198 



HORTICU LTUHE 



September 4, ISiiO 



RAMBLING OBSERVATIONS OF 

 A ROVING GARDENER 



Secretary Kich. of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society, has some good 

 ideas about increasing the value o£ the 

 flower shows, and incidentally of the 

 societies conducting them. Mr. Rich, 

 in conversation, just after the gladiolus 

 exhibit, said that he believed it would 

 be a splendid idea to have a lecture or 

 talk by some competent man at all 

 shows of that kind. It could be given 

 on one or both afternoons, in one of 

 the halls, and should cover the details 

 of growing, cutting and exhibiting the 

 flowers, as well as taking up different 

 Improved varieties. No doubt a great 

 many questions would be asked, too. 

 especially by enthusiastic amateurs. 



I think that this would be a strong 

 feature of these shows, and would lielp 

 to increase the attendance. Probably 

 such talks would be received with 

 greater interest at that time than In 

 the winter, although T should be very 



loath to see the series of winter lec- 

 tures given up. 



scholarly nature, showing an extremely 

 intimate knowledge of the subject dis- 

 cussed, adds much to the value of any 

 magazine. It is far and away the most 

 important article in this number of the 

 .lournal, although Henry Nehrling's de- 

 scription of "My Garden in Florida" 

 makes excellent reading, and seems to 

 be full of information. 



Another plan which might be carried 

 out to advantage, it seems to me. 

 would be to have a decent at the differ- 

 ent shows. Of course, it would be diffi- 

 cult to find a man familiar with the 

 whole range of varieties, but with a 

 little previous coaching, an expert 

 should l>e able to lead parties about the 

 hall and tell them all they desire to 

 know about the various flower shows. 



The Journal of the International 

 Garden Club, dated December, has a 

 remarkably complete, valuable and in- 

 teresting article on Pacific Coast lilies 

 and their culture, written by that well 

 known grower, Carl Purdy. There are 

 a number of excellent illustrations, in- 

 cluding a fine picture of Lilium Par- 

 vum in color. An article of this 



Much attention has been attracted 

 this year to the magnificent place of 

 Dr. and Mrs. Homer Gage, called Trls- 

 thrope, at Shrewsbury, Mass. Allen .1. 

 .Jenkins, in charge, lias won a remark- 

 ably large number of prizes at the 

 shows this season. He was especially 

 successful at the sweet pea exhibit, 

 when he took 26 prizes, including the 

 Hutchins memorial cup provided by 

 the National Sweet Pea Asociation in 

 memory of Rev. W. J. Hutchins. who 

 did much towards the development of 

 the sweet pea. It was Mr. Hutchins 

 who wrote the much quoted tribute to 

 the sweet pea: 



"The sweet pea has a keel that is 

 meant to seek all shores; it has wings 

 that were meant to fly across all con- 



Campanala Persicifolta Grandiflora 



