HORTICULTURE 



Vol. XXXII 



SEPTEMBER 18, 1920 



No. 12 



THE TALK OF THE TRADE 



When I heard of the severe hail- 

 storm that struck the green-houses 

 and truck gardeners outside ot Provi- 

 dence, 1 was very much inclined to 

 think that reports were exaggerated, 

 but it was a mighty unpleasant trip 

 that I made down there to look over 

 the plants that were wrecked. From 

 Roger Williams Park out through 

 Auburn before I got into the green- 

 house and truck gardening section, it 

 was plainly evident that a mighty se- 

 vere storm had swept through. Trees 

 in some places were stripiied bare of 

 leaves, others, depending upon the 

 variety, were cut in ribbons, and in 

 the Park and along the green stretches 

 by the sides of the avenue men were 

 working raking up the leaves, trim- 

 ming trees that had been l-adly 

 broken and clearing away the debris. 

 Block after block of dwelling houses 

 on the west side plainly showed the 

 effects of the storm, as probably 80 

 per cent of the window lights were 

 smashed out entirely. Awnings were 

 torn into ribbons and I knew plainly 

 before I got out to the greenhouse 

 section that there was little to hope 

 for in the way of glass left standing. 



I visited personally only one place. 

 namely the Budlong Rose Company. 

 and when I tell what happened there 

 it will serve to tell what happened to 

 such other places as the greenhouses 

 of .T. E. Koppleman. rose growers, Ed- 

 gar Ij. Nock, orchid grower, who esti- 

 mates his loss from $40,000 to $,')0,000. 

 also the Potter Farm which special- 

 izes in pansies and estimate a loss 

 of 200,000 plants and all the glass 

 over them. Other market gardeners 

 lost every bit of stock that was out 

 in the fields. The big Budlong range 

 was stripped practically bare of glass. 

 The storm came from the west, start- 

 ing at 9.4.5 a. m. and by 10 o'clock tlie 

 work of destruction was complete. On 

 the northern side of the houses there 

 isn't a pane of glass left; on the 

 south side, here and there one may 

 find one, two or three lights scattered 

 along. The carnation houses were 

 stripped and broken down so that they 

 are absolutely useless. Of course the 

 rose plants in the houses were badly 

 cut and broken, but they will come 

 along again as soon as they are cov- 

 ered in and started up. Mr. Budlong 



estimates a financial loss of $250,000, 

 The unfortunate part of the entire af- 

 fair is that not one of the growers, 

 either outdoors or under glass, car- 

 ried any insurance. 



It will take not less than 8,000 boxes 

 or glass to cover in those houses, which 

 he will start up as soon as lie can. 

 Every bit of glass that was available 

 anywhere nearby in the East was im- 

 mediately bought up and hustled over 

 ti'.e road by truck, and as is usual 

 with the Budlong Rose Co., not a min- 

 ute of time was wasted. When I got 

 there Tuesday a big force of men were 

 already glazing and closing in the 

 houses. House after house was cov- 

 ered with roofing material of all kinds 

 and everything possible was being 

 done to save the stock from any 

 greater harm than is necessary. 



I understand that the American 

 Plate & Window Glass Co. have in- 

 structed several factories to go on to 

 16 X 24 greenhouse glass entirely and 

 that Providence has priority shipment 

 on all glass coming into the East. Two 

 carloads of glass left Pittsburgh by 

 express Monday night attached to a 

 passenger train, and this glass with 

 what was picked up in the East will 

 keep the big force of men going until 

 further stock will come in, but it is 



a wicked sight to see the ruin not only 

 under glass but in the field. One hun- 

 dren and fifty acres of Mr, Budlong's 

 vegetable crops were an entire loss. 

 Line upon line of lima beans in 

 frames, and acres of carrots, beets, 

 pepers, egg plants and crops of a like 

 nature were an entire loss, 



E\'en the stock that was in the 

 ground will not be fit for market as 

 it had not reached maturity, being late 

 vegetable crops. They were sending 

 into the market beets and egg plants 

 to the amount of one thousand dollars 

 per day, and every bit of this stock is 

 wiped out. Furthermore, an excellent 

 crop of potatoes had been dug and 

 were lying on top of the ground. The 

 hail cut them up so badly that they 

 are only fit for hog feed now. 



Before this article is in the hands 

 of our readers, however, some of the 

 houses will be closed in. No time is 

 being wasted and the plant will start 

 up piece by piece just as fast as it 

 can be covered. All the growers hit 

 by the storm in that vicinity have the 

 sympathy of everyone in the trade, 

 and any help that can be offered is 

 being cheerfully sent in from all di- 

 rections. 



A surprising development in the 

 way of lilies is the latest report that 

 the crop is going to be unusually 

 short. This applies not only to gi- 



i'TdpHKiitiiif; House at A. \. I'iers»»rr*. Croiiiwell, Ci 



