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The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



NOVBUBKB 3, 1904. 



A VISIT AT THORN HEDGE. 



The invitation of H. H. Battles, the 

 widely known Philadelphia retail florist, 

 to .visit his country place a short time 

 ago, was accepted by Samuel S. Pen- 

 nock, the wholesale florist of that city; 

 John Mclntyre, the buyer of that city, 

 and Phil, representing the florists' 

 paper of that city and the country. 

 The trio went out by way of Market 

 street, past Jacob Becker's new show 

 house at Fifty-second street and Wm. 

 C. Smith's latest improvement at Six- 

 tieth, to Sixty-third street, where they 

 changed to the West Chester trolleys. 

 The ride from this point lay through 

 a beautiful country, full of early asso- 

 ciations to Mr. Pennock, who pointed 

 out many spots of special interest. 



Mr. Battles' carriage met the party 

 and took them first to the farm, where 

 some fine country, some pink and brown 

 grunters and a flock of Bhode Island 

 reds, somewhat resembling brown leg- 

 horns but with brighter hackles and sad- 

 dle feathers, oddly enough unknown to 

 the gentleman from Westerly. The 

 only other incident before reaching 

 T^hom Hedge was due to a quiet-looking 

 grey horse that was working in a field 

 near the road. This animal had taken 

 a most unexpected night trip to New 

 Jersey just before Phil's last visit. 

 He had been with difficulty located and 

 induced to return. A very interesting 

 collection of minerals, neatly arranged 

 in a cabinet, and another of moths and 

 butterflies, were examined with inter- 

 est, Mr. Pennock giving some inter- 

 esting accounts of the latter. 



A walk about the grounds followed. 

 A handsome bed of Colorado blue 

 spruce was much admired. There are 



quite a lot of Eex begonias in variety 

 and a great number of small ferns in 

 2-inch pots, chiefly pteris, for use in 

 fern dishes. During the winter in this 

 house the valley is forced. About 100,- 

 000 will be flowered this year. 



The next house was planted with As- 

 paragus Sprengeri in the center bench, 

 Cibotium Schiedei being grown on ped- 

 estals over the asparagus. The side 

 benches were planted with Asparagus 

 plumosus. The next two houses are 

 devoted to Adiantum Farleyense. It 

 would be hard to find a finer lot of 

 plants. They present a beautiful sight, 

 the large specimens being perfect in 

 form and foliage. Some are planted 

 out in the bench for cut sprays. These 

 are full of vigor. Another house is en- 

 tirely filled with Carnation Mrs. Law- 

 son, the plants being benched from 

 3-inch pots early in the summer. They 

 have grown luxuriantly, showing that 

 broad, bluish foliage that denotes vigor. 

 Sweet alyssum growing in the edge of 

 the carnation benches adds to the rev- 

 enue of the house. 



The last house was entirely filled with 

 Euphrobia Poinsettiana grown on 

 benches for cutting, the center bench 

 nearly filled with hard-wood plants now 

 over three feet high, the side benches 

 with plants from soft-wood cuttings^, 

 very dwarf, all with luxuriant foliage. 

 Both the carnation and poinsettia 

 houses have ventilators on both sides as 

 well as two sets at the ridge. Great 

 quantities of cosmos were being packed 

 for shipping in to "One hundred and 

 eight." 



A large block of California privet 

 from two to five feet high shows the 

 confidence felt in the future of this 

 effective hedge plant. 



H. H. Battles' Service House at Thorn Hedge. 



large beds of shrubbery used for cut 

 flowers in the spring and many hand- 

 some evergreens. The view from the 

 house over the beautiful valley to the 

 hills beyond, with Media in the dis- 

 tance, is very fine. 



The greenhouses were next visited. 

 Here the trio were met by the manager, 

 Frank S. Jackson, and his assistant, 

 Henry Parr, who showed them through. 

