112 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



February, 



Blackberries, Mr. N. Ohmer of Montgomery 

 County, reported a net return of $3,500. He stops 

 the new growth of Blackberries at 4 feet and 

 cuts the laterals back to 1 foot. 



The American Association of Flor- 

 ists. The Recent Executive 

 Session. 



The Society of American Florists, as rep- 

 resented by its executive committee, enjoyed 

 its first iutrodnction to the City of Buffalo 

 on -January 15th to 17th last. The occasion 

 was the meeting to arrange for the fifth 

 annual convention of the Association, which 

 is to take place in this city in August next. 

 The committee, consisting of I.t men, in- 

 cludes some of America's most eminent 

 florists; men who, for what they have 

 achieved in fostering a love for the pure and 

 elevating art of florictiltnre and of the gen- 

 eral use of flowers, would honor any city by 

 their visits. 



About the Society. Although only in its fifth 

 year, the American Society of Florists is in num- 

 bers and intelligence without doubt the strongest 

 horticultural association in the world. Even 

 now it is the wonder and envy of Europe, not- 

 withstanding her old and famous Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society of London and similar organiza- 

 tions on the Continent which have become famous 

 for their accomplishments in advancing the art 

 of horticulture. Our own society numbers at 

 this time over 1,000 members, residing in all the 

 States and in Canada. 



The annual attendance last year reached almost 

 1,000 members. It is expected that the coming 

 Buffalo meeting will excel all pre\ ious ones in 

 the number of visitors present. If the high ap- 

 preciation, amounting indeed to enthusiasm, 

 which was shown by the executive committee 

 for the City of Buffalo, her hospitality, her Music 

 Hall in which to hold the meetings, her excellent 

 hotels, the various attractions of the city and 

 vicinity, and more important still, if the really 

 superior programme decided upon are to count, 

 we feel sure that the ne.xt meeting will be the 

 most successful one in the history of the society. 



The Programme. That the executive com- 

 mittee did most excellent work at the meeting is 

 evident from the programme that follows, which 

 is subject to some slight changes. Main essays: 



On the Elevation of our Business, Kobert Craig. 



Education of the Florist, H. H. Battles. 



Establishment of an Exi)eiiment Garden in this 

 Country, John Thorpe. 



Relation of the Horticultural Press to the 

 Florist, M. A. Hunt. 



Summer Blooming Flowers, A. E. Whittle. 



Roses from a Nurseryman's Standpoint, Will- 

 iam C. Barry. 



On Landscape Gardening, William McMillan. 



What shall be done to make Exhibitions more 

 Popular and Profitable? E. Lonsdale. 



Questions, with names of jiersons to whom 

 answers were assigned, as follows: 



Orchids for the Commercial Florist, W. A. 

 Manda. 



Best Methods of LTtilizing Space Under Green- 

 house Benches. 



The Winter Flowering Heaths, Mr. Gardner. 



The Best Way of Keeping Green Fly from 

 Koses, W. J. Palmer. 



What Varieties of Roses Recently Introduced 

 are of Value to the Florist ? E. G. HIU. 



The Benefit of Electric Light, James Park, of 

 Orange, N. J. 



Where Does the Rose Bug Secrete its Eggs? 

 Mr. Ben.iamin Grey. 



WiU the Hose Bug Stand Frost ? Assigned to 

 Charles Anderson. 



Slate versus Wood for Greenhouse Benches, 

 for general discussion. 



Can the General Plant Florist Increase on the 

 Hardy Plant and Shrub Business for Lawn Dec- 

 oration to Advantage? Wm. Scott. 



The Best Method of Caring for Wrought Iron 

 Boilers During the Summer when not in use. 

 M. A. Hunt. 



In What way can a Florist Most Successfully 

 Start in a Country Town? A. Giddings, Dan- 

 ville, 111. 



(.)n Southern Roses. Mr. Forsterman. 



How can our Local Clubs and the Society Best 

 Work Together ? J. D. Raynolds, of Chicago. 



Palms, Ferns and Foliage Plants for the Retail 

 Dealer. M. H. Morton. 



The Forcing of Hardy Shrubs. Henry Bird, 

 of New York, 



How to Prevent Excessive Waste in Fuel? 

 Open for general discussion. 



What Present Advance over cost Should be 

 the General Basis in Conducting a Retail Flower 

 Trade? John Westcott. 



Is the Practice of Advancing the Price of Cut 

 Flowers Certainly Injurious to the Trade? .T. C. 

