SBFTaMBJiiK 27, 1»0«. 



The Weekly Florists^ Reviev^. 



JJ87 



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THE MEN 



MEET 



5 



JOHN H. SMALL, SR. 



John H. SmalJ, Sr,, the pioneer ilural 

 ilecorator of WaHhinyton, D. C, was 

 born at Watford, Eng]«iKl, in 1826. He 

 inherited horticultural tastes from both 

 his father's and mother's parents. His 

 paternal grandfatlier was the owner of 

 ii nursery at Colnbrook, P]ng., and leased 

 for ten years Clovendin, the present 

 homo of W. W. Astor, on part of which 

 ho conducted a luirsery, in connection 

 witli his businowH at Colnbrook. Mr, 

 Small's maternal grandfather was a 

 Welsh gardener, an authority in liis day, 

 and it is related that he was often con- 

 ^nllted by the lirst Duchess of Marlbor- 

 ough while planning the gardens for her 

 famous Blenheim. 



John H. Small, Sr., received his train- 

 ing both with his grandfather and at 

 l^"Vogmore, Windsor. While at Frog- 

 more ho saw much of the early married 

 life of Queen Victoria and tho early 

 childhood of the present king of Eng- 

 land. He has also vivid recollections of 

 fho Duke of Wellington, hero of Water- 

 Ion, as he rode to and from Windsor. 



Mr. Small came to America in 1848, 

 Avith the intention of making landscape 

 gardening, for which he liad been 

 trained at Frogmore, his life work. At 

 Philadelphia ho learned that a Mr. 

 Linthicum, of Georgetown, now a part 

 of Washington, wished to secure the ser- 

 vices of a landscape gardener. He se- 

 cured the position and carried on for his 

 employer a thriving business in George- 

 town until 1854, when ho went into busi- 

 ness for himself. 



As his sons, Charles A. Small and John 

 H. Small, Jr., grew up, they were care- 

 fully trained in their father's business, 

 the name of J. H. Snmll & Sons being 

 now a guarantee of line decorating. 



The fact that the members of this 

 firm know the business literally from 

 the ground up probably ^u•clMlnts in great 

 measure for their succcws as ilesigners 

 and de<'oralors. Ent<'r[>rising and re- 

 sourceful as they are, it all rests on the 

 solid foundation of knowledge of the 

 fundamental principles of plant culture. 



Many years ago, antedating the civil 

 war, Lord Lyons was British minister at 

 Washington. He was a lavish enter- 

 tainer, and had imported wax flowers 

 aud fruits from I'aris for table decora- 

 tions. Mr. Small persuaded him to give 

 up the waxwork for natural flowers, 

 which he furnished at a financial loss to 

 himself for the time being, but in thtis 

 turning the tide of fashion to natural 

 flowers lie conferred a great boon on 

 American horticulture. 



The efforts of this firm have always 

 l)een and are now exerted toward ele- 

 vating the business, a proof being that 

 they use the best obtainable stock. From 

 • lecoratious for the festivities attending 

 the inailguratioii of presidents on 

 through a long list of fashionable wed- 

 ding dinners and other occasions, their 

 achievements have been numerous and 

 notable. With advancing years the elder 

 Mr. Small has gradually relinquished 

 active participation in business, and his 



son, J. H. Snmll, Jr., is the able man- 

 ager of the Washington store, C. A. 

 Small performing similar duties in New 

 York. 



On his beautiful estate in the suburbs 

 of Washington, J. H. Small, Sr., and 

 his devoted wife are spending their de- 

 clining years, and though they have not 

 entirely escaped tho ills incident to old 

 age, they are cheerful and happy. 



PEONIES FOR FORCING. 



I wish to grow some peonies, both 

 herbaceous and Moutan, to offer for 

 sale in the spring and early summer of 

 1908 in pots, and also for forcing the 



them plunged continuously outside. 

 Would Eubra superba be a good variety 

 for the purpose? J. H. U. 



Wm. A. Peterson says that ho does 

 not consider it practicable to force peo- 

 nies for bloom before February 1. The 

 plants should be lifted in October and 

 placed in a coldframe, where they will 

 be accessible when the time arrives for 

 forcing. After the plants are started 

 under glass a temperature of from 55 

 to 60 degrees should be maintained as 

 uniformly as possible. The plants should 

 be fed liberally with liquid manure. 

 It takes about eight weeks to develop 

 flowers. To secure tho best blooms re- 

 move the lateral buds as soon as they 

 are formed. Tlie x^l^uits must have two 

 years' rest before they can be forced 

 again. 



The above, from a first rate authority, 

 covers tho ground and wo would not as- 

 sume to improve on it. It is not quite 

 clear what subscriber wants to do. 1 

 take it he wants to flower tlio herbaceous 

 peonies and then sell the plants. If he 

 wants to have ])lants in pots to sell to 



••»>» 



John H. Smallt Sr. 



previous winter. I wish to know how 

 to prepare the plants, what size pots to 

 use, the best kind of soil smd fertilizer 

 to use, and whether or no I could keep 



I his customers in the month of May there 

 is no use growing them in pots. A di- 



I vision of the plants is all that is needed. 

 If forcing for the cut flower is the prin- 



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