 The first house was devoted chiefly to 

 ferns and palms. Asplenium Nidus 

 Avis is given considerable space and is 

 here in all sizes. Cibotium Schiedei is 

 grown chiefly for cutting. There is 



Every successful business must have 

 intelligent workers to conduct each de- 

 partment. In Henry Bauer, Frank 

 Gaul, Frank 8. Jackson, John Mclntyre, 

 Henry Parr and George Bust, Mr. Bat- 

 tles has an exceptionally fine eorp of 

 assistants. Phil. 



Geundy Center, Ia. — J. E. Jones has 

 bought the greenhouses of Isaac Har- 

 brouck and will remove them to his prop- 

 erty, 



Brooklyn, N. Y. — ^Wm. H. Cavanagh, 

 a pioneer florist, who retired from busi- 

 ness about ten years ago, died October 

 25, aged 62 years. 



OBITUARY. 



Elisha Nye Peirce. 



In the passing away of ETUsha Nye 

 Peirce on October 30, after a long and 

 painful illness, borne with extreme for- 

 titude. New England loses one of her 

 leading florists and Massachusetts a 

 man who was respected by all who knew 

 him. Mr. Peirce 's death was not un- 

 expected, as his condition for some 

 time has been very critical. The disease 

 from which he died was cancer of the 

 stomach, from which he has been a pa- 

 tient martyr for a long time. 



Born in West Medford, Mass., on 

 August 21, 1839, the son of Major 

 Moses Peirce, he was educated in the 

 town school and also in A. K. Hatha- 

 way 's classical school in that place. He 

 enlisted in Company E, Fifth Massa- 

 chusetts, and was present at the first 

 battle of Bull Bun. His first enlist- 

 ment ended, he re-enlisted in Company 

 E, Thirty-ninth Massachusetts, but was 

 never mustered into that company, as 

 he was appointed second lieutenant in 

 Company E, Fifth regiment. Later he 

 was transferred to the United States 

 Signal Corps and served 'under Gten- 

 erals Hunter and Foster as staff officer. 

 At the time of his death he held quite 

 a number of prominent positions in the 

 G. A. B. 



Mr. Peirce 's ancestors first settled in 

 Watertown, Mass., in 1630, and from 

 that time to this all have been engaged 

 in agricultural pursuits, the present 

 generation being the first to add horticul- 

 ture to its calling. While the deceased 

 was a full-fledged military man in 

 every sense, and loved nothing better 

 than to relate his civil war experiences, 

 in which period he was thrice wounded, 

 he was always called by his neighbors 

 Farmer Peirce, and loved the title. While 

 at one time vegetable growing was ex- 

 tensively followed, of late years a large 

 area of glass has been built and toma- 

 toes are now the only vegetable grown. 

 The staples of the firm have been car- 

 nations, chrysanthemums. Asparagus 

 Sprengeri, Easter lilies and spiraea, all 

 of which are grown in big quantities and 

 are mostly disposed of at the Park 

 Street Flower Market, of which the de- 

 ceased was one of the directors, hav- 

 ing been unanimously re-elected on Oc- 

 tober 22 last. Mr. Peirce was also a 

 member of the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society and took an active inter- 

 est in everything pertaining to the wel- 

 fare of his native town. 



A unique character, as a plain speaker 

 he was well known in horticultural as 

 well as in Grand Army circles, and 

 everything he said proved his solidity 

 and thoughtfulness. Everything he un- 

 dertook was done thoroughly and his 

 death will be deplored for many a long 

 day by the many who were privileged to 

 be among his acquaintances. 



Mr. Peirce often said he would rather 

 be called Farmer Peirce than a college 

 professor. His was a noted figure at 

 the town meetings years ago, and he was 

 one of the leaders in all debates. Two 

 sons were identified with him in the 

 business and^ one daughter survives him. 

 Funeral services were held on November 

 1 at his late home, Waltham, and was 

 very largely attended, many of his con- 

 freres at the Park Street Market being 

 included, and many other members of 

 the craft. The Grand Army was large- 

 ly represented also, the funeral being of 

 a military character. The floral souve-^ 

 nirs were many and beautiful. 



