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The Weekly Florists' Review* 



Sbptember 20, 190G. 



States should make known their interest 

 in the matter by direct statement. The 

 committee to whom this matter was re- 

 ferred, would be glad to hear of the 

 public expression, looking forward to a 

 proper presentation of the matter in 

 such shape that it will command the 

 attention of the proper congressional 

 committees. Benj. Hammond. 



Fishkill-on-Hudson, N. Y., Sept. 14, 



A FLORISTS' TRIBUTE. 



The accompanying illustration is 

 from a photograph of the wreath of 

 laurel, cycas leaves and dark purple 

 asters which was the offering of the 

 Columbus Florists' Club, as a tribute 

 to the memory of our late president at 

 the unveiling of the McKinley memorial 

 monument by Mrs. Nicholas Longworth. 

 These ceremonies took place at Colum- 

 bus, Friday, September 14. The com- 

 mittee from the club in charge of the 

 matter was Messrs. Albert Knopf, Guy 

 H. Woodrow and M. B. Faxon. 



H. G. SELFRIDGE'S ORCHIDS. 



It will surprise many of our plant 

 lovers to hear that the entire collection 

 of orchids from H. G. Self ridge's estate 

 at Lake Geneva, Wis., will be loaned to 

 Lincoln park, Chicago, as Mr. Selfridge, 



After deciding to part with his or- 

 chids, Mr. Selfridge was thinking what 

 would be best to do with such a collec- 

 tion. He did not care to sell them, as 

 that would mean breaking up the col- 

 lection. So, generous as he has always 

 been, he decided to give the entire col- 

 lection for the benefit of the public, and 

 decided that Lincoln park would be the 

 best place for them, where people can 

 always visit and admire them. Mr. Sel- 

 fridge made an offer to the park board, 

 which was accepted. The plants were 

 accepted as a loan, and they will be 

 known as the Selfridge orchid collection. 



The Selfridge collection contains nine- 

 ty-eight genera, 954 varieties and about 

 3,500 plants, many of them rare and 

 expensive. The collection is valued at 

 $18,000. The queen of all is Cattleya 

 Mrs. H. G. Selfridge, a seedling from 

 Cattleya Warneri and Lselia purpurata. 

 For this plant Mr. Selfridge paid $300. 

 He now has two plants, and next year 

 another can be divided from the mother 

 plant. Next to this comes the $100 

 plants, such as Oncidium ornithorhyn- 

 chum album, Vanda Sanderiana, etc. The 

 vandas are reported to be extinct in their 

 native country, the Philippines. Then 

 comes a lot of cattleya seedlings, all 

 fine and rare. There are also three 

 plants of Cattleya Marie Morgan, the 



Wreath Sent McKinley Monument Dedication by Q>lumbus Florists. 



through change of residence (he is living 

 now in London), was compelled to bid 

 good-bye to his beloved plants, the jew- 

 els of the flower kingdom, on which he 

 has spared neither time nor money to 

 secure one of the finest collections in 

 the west. 



queen among Cattleya Trianse. Then 

 the very rare Cattleya Trianae alba and 

 Lselia anceps alba; also a fine specimen 

 of Vanda tricolor, from the Mrs. Mor- 

 gan collection, which is worth hundreds 

 of dollars. 



There are several hundred varieties of 



cypripediums, among them the fine yel- 

 low type, Cyprip^ium Sanderse. It 

 would take too much time to describe 

 them all. One must go to Lincoln park 

 and see them in all their glory to ap- 

 preciate them. When Vanda tricolor, 

 Vanda suavis, or one of the varieties of 

 stanhopea or Epidendrum radiatum are 

 in bloom, the atmosphere for 100 feet 

 in every direction is filled with the most 

 delightful perfume. 



Mr. Selfridge 's absence will be a 

 great loss to the Horticultural Society 

 of Chicago, and to all those who are 

 interested in plants. We need more such 

 enthusiastic, nature-loving men. He al- 

 ways was ready to lift horticulture to 

 its highest standards, and especially 

 when orchids were concerned. There has 

 not been a flower show in Chicago where 

 Mr. Selfridge 's orchids have not taken 

 first prizes, and made the show more at- 

 tractive. The largest crowd always was 

 around his exhibits. Mr. Selfridge won 

 the gold medal at the St. Louis exposi- 

 tion for the best collection of orchids. 

 Carl H. Gebhardt. 



CAPE FLOWERS. 



We learn from Berlin that the harvest 

 of these flowers has been a poor one, 

 especially of flowers of the best quality, 

 the prices ranging from 7 mk. to 10 

 mk. per kilo, the colored flowers 8.50 

 mk. ; for natural yellow-colored flowers, 

 7 mk. per ten bundles, and for artifi- 

 cially colored, 8.50 mk. — H. T. J. 



Vegetable Forcing. 



STARTING LETTUCE SEED. 



To secure plants for indoor planting 

 the best place to sow after this date is 

 in flats in a cool greenhouse. They still 

 can be started in cold frames, but in the 

 greenhouse they are better under control 

 and when the temperature goes below 

 the freezing point, which it ia apt to do 

 any time now, it is easier to put on a 

 little heat in a house than to cover up 

 the frames to insure against injury or 

 check. 



It will pay to take the trouble to run 

 the soil used for filling the flats through 

 a sieve, as the plants will lift a good 

 deal easier and with less danger of 

 breaking the roots, than if the soil is 

 rough and lumpy. The rough material 

 can be used in the bottom to act as 

 drainage, but there should be at least 

 two inches of sifted soil on top, so as 

 to allow plenty of root-room for the 

 little plants, without danger of the roots 

 running down into the rough material 

 at the bottom of the box. Before the 

 seeds are sown, the surface of the soil 

 should be made perfectly smooth and 

 level. 



The seeds should be scattered evenly 

 over the surface of the soil, but not too 

 thickly. If sown too thickly the little 

 plants are in danger of becoming drawn 

 and weak before they are large enough 

 to be handled, a condition which it is 

 always desirable to guard against. It 

 is better to sow an extra box or two, 

 rather than try to procure a greater 

 number of plants from a few flats, as 

 it gives the plants a chance to develop 

 nicely and remain stocky. They then 

 can be lifted and handled with a good 

 deal more satisfaction, and with more 

 certainty of success. 



