Pa., where after 

 working for some years for other peo- 

 ple, he went into business for himself. 

 He retired from active business In 

 1901. when he turned over all his in- 

 terests to his son Charles. Mr. 

 Schmidt was widely known throughout 

 the state and for twelve years served 

 as superintendent of the floral depart- 

 ment of the State Agricultural So- 

 ciety. Mr. Schmidt is survived by his 

 wife, two sons and a daughter, and 

 several grandchildren. 



A CARD OF THANKS. 

 Mrs. John Birnie and family wish 

 to extend their heartfelt thanks to all 

 their friends; to the members of the 

 New York Florists' Club; members of 

 the Baltimore Gardeners' and Florists' 

 Club; members of the Florists' Club 

 of Washington, and the Society of 

 American Florists and Ornamental 

 Horticulturists for their kind words of 

 sympathy, and also for their beautiful 

 floral offerings upon the death of the 

 beloved husband and father, in their 

 sad bereavement. 

 Mrs. JOHN BIRNIE AND FAMILY. 



NEWS NOTES. 



Waltham, Mass. — Neil Bros., of Dor- 

 chester, have leased the greenhouses 

 of R. E. Lassman. 



Manchester, N. C. — J. Van Lindley 

 Nursery Co. have purchased an addi- 

 tional tract of five or six hundred 

 acres of land for development as an 

 apple nursery. 



Waltham, Mass. — Edward P. Smith 

 has sold the Kidder greenhouses on 

 Worcester lane to Harvey Whitte- 

 more, son of Henry Whittemore, 

 former superintendent of schools in 

 this city. It is understood that Mr. 

 Whittemore is to improve the property 

 and engage extensively in the florist 

 business. 



Day, Sept. 4th. 



Charles Henry Fox is now located 

 in his new store, Broad below Walnut, 

 and unique and clever ideas are in 

 progress of development. In the chaos 

 of painters and paper hangers it 

 would be unfair to describe the em- 

 bryos at present. We can tell better 

 about them when completed. 



Pennock Bros, have completed an 

 enlargement of their office facilities 

 which is not only an elegant addition 

 to their store but will also allow a 

 much needed expansion for the long 

 legs of the head of the firm, A. B. 

 Cartledge, and room for "enlargiensis 

 of the coco" of his modest bookkeeper 

 and cashier, Ben Starkey. 



H. H. Battles and the Century Flow- 

 er Shop, considered among the leaders 

 of the retail flower dealers of the 

 country, have an attractive feature at 

 present in the shape of an oval hang- 

 ing basket filled with ferns and other 

 foliage plants, several of which are 

 suspended on the store front as a dec- 

 orative feature. We are told that 

 these have had a very good run. M. 

 Rice & Co. offer these baskets and Mr. 

 Eschner says they have taken so well 

 that they have just opened up their 

 third shipment for the season. 



August 11, 1911. 

 M. Rice & Co.. Philadelphia, Pa. 



Gentlemen; — Kindly send us your 

 Katalog of Florists' Supplies and Rib- 

 bons, including Pot Covers, Baskets, 

 etc., as we wish to keep "up-to-date" 

 and have come to the conclusion that 

 we can ONLY do so through you. 

 Yours respectfully, 



This comes from a prominent house 

 in the far west. Isn't it nice to get 

 "patuonthebackos" like that! Of 

 course HORTICULTURE helped to se- 

 cure it. 



The feature at the club meeting, 

 Tuesday. September 4th, will be a re- 

 sume of the recent convention. The 

 speakers have been selected by J. Otto 

 Thilow, chairman of the committee 

 and a very interesting symposium will 

 no doubt result. Volunteers who may 

 wish to interject their personal 

 opinions will be respectfully recogniz- 

 ed by the president. At least we hope 

 so. But of course there is a limit — and 

 surh bowling experts as your scribe 

 (with a grievance) will be barred. 

 Take notice that he has been officially 

 declared no newspaper man and barred 

 accordingly from the bowling competi- 

 tion. James Ivera Donlan and J. 

 Austin Shaw were apparently the only 

 "newspaper men" in the United States 

 according to the Baltimore standard. 

 What does friend Dela Mare think of 

 that? 



Visitors: Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Sim- 

 mers and children, Toronto. Ont. ; J. 

 N. King, Norristown, Pa.; Kent Bros., 

 Newark, O.; Mis Dondore and Lou 

 Dondore. Lancaster, Pa.; J. S. Stues- 

 ser. Louisville. Ky.: W. W. Randall, 

 Chicago, 111. 