 Vaughn, Chicago, 111. 



What Materials are the best for Building a Flue 

 for Greenhouse Heating ? For general discussion. 



What is the Experience with Oude Petroleum 

 in Heating Greenhouses? Expected that Detroit 

 florists will give points on the subject. 



What would have to be the Cost of Water Gas 

 before it would be as Cheap as Coal ? J. T. Tem- 

 ple. 



Does the Early Housing of Violets have a Ten- 

 dency to Create Disease ? H. A. Seibrecht. 



Will. Carnations that have been Propagated 

 from Plants grown on Light Soil reach Perfection 

 when Grown in Heavy Soil, and vice versa ? 



The Men who compose the Executive Com- 

 mittee. Of the men composing the executive 

 committee of this society, John N. Ma.v, of Sum- 

 mit, N. J., is the president. Still a young man, 

 he is one of the founders of the present society, 

 and by his activity and enthusiasm in its work 

 he begets the same spirit in others. This gentle- 

 man is exclusively a grower of choice Roses, 

 having a glass area of over one and one fourth 

 acre devoted to this croi>. Many of the finest 

 Roses that reach New York market are cut from 

 his Rose-houses, while not a small part of the 

 product finds its way also to other inland cities 

 to delight the lovers of the superb in the queen 

 of flowers. The famous American Beauty Hose, 

 a large, fragrant crimson flower, occupies the 

 first position in importance in his collection of 

 decorative Roses. Following on this, his list of 

 favorite Roses includes the W. F. Bennet, Bride, 

 Catherine Mermet, Sunset, Perle des Jardin, 

 Niphetos, Bon Silene, Marechal Niel, Glorie de 

 Dijon, in the order named, and yet others. 



The most famous man of the entire committee 

 is Mr. Peter Hendei-son, of New York City, a 

 gentleman whose influence for an Americanized 

 horticulture has been far in advance of that of 

 any other horticulturist. As is well known he 

 is the author of numerous standard works on 

 gardening, including a "Dictionary of Plants," 

 and is a prolific writer for the press. As the head 

 of an extensive seed and florist establishment, in 

 the prosecution of which he has realized a 

 fortune, he has tested more novelties and intro- 

 duced to notice more meritorious new flowers, 

 ornamental plants, vegetables, and fruits than 

 any other man in America. His glass and green- 

 house range, covering four acres, are the most 

 extensive of their kind in the world. Mr. Hen- 

 derson has been engaged in the florist business 

 for 40 years, and has seen wonderful advances in 

 the art during that time. In appearance he is 

 tall, and has a distinguished air. Although up- 

 wards of 60 years old, he still prescr\-es the bright, 

 clear eye, ruddy complexion, and elastic move- 

 ments of a young man. A Scotchman by birth. 



Mr. John Thorpe, of Pearl River, N. Y., enjoys 

 the distinction of having been the first president 

 of the societ,v, and to him more than to any other 

 man is due the founding and the remarkable 

 success of the present organization. He is presi- 

 dent of the New York Horticultural Society at 

 this time. This gentleman is one of the most 

 skillful growere of choice plants in the world— a 

 botanist of note, and especially familiar with the 

 culture of Orchids and Chrysanthemums. His 

 favorite branch, however, is the originating of 

 new varieties of flowers from seed, assisted by 

 the art of hybridizing and cross fertilization, in 

 which he is an expert. He has originated numer- 

 ous valuable varieties of Chrysanthemums, and 

 has contributed largely towards the movement 

 which has brought these flowers to the front in 

 recent years. He is also an extensive grower of 

 improved Carnations. Mr. Thorpe is one of the 

 strongest men of the executive committee, and 

 his word is respected as authority on all matters 

 pertaining to floriculture. 



A shining light of the society, one of its ex- 

 presidents, is genial Robert Craig of Philadelphia, 

 a magnetic speaker, and a ready, able writer. 

 His establishment has become noted in dissemin- 

 ating new varieties of Roses and other novelties 

 in plants. As a whole-sfiuled man of progressive 

 mind, who loves his business for the love of it, 

 and is ever ready in helping others, he is looked 

 up to as a leader in his chosen profession. 



E. G. Hill, Ex-President of the society though 

 born in this Stiite, is a Western man of Richmond 

 Ind. He is an active, wide-awake business man 



engaged extensively in the growing of young 

 plants rather than of cut flowers, while Rose 

 bushes, new Geraniums and Begonias are given 

 special attention. He is an authority on heating 

 hot-houses with natural gas as fuel. 



