84 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



and continued till 1887, reflecting from its pages the teachings and 

 the great appreciation of plants of Thomas Meehan, its editor. 

 This is straight line of descent of an honest effort of early profes- 

 sional horticulturists to introduce their wares to the public by a 

 campaign of impartial education. In 1887, both the HoriiciiUurisi 

 and Gardener's Monthly were absorbed by the American Garden. 



The origin of the American Garden itself was from two independ- 

 ent sources of which the Ladies' Floral Cabinet, beginning in 1872 

 and issued from the office of the Horticvlturist, was one. The 

 basic idea of this periodical was that the cultivation of flowers was 

 essentially an occupation for women. It was a fairly successful 

 venture and represented a type of periodical that does not exist 

 today. It was amateur and parlor gardening in its simplest and 

 most elemental form. In 1880 the publication changed hands, 

 and still again in 1882, when Ralph Waggoner assumed possession, 

 with C. L. Allen as editor-in-chief. In 1887 it was absorbed by 

 the American Garden, which later absorbed also the Flower Garden, 

 edited and published by C. L. Allen and subsequently by Beach 

 Sons & Company and B. K. Bliss. 



It will be noted here that the proprietorship and management 

 of these publications have been entirely in the hands of those 

 interested commercially in the plant and seed trades. 



With Bliss' ownership. Dr. F. M. Hexamer became editor and 

 under his management the quality of the material published reached 

 a higher plane, the contents being divided into definite "depart- 

 ments," as they were called, the whole publication, however, being 

 a periodical calendar and notes on the introductions of the moment. 

 In 1890 and for three years later, L. H. Bailey was editor. The 

 American Garden at this period assumed definite magazine charac- 

 ter, the subject matter being of the expository character with some 

 attention to articles of record and description. 



In 1892 Popular Gardening was absorbed. This was an olla 

 podria of anything and everything that related to the growing of 

 plants, fruits, flowers, and vegetables gathered from anywhere, 

 but it had struck a really popular note. Its principal thought and 

 aim was to stimulate the improvement of home grounds. This 

 publication was itself an absorption af so many other lesser maga- 

 zines from various parts of the country that it is quite bewildering 



