OCTOBEB 26, 1016. 



The Florists^ Review 



21 



OBITUARY I j MOTT-LY MUSINGS | 



Thomas B. Franks. = = 



Thomas B. Franks. 



Thomas B. Franks, the first gardener 

 at the University of Illinois and the 

 first florist in Cnampaign county, Illi- 

 nois, died October 18 at the home of 

 his sister, in Champaign. Premature 

 old age is given as the cause of his 

 death. 



Mr. Frank was born at Westbury, 

 near Bristol, England, in 1844. He left 

 England for America at the age of 21 

 and landed at Quebec. The first Amer- 

 ican news he heard was that Jeflf. 

 Davis, the president of the seceded 

 south, had been captured and that the 

 Civil war was at ah end. From Quebec 

 Mr. Thomas went to Pamilton and 

 Ancaster, Canada, whene he remained 

 about three years. 



When Lincoln park in Chicago was 

 being laid out Mr. Franks moved to 

 Chicago and found employment on the 

 park work for several months. While 

 thus employed he was recommended to 

 the trustees of the University of Illi- 

 nois as a capable gardener. He ac- 

 cepted the position offered him as head 

 gardener arid was listed with the 

 faculty, inasmuch as students in cer- 

 tain courses were required to work un- 

 der him two hours each day. 



After three years at the University 

 Mr. Franks moved to Champaign, 

 where, after considerable hard work, he 

 succeeded in giving that part of the 

 state its first greenhouse. This was in 

 1871. After many difficulties he pros- 

 pered, and upon his son, George, becom- 

 ing of age he made the boy a partner. 

 Thereafter the business was conducted 

 under the name of Thos. Franks & Son, 

 as it is today, George B. Franks contin- 

 uing the business. 



Mr. Franks was married twice, his 

 first wife dying in 1901 and the second, 

 an Englishwoman, in 1908. 



Mr. Franks was a charter member of 

 the 8. A. F. and for a number of years 

 was active in the work of the organi- 

 zation. He attended the first meeting 

 of the society, at Cincinnati, in 1885, 

 and was at every meeting for a num- 

 ber of years afterward. The deceased 

 also was a member of the Elks. 



The son and a sister are the only 

 near relatives surviving Mr. Franks. 



Eben E. Kexford. 



While never a member of the trade, 

 the name of Eben E. Eexford was 

 known to most of those who make their 

 living in this field, as Mr. Rexford was 

 a prolific writer for the newspapers and 

 magazines that print amateur garden- 

 ing matter. He also had written sev- 

 eral books on home gardening. 



Mr. Eexford died in a hospital at 

 Green "Bay, Wis., October 18, aged 68, 

 of typhoid fever. His chief fame is 

 as author of the ballad, ' ' Silver Threads 

 Among the Gold." 



nillllllliillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllll? 



Salt Iiake City, Utab. — B. Cramer 

 has a winter-blooming snapdragon that 

 he plans to disseminate. It is rose-pink 

 and the flowers are closely set in a 

 spike that is nearly half the total 

 length of the stem. The variety 

 originated with him twelve years ago 

 and is well known locally. Stock has 

 been increased both by cuttings and 

 seeds. 



"These," observed Secretary 

 Dysinger of Holm & Olson, Inc., of St. 

 Paul, Minn., pointing to a pile of state- 

 ments, "represent accounts with our 

 country patrons, who make up an ex- 

 tensive and pleasant branch of the busi- 

 ness, which required much time and 

 much advertising to build up. ' ' Messrs. 

 Holm and Olson are positive that higher 

 prices must prevail; in fact, carnations 

 are opening the season at $1 per dozen; 

 roses, $3 and $4 per dozen. It is not 

 hard to convince the public of the ne- 

 cessity for the increase in prices. 

 Asters and chrysanthemums are arriv- 

 ing semiweekly from California, in ex- 

 cellent condition, and are acceptable 

 prior to the flne stock being pjepared 

 by W. E. Tricker, the capable grower. 



Bice Bros., of Minneapolis, are mak- 

 ing extensive improvements to their 

 place to keep pace with the increasing 

 business. A feature will be a larger 

 office. 



