70 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Dbcbmbbb 1, 1904. 



^ 



and which in every case were productive 

 of good results in the bringing of large 

 numbers of the people together to see 

 the newest and best things in flowers and 

 plants, and thereby instilling a love and 

 cultivating the taste for their products. 

 It would be difficult to estimate the good 

 that has resulted to horticulture from 

 these organizations throughout the world, 

 but judging from the delighted com- 

 ments of the thousands of visitors to the 

 various exhibitions in all the large cities 

 of the United States the past decade, to- 

 gether with the newspaper publicity so 

 generously bestowed, it must have been 

 greatly beneficial. 



While we may look with pride on what 

 has been accomplished, yet there remains 

 much that is possible and which could be 

 done with but little more effort and that 

 would still farther the usefulness of our 

 societies. 



Last summer, during a visit to Col(M|p 

 rado Springs, I visited the exhibition or 

 the El Paso County Horticultural So- 

 ciety, of that city. The exhibition was 

 held in the city square park, under three 

 large tei^ts, and was a very creditable 

 display. But the feature with which 1 

 was particularly pleased was the award- 

 ing of prizes for the best kept grounds 

 and lawns, as well as individual flower 

 beds, vine-clad porticos, etc. Those en- 

 tering for prizes notified the secretary 

 by the first of June each year. A com- 

 mittee inspected the various entries dur- 

 ing the season and had most of them 

 photographed at the'it best. These pho- 



ber of the society. He is also spending 

 a half million dollars on a park to be 

 given to the city. Never have I seen the 

 grass so green or the lawns more beauti- 

 ful than here. All the watering is by 

 irrigation, the water flowing along the 

 gutters and being let into the house-yards 

 through sluice boxes under the pavement. 



If education of the public in things 

 horticultural is our object it would seem 

 tliat here is as advantageous a competi- 

 tion 'as that of plants, and flowers gath- 

 ered together in a building. There are 

 classes here the same as in the staged 

 exhibits, each particular entry being 

 judged on its merits as compared with 

 another in its class. Fine examples of 

 I'nis landscape or gardening work being 

 on exhibition at all times, to all observ- 

 ers, cannot fail to be admired and have 

 great weight in the education of the 

 masses for more beautiful surroundings. 



In the large cities where houses are 

 built close together, there can be the 

 competition between balcony and window 

 decoration. How much more beautiful 

 our city streets would look if these places 

 of vantage were graced with boxes of 

 blooming plants, thus adding form and 

 color Jto the otherwise plain surfaces. 



Last summer an effort was made by 

 the City Parks Association of this city, 

 to encourage this form of decoration. 

 They selected Walnut street from Broad 

 to Twentieth, and were instrumental in 

 having about fifty windows so decorated 

 in addition to the few then in use. They 



Gu-nation Gibson Beauty. 



tos were placed on view at the exhibition 

 and made very interesting studies. A 

 great deal of interest was taken in the 

 contest by the residents and in conse- 

 quence the standard of excellence was set 

 much higher. 



Before another year the society is 

 promised a $20,000 building of its own^ 

 a gift of General Palmer, a wealthy mem- 



agreed to have them taken care of while 

 the residents were away for the summer, 

 at a nominal sum. The effect was beauti- 

 ful until August set in, when the plants 

 began to look badly and many of them 

 had to be replaced. A little experience 

 will, however, enable this form of deco- 

 ration to be kept up all summer at com- 

 paratively small expense, and it is hoped 



to see the cui^m become general all 

 over the city. 



During a visit to Brussels, in Belgium, 

 some years ago, I noticed boxes for 

 window and balcony decoration were 

 much in evidence. On inquiry it was 

 found that a City Improvement Associa* 

 tion had charge, or rather was encourag- 

 ing the work by offering prizes for the 

 best examples, in classes, so that all 

 should have a chance. While it is true 

 that horticulture means culture of the 

 garden and the plants that grow therein, 

 it seems as if educational work of this 

 character could be legitimately taken up 

 by horticultural societies and, with their 

 prestige, better and more permanent re- 

 sults obtained. 



A gentleman who occasionally visits 

 Horticultural Hall in Fairmount park, 

 said to me recently: "As soon as I set 

 my foot in the door of that conservatory, 

 I feel that for the time being all I see 

 is mine and many a quiet hour have I 

 spent enjoying the feast prepared for 

 me." 



It has been my thought for a long 

 time that no municipal park can be com- 

 plete without a large show conservatory, 

 together with a lot of working or forc- 

 ing houses, to keep the exhibition hall, 

 if it might be so called, filled at all 

 times with the very best of seasonable 

 blooming plants. 



Think of such a house filled with' mag- 

 nificent azaleas! What a chrysanthemum 

 show could be given there. And the 

 minor displays of calceolarias, cyclamen, 

 cinerarias, begonias, primroses, poinset- 

 tias, orchids, etc., etc., that from time to 

 time would make worthy successors. 



Horticultural Hall, in Fairmount park, 

 a legacy from the centennial, is doing a 

 grand work, but on account of its con- 

 struction and the small appropriation an- 

 nually doled out for its maintenance, but 

 little of the work I have in mind is car- 

 ried out. Fifty thousand dollars per 

 year, or perhaps considerably less, would 

 suffice to keep such a plant, after once 

 established, up to a high state of ef- 

 ficiency. 



What a great gain to this community 

 such an establishment would be; as a 

 factor in educating the people and help- 

 ing to instill in them a love for flowers 

 it would be invaluable. Could we as 

 horticulturists bring this about we 

 would greatly increase our usefulness, 

 for here would be on view at all times, 

 the best of everything in flowers, a per- 

 petual flower show. 



I believe it possible to enlist private 

 aid for the establishment and perhaps 

 maintenance of such a plant. Millions of 

 money is ofttimes bequeathed to less 

 worthy objects. The above are a few of 

 the subjects that come within the scope 

 of horticultural bodies, and their achieve- 

 ment would but keep us in line with the 

 rapid progress of the day. 



DENVER. 



The Chrysanthemum. 



The chrysanthemum is certainly the 

 reigning beauty at this period of the 

 year. Every grower has them in abund- 

 ance and of every possible form and 

 character. Perhaps their short season 

 is what makes them so popular. The pub- 

 lic anticipates their arrival and the 

 grower and dealer exult in their depar- 

 ture. It has b^n frequently prophesied 

 that they are losing their prestige, but 

 every year they put in a more forcible 



