Decembbk 28, 1905. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



373 



through the Liberal Arts building of 

 ji (Treat exposition in his city. He was 

 much taken with a pair of handsome jar- 

 .liiiieres in one exhibit. "They would 

 l^,e just the thing for a display of gladi- 

 olus flowers in my windows. They have 

 ;, 'for sale' tag on. Wait a minute, 

 please, till I inquire the price." The 

 wait lasted less than a minute. He re- 

 loined his friends and walked on without 

 saying a word. "Well, how much were 

 tl/ey?" asked one, "Oh, only $750 

 .Tpiece, " was the dejected response. 



* * * 



I HEARD a story once of a grower who 

 tailed on a retailer and much to his sur- 

 prise found him penned in a corner 

 fiehind the ice-box by an athletic young 

 man in fashionable attire. At first he 

 lliought it must be a hold-up — in fact it 

 uas, but not for filthy lucre. When 

 the young man became aware of the 

 iirower's presence he permitted the re- 

 tailer to emerge and took his depar- 

 ture. 



"What the deuce was he trying to do 

 to you?" said the grower. "Oh, he 

 wanted me to tell him who was sending 

 flowers to his girl. He had seen my 

 tag on the boxes. But he didn't get it. 

 It's my business to sell all the flowers 

 T can — and keep my mouth shut. But, 

 say, he pushed me pretty hard and I'm 

 glad you came in when you did. ' ' 



* # » 



I HEARD a story once of a florist who 

 had been appointed chairman of a com- 

 mittee to look for new quarters for the 

 Florists' Club of his city. In making 

 his report he attempted a few oratorical 

 effects, stating in substance that the 

 committee had failed to find a better 

 location than the present one and con- 

 cluded with these words : * ' Therefore, 

 Mr. President, I move that we continue 

 to meet here permanently for the pres- 

 ent." This gem was greeted by tre- 

 mendous applause, which was prolonged 

 and intensified when he bowed his ac- 

 knowledgments and sat down with an ex- 

 pression of face indicative of great sat- 

 isfaction with his oratorical powers. 

 « « « 



I HEARD a story once of a florist who 

 participated in a discussion at a meet- 

 ing of his Florists' Club. Certain society 

 ladies were to be selected as patronesses 

 of an exhibition.. He pointed out the 

 clanger of making up a list without full 

 knowledge of the many cliques of which 

 society is composed. * ' For, gentlemen, ' ' 

 said he, "the ladies of these different 

 cliques detest each other most cordially. ' ' 

 This struck the members as a clever bit 

 of satire and there was considerable 

 laughter and applause, which changed 

 into a roar when the speaker turned red 

 and sat down in high dudgeon. 



Billy. 



COUNQL OF HORTICULTURE. 



The following firms have each sub- 

 scribed $10 to the National Council of 

 Horticulture toward carrying forward a 

 newspaper campaign of publicity on be- 

 half of the commercial florists, the com- 

 mercial nurserymen and the American 

 seedsmen : 



Bertermann Bros., Indianapolis, Ind., 

 through Philip Breitmeyer; W. & T. 

 Smith Co., Geneva, N. Y., through J. H. 

 Dayton ; Jos. Breck & Son, Boston, 

 Mass., through C. E. Kendel. 



H. C. Irish, Sec'y. 



Fred Burki. 



A LEADING PITTSBURGER. 



Fred Burki was born in 185S, in Can- 

 ton Bern, Switzerland, one of a family 

 of seven children, of an aggressive, pros- 

 perous farmer. Fred was left an orphan 

 at 11 years of age, an aunt taking him 

 to live with her. At the age of 14 he 

 had his little garden and decided to 

 learn the florists' trade. He received a 

 good education and v.hon 1(5 years old 

 apprenticed himself with the most prom- 

 inent gardener in tiie city of Pern, Fred 

 Bratchy, whose youngest S(m is now :i 

 landscape architect there. 



After serving three years with Mr. 

 Bratchy, the energetic lad came to I'itts- 

 burg, in February, 1872, securing em- 

 ployment in John R. & A, M, Murdoch 's 

 greenhouses. After working with this 

 firm, at several private places, and a 

 short time in New Jersey, he started 

 in business with Fred Wahn, at ]\loore 's 

 place in Allegheny, in October, 1S74. 

 They had four small houses for bedding 

 stock for spring sale. The following 

 year he bought his partner's interest 

 and carried on the business. 



Mr. Burki was married in 1877 to 

 Miss Pfeifer, who was a great lover of 

 flowers and came to be highly esteemed 

 by the craft and flower buying public. 

 In 1878 they moved to a small place in 

 Bellevue, then a suburb of about 500 

 inhabitants, growing bedding plants and 

 such cut flowers as carnations, bouvardia, 

 heliotrope, pansies, etc. ; also vegetable 

 plants, especially celery. Mr. Burki was 

 the first man about Pittsburg to bleach 

 celery with boards instead of bank- 

 ing up. 



In 1884 he bought eight acres of wild 

 land at Bellevue, most of it steep hill- 

 side, on which he built three green- 

 houses, dwelling, barn, etc. The green- 

 houses kept increasing, looking as if 

 they were tacked to the sides of the steep 

 rocks. In 1890 he disposed of his stand 



in the Allej>heny market and built more 



greenhouses and started to grow roses 



and carnations for the trade, taking 



them to the city stores in baskets by 



train, later by wagon, when his nicely 



kept wagon and spanking team of grays 



I were to be seen in front of the flower 



stores every morning for several years. 



j At the Pittsburg chrysanthemum shows 



I in 1891 and 1892 he carried off most of 



i the first prizes with his roses, carnations 



I and chrysanthemums, lie secured stock 



j of Ivory, Bonnaft'on and Maud Dean 



I when they were disseminated and for 



! some years grew Hector and Mrs. Fisher 



, carnations to perfection. He was the 



! first grower about Pittsburg to use 24- 



j inch glass and to use natural gas for 



! fuel. 



In 1893 Mr. Burki lost his faithful 

 wife and helpmeet, who died of rheuma- 

 tism after several years of suffering. 

 They had no children. He was almost 

 discouraged, but he took a trip to his 

 native land, -and on his return started 

 in and made rapid progress with his 

 business, and married his present wife 

 in 1895. He continued building green- 

 houses on the hillside until he had thirty- 

 six, the floor of one house being level 

 with the ridge of the one below it. The 

 purchase of eight acres of adjoining land 

 secured frontage on the most prominent 

 thoroughfare, and he built a handsome 

 brick residence and a dwelling for his 

 single employees. 



In 1898 Mr. Burki organized the 

 Pittsburg Cut Flower Co., with W. A. 

 ("larke and T. P. Tjxnghans as associates, 

 consigning all his cut to that wholesale 

 house ever since. In 1901 he bought 

 Crystal Farm, 210 acres near Bakerstown 

 station, P. & W. K. R., eighteen miles 

 from Allegheny. He incorporated the 

 Pittsburg Rose & Carnation Co., asso- 

 ciating with him some of his employees, 

 and built large greenhouses, some of 

 them 50x450 feet. He started to move 



