Mabch 2, 1916. 



The Florists' Review 



23 



OBITUARY 



W. Wells. 



Probably no Englishman has had so 

 important a part in shaping the course 

 of floriculture in this country as has 

 the venerable W. Wells, whose death 

 February 28 is announced by cable. 

 Mr. Wells was the English representa- 

 tive of the triumvirate of chrysanthe- 

 mum raisers represented in this country 

 by Charles H. Totty, Madison, N. J., 

 and in Australia by T. W. Pockett, 

 who has raised as many good sorts as 

 any other man now living. The va- 

 rieties Mr. Totty has introduced in 

 America Mr. Wells has disseminated 

 in England. He has made two tours 

 among the growers in this country, es- 

 tablishing a wide personal acquaint- 

 ance, and it has been because of his 

 intimate knowledge of conditions here 

 that he has been able to send over so 

 many good foreign novelties and also 

 to take from American growers, for 

 distribution in England, some of the 

 best things now grown commercially 

 in the British Isles. 



While Mr. Wells is best known for 

 his work with the chrysanthemum, he 

 has been scarcely less active in the 

 introduction of new carnations, and 

 many other plants have profited by 

 his keen vision, botanical, cultural and 

 financial. 



Mr. Wells made his last visit to this 

 country in the spring of 1913. Last 

 autumn he suffered a serious illness, 

 but a surgical operation saved his life. 

 The end came peacefully at his home 

 at Merstham, Surrey, February 28. The 

 business will be continued by his son, 

 who has been the active member of 

 the firm for some years. 



Fred W. Brnenig. 



Fred W. Bruenig, of St. Louis, Mo., 

 died suddenly at the Lutheran hos- 

 pital, in that city, Friday morning, 

 February 25. He was suddenly taken 

 m while acting as pallbearer for his 

 friend, Conrad Bergstermann, Febru- 

 ary 23. He was taken home before 

 the funeral services began, and from 

 there to the hospital, where an opera- 

 tion was performed Thursday for an 

 abscess in the stomach. He died the 

 following morning. His death came 

 like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, 

 to his many friends in the trade. 



Mr. Bruenig was born in Halle 

 Braunschweig, Germany, in 1863. He 

 came to this country when a young 

 man and settled in St. Louis, finding 

 employment at Charles Elleard's green- 

 houses, in EUeardsville, where he ob- 

 tained his -first knowledge of the flo- 

 rists' business. Aftet a few years he 

 formed a partnership with Henry Aue, 

 at Gravois and Mississippi avenues. 

 Afterward he bought out the interest 

 of Mr. Aue and since then he has built 

 up a large retail business, with a fine 

 greenhouse plant at Columbia, 111., 

 which supplied his store. He is sur- 

 vived by his wife, two daughters, Clara 

 and Ida, and two sons, I^ed W. and 

 Carl. 



He was a member of the St. Louis 

 Florists' Club, the Retail Florists' Asso- 

 ciation and many fraternal orders, the 

 members of which attended the funeral 

 in a body. The funeral took place 

 Monday, February 28, from his late 



V. Welb. 



residence, 2215 Mississippi avenue, and 

 thence to Concordia cemetery. The 

 floral tributes from the Florists' Club, 

 Betail Florists' Association and many 

 friends were numerous and magnificent. 



J. J. B. 



Max Rudolph. 



Max Rudolph, the well known Cin- 

 cinnati retailer and grower, died sud- 

 denly of heart failure February 22, at 

 his home, 1633 Elkton place, Cincinnati. 

 He was born in Leipzig, Germany, in 

 1864. After learning his trade in the 

 country of his birth, he came to the 

 United States at the age of 18. In 

 1891 he started his retail store on 

 Twelfth street, Cincinnati, and in 1900 

 built his greenhouses at College Hill. 

 He was successful in his business ven- 

 tures, and through his thoroughness, 

 his pleasant and kindly manner, he 

 made many friends as well as patrons. 

 At the time of his death he was presi- 

 dent of the Cincinnati Florists' So- 

 ciety. He was a member of the 

 S. A. F., the Cuvier-Press Club and 

 the German Pioneer Society. His wife 

 and son, Roy, in Cincinnati, and his 

 mother and one sister, in Germany, 

 survive him. C. H. H. 



MOTT-LY MUSINGS. 



H. W. Rieman, of Indianapolis, illus- 

 trated the growth in his business by 

 pointing out his two delivery automo- 

 biles and spoke of an auto truck to 

 come. Prompt delivery and increasing 

 business area made these essential. A 

 fine lot of French hydrangeas for 

 Easter were noted; also a long line of 

 hanging moss-lined baskets with Boston 

 ferns for centers and Asparagus Spren- 

 geri for borders. Mr. Bieman considers 

 a small block of cypripediums one of 

 the most profitable things on the place. 



Fred Heinl, of J. G. Heinl & Son, 



Terre Haute, Ind., was recently injured 

 in an accident that occurred while he 

 was on a special trip to the cemetery. 

 Mr. Heinl and the driver of the rig 

 were thrown to the ground and hurt, 

 necessitating confinement to their 

 homes. "Rather irritating at this busy 

 time, but it might have been worse," 

 commented our philosophical friend. 



William H. Gardner, of Richmond, 

 has secured the Knopf Floral Co. range. 

 Mr. Gardner for several years was with 

 P. J. Olinger & Co., Newcastle, both 

 as grower and manager of the commis- 

 sion end. With an up-to-date range, he 

 enters the field under most favorable 

 conditions. 



The Bertermann Bros. Co., of Indian- 

 apolis, says everyone fails to recall 

 when fiowers were of such value as 

 during the last season. John Berter- 

 mann, reporting from the greenhouse 

 range, says Old King Sol is just as 

 shy out there as he is in town. 



The E. G. Hill Co., of Richmond, has 

 selected from 1,500 rose seedlings, of 

 which Ophelia is one parent, forty to 

 fifty promising scions, one of which, a 

 seedling of Killarney x Ophelia, shines 

 brilliantly as a leader. Joseph Hill 

 speaks highly of Hoosier Beauty, which 

 has superseded their own Richmond. 

 Lady Alice Stanley is well thought of. 

 Killarney Brilliant has made a fine 

 showing. The men in the grafting 

 house are working overtime turning 

 out three crops of 75,000 each time. 

 E. G. Hill was busily engaged in bud- 

 ding a new red on Killarneys planted 

 in the beds. He anticipates a genuine 

 surprise later. The quality of the rose 

 stock is equaled by the carnations. 

 Such varieties as Sensation, Good 

 Cheer and Matchless are in splendid 

 condition. These, with several other 

 popular kinds, are being propagated as 

 fast as possible. Chrysanthemums will 

 be up to the usual high mark. M. 