I. N. Kramer & Son, of Cedar Bapids, 

 la., have a fine lot of chrysanthemums 

 in sight. The dry summer affected their 

 usually large crop of late strawberries. 



F. L. Davis, of the Davis Floral Co., 

 of Davenport, la., commented on the 

 temptation of those who grow combined 

 crops of cucumbers and chrysanthemums 

 to hold the former at the expense of 

 the latter. "The good prices we got for 

 our cukes," said Mr. Davis, "were too 

 much for us. Now our mums, while 

 stocky and full of buds, as you see. 



will be somewhat short in growth and 

 late in bloom. Bonnaffon is our leader. 

 Another season we may start earlier and 

 grow Virginia Poehlmann; it is such a 

 good seller. Carlson's aster did well 

 with us. We planted three houses early,- 

 the vines of the dying cucumbers af- 

 fording shade. We cut splendid blooms 

 on stems three feet long and easily re- 

 ceived 4 cents each. It was a profitable 

 catch crop and no doubt will become 

 popular, owing to the uncertainty o- 

 outdoor stock. We have about 12,001 

 cyclamens, in salable condition, you 

 will notice, but a mistake was made in 

 sowing the seed too early. I believe 

 seed sown as late as the end of October 

 will produce the best plants for ordi- 

 nary sale," concluded Mr. Davis. 



Albert Ankeny, manager of the 

 Davis Floral Co., of Davenport, re- 

 marked as we passed through the Lord 

 & Burnham Co. house just finished: 

 "Would it not make a dandy house for 

 melons, 76x600 feetf We may experi- 

 ment, as undoubtedly the returns 

 would equal in proportion what we are 

 receiving for cucumbers, and the de- 

 mand is limited only by the supply. 

 Grand Bapids lettuce is grown all the 

 year around, thus keeping the customer 

 constantly supplied. The space between 

 the houses is successfully worked for 

 summer crops. Comet is our favorite 

 tomato, in yield, earliness and flavor. 

 It is a splendid all-round forcing va- 

 riety." W. M. 



Humboldt, Tenn. — W. B. Craddock, 

 who started out with the intention of 

 selling cane stakes, has become inter- 

 ested in a- market gardening business 

 here. 



Dallas, Tex.— The Texas State Flo- 

 rists' Association is planning a still 

 larger show for this season. It is to 

 be held here November 15 to 17 and 

 premium lists will be sent out in a 

 few days. T. J. Wolfe, of Waco, the 

 new president of the association, will 

 supply any information. 



Clarksvllle, Tenn. — The range of the 

 Metcalfe Greenhouse Co. has passed to 

 M. L. Baxter, the former manager, un- 

 der a lease. The lessor, T. L. Metcalfe, 

 an indefatigable worker, operates 

 greenhouses at Hopkinsville and Madi- 

 sonville, Ky., and Union City, Tenn. 

 November 1 Mr. Metcalfe expects to 

 add the Jackson Pride Greenhouses, at 

 Jackson, Tenn., to his string. Further, 

 when Mr. Metcalfe is not occupied as a 

 florist he is likely to be found in the 

 counting room of the Metcalfe laundry 

 at Union City, counting up the profits. 



Birmingham, Ala. — W. G. Roegner 

 has succeeded to the business formerly 

 conducted under the name of Veasey & 

 Co. ^ 



Jacksonville, Fla. — The value of 

 Florida peat, properly treated, as a com- 

 mercial fertilizer, recently was demon- 

 strated at the range of Mills, the Flo- 

 rist. J. W. Walker, Mr. Mills' grower, 

 became interested in Florida peat as a 

 fertilizer. He obtained a small quan- 

 tity of bacterialized peat and planted 

 a coleus in soil with which the peat 

 product had been mixed. In another 

 pot he planted another coleus, using the 

 regular compost of loam and commer- 

 cial fertilizer. After thirteen weeks the 

 results are astonishing. The coleus 

 under which the peat was placed is 

 three times the size of the other, more 

 beautifully colored and hardier — and 

 the smaller plant had done better than 

 usual. There are 3,500,000 acres of 

 peat lands in Florida — a conservative 

 estimate. The new fertilizer would cost 

 about one-third that of the average 

 grade of commercial fertilizer. 