Mr. W. J. Palmer, vice president of the 

 American Society is an extensive florist of Buf- 

 falo and president of the Bufi'alo Florist Club. He 

 is a veteran in his line, ha\ing been engaged in 

 the florist business continuously since 1863. His 

 greenhouses are located at tiancaster, N. Y„ and 

 here he has about 30,000 square feet of glass 

 alone devoted to the forcing of Roses. He is one 

 of the largest growers of cut flowers in the coun- 

 try outside of the New York city vicinity. 



W. J. Stewart of Boston, Mass., the secretary 

 of the society, wields a read.v pen in a forcible 

 style. Mr. Stewart has been a member of the 

 executive board from the organization of the 

 society, and, being a clear-headed business man 

 who handles at wholesale the produce of hun- 

 dreds of growers,"knows flowers." His counsel 

 is always highly esteemed. 



Charles D. Ball of Holmesburg, Philadelphia, 

 is a grower of Palms and Ferns and a ready 

 writer on topics relating to them. His suavity 

 of manners has rightly entitled him to the repu- 

 tation 0)f "the genial man" in the society. 



The other members of the executive committee 

 are: Treasurer M. A. Hunt; Robert J. Halliday, 

 Baltimore; A. P. Calder, Boston, specialist in 

 Violet culture; Frank Huntzman of Cincinnati, 

 retail florist; J. M. Kellar, Bay Ridge, L. I., a 

 Palm and Rose grower; A. E. Whittle, Albany, 

 N. Y.; J. D. Raynolds, president of the Chicago 

 Florists' Club; J. T. Temple, a florist of the west, 

 being situated at Davenport, Iowa. 



Annual Meeting of the New Jersey 

 State Horticultural Society. 



Continued from page 88. 



Insects . Beneficial and Inj arions. The destruc- 

 tion caused by insects is not an unmitigated e\'il, 

 says Prof. Geo. D. Hulst, the entomologist of the 

 experiment station. It makes production of 

 fruits and vegetables a little more laborious, and 

 relieves the careful and industrious manager of 

 a great deal of competition. In order to fight 

 injurious insects successfully, the grower should 

 ac(iuaint himself with the life history of his 

 enemies, and learn in which of the four stages of 

 development— egg, larva, chrysalis, or perfect 

 insect— they can be got at most easily. Some 

 insects are exposed in one, others in more or all 

 of these four stages. The Cranberry fiy lays its 

 eggs on the outside of the berry; and can only be 

 fought in this style, as the worm enters the berry 

 immediately on being hatched, and the perfect 

 fly takes wing, lays its eggs and soon dies. The 

 remedies must be applied in accord with the 

 natural habits of the insects. We may pick the 

 eggs, or kill the caterpillars or maggots by appli- 

 cation of poisons, or catch or poison the beetles 

 and butterflies. Arsenical preparations answer 

 the purpose for destroying leaf -eating caterpil- 

 lars in almost every instance. But these reme- 

 dies, Paris green, London purple, etc., should be 

 used in very weak solutions. By touch we can 

 kill insects with kerosene emulsions and Pyre- 

 thrum. Best of all is a mixture of arsenical 

 poisons and either kerosene emulsion or pyre- 

 thrum. The grower thus secures two chances 

 of success, killing by poison or by touch. 



Birds do much good in destroying injurious 

 insects. The destruction of birds ought to be 

 strictly forbidden by law, except under certain 

 contingencies. A live game bird is worth more 

 to the farmer than a dead one for the sportsman. 

 Prof. Hulst's defence of the English sparrow was 

 not relished by his audience, however. Among 

 the gardener and fruit growers' friends the essay- 

 ist names toads, snakes, moles. Rosebugs in larva 

 state have almost no enemy except moles, and 

 the latter have been greatly decreased by the 

 traps set for them in garden and lawns. Lady 

 bugs destroy myriads of aphides. 



Can Wild Goose Plums be Made to Fruif! Mr. 

 Dye says he has a number of trees. Those ex- 

 posed to the fury of the last blizzard in March 

 did not bear this year. One tree standing in a 

 protected situation near a building was loaded 

 with fruit, no other Plum or Peach trees being 

 near. Mr. WUcox tells of a neighbor who has 

 one large lone tree, no other Plum or Peach tree 

 being within fifty rods of it, and who claims to 

 have realized the amount of $50 from fruit sold 

 off this one tree during the last three years. 



Application of Manure. To the query wheth- 

 er there is any loss of plant food by applying 



