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SEASON'S LARGEST 

 TRADE SHOW iir 



Each season there is some one exhibition that holds special interest for 

 florists — run hy florists and attended by fl,orists. This season the big trade 

 show was at Ind^napolis, where the Chrysanthemum Society of America 

 and the State '¥lorists' Association cooperated, puttiug up a show that 

 brought florists from the Missouri river and from New England. 





|Y general consent the shftw 

 in central Indiana was this 

 year to be the one ;that 

 the trade was most inter- 

 ested in. Eun by a com- 

 mittee of Indianapolis flo- 

 rists, it was likely to par- 

 take more of the commercial character 

 than any other large show held in the 

 United States this season. Andfb it 

 proved. k 



The Indianapolis florists would'TWlve 

 liked to have a general flower show, with 

 a premium list that covered a full line 

 of trade stock and displays, but they 

 realized that no adequate hall was 

 available and wisely limited ^hfi-pre- 

 miums to such as are offered ^y the 

 Chrysanthemum Society of America, 

 providing space for retail displays and 

 miscellaneous exhibits not for competi- 

 tion. 



Under the circum- ^ 



stances possibly the 

 mums are entitled to 

 first consideration, 

 but, really, the retail- 

 ers commanded the 

 greatest measure of 

 approval. No admis- 

 sion was charged, ad- 

 mission being by 

 card, and the hall of 

 the German house 

 was packed during 

 the hours it was open 

 to the public. The 

 big blooms, no matter 

 how good, jammed 

 down in a vase never 

 seem to win the ap- 

 proval, gained even 

 by modest displays 

 b y retailers — and 

 those at Indianapolis 

 were extremclv elab- 

 orate. 



A Crowded Hall. 



The exhibits would 

 have filled a hall 

 twice as large. The 

 competitive classes 

 numbered only forty- 

 five and entries came 

 from only twenty-two 

 exhibitors, but the 

 total number of en- 

 tries approximated 

 250, and there were 

 many large displays 

 not for competition. 



The K. U. Hill (Jo., Kichmond, -was the 

 largest exhibitor, with thirty-two en- 

 tries, besides several large groups for 

 ilisplay. Other large exhibitors were 

 Bertermann Bros. Co., E, D. Smith & 

 Co., Mt. Greenwood Cemetery, Wm. 

 Vert, Baur & Steinkamp, A. N. Pierson 

 and B. F. Hensley, each of whom made 

 from ten to twenty entries. 



It was the consensus of opinion that 

 the show marked a cultural advance in 

 the chrysanthemum, but that it brought 

 out nothing new of large importance. 

 The quality of the blooms was superb. 

 Turner was the conspicuous variety, 

 half a dozen exhibitors showing mag- 

 nificent samples. Of the big blooms two 

 new sorts received the greater part of 

 the attention, Modello, from E, D. Smith 

 & Co., and White Chieftain, from the 

 E. G. Hill Co. Afodello is a new color 

 and a little known form. The petals 



'H«fo Comes the Bride"- From A. Wiegand's Sons Co. 



are shaped like those of a cactus dahlia, 

 the color is a striking golden bronze, 

 and the form indicates commercial posr 

 sibilities. Smith also showed Mari- 

 gold, a large incurved yellow; Mankato, 

 amaranth; Calumet, bronzy yellow, and 

 a number of seedlings under number, 

 but none as distinct as Modello. Chief- 

 tain, the pink Bonnaffon, has made a 

 big commercial success in its first year, 

 and the white sport of it looks good, but 

 must compete with the White Bonnaf- 

 fon for supremacy. 



Pompons a Feature. 



Perhaps the most striking feature of 

 the show was the profusion of pompons 

 and singles. The exhibits were so 

 numerous they overflowed the hall and 

 had to be set up in anterooms and on 

 the stairs. The variety was infinite; 

 too great, in fact, as confusion is sure 

 to follow the naming 

 of so many sorts that 

 are not sufficiently 

 distinct. It was a 

 big vase of pompons 

 showing wonderful 

 culture that won the 

 silver cup offered for 

 the most meritorious* 

 display in the hall. 

 Jt was in the pom- 

 pons and singles that 

 A. N. Pierson showed 

 strongest, special ef- 

 fort having been 

 hiade to build up a 

 strong collection. W. 

 R. Pierson promptly 

 bought of H. Kieman 

 the best novelty that 

 showed up, a white 

 pompon scoring nine- 

 ty-two points, and 

 named it Peace. Har- 

 vest Moon, a new 

 Johnson variety, yel- 

 low, in the Pierson 

 group, stood out as a 

 winner. N e o 1 a, a 

 white pompon flushed 

 pink, in the Smith 

 display, is thought 

 well of and will be 

 disseminated this 

 season. Herman Bros. 

 Co., of Council Bluffs, 

 showed Queen Marie, 

 magenta. 



The show was weak 

 in chrysanth e m u m 



