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October 25, 1006. 



The Weekly HorJsts' Review. 



1471 



Establishment of Metairie Ridge Nursery Co., New Orleans, La. 



local firms catered strictly to the trade 

 <n the immediate vicinity of their estab- 

 lishments, but at present we have several 

 firms that spend thousands of dollars on 

 their own catalogues, and ship to nearly 

 «very state in the south and to Central 

 America, also. 



"It long has been the custom for our 

 retail florists to send to northern cut 

 flower centers for their supply of choice 

 «ut flowers, but within the past year 

 there has been constructed by the Me- 

 tairie Ridge Nursery Co., in the sub- 

 urbs of New Orleans, a magnificent 

 range of glass for the growth of fancy 

 «ut flowers. Notwithstanding the late- 

 ness of the season when the houses were 

 completed, the firm supplied roses during 

 the past winter and spring that were 

 very fine, and cut flowers after that 

 would compare favorably with those 

 grown anywhere. As to carnations they 

 will have to be given anotber and fairer 

 trial." 



The president of the Metairie Ridge 

 Nursery Co. is the widely known Harry 

 Papworth. The other officers are: Vice- 



? resident, A. R. Blakely; treasurer, Dr. 

 sadore Dyer; secretary, Chas. L. Sie- 

 ber; directors, W. J. Gilbert, Robert B. 

 Parker, R. W. "Wilmot and Hudson S. 

 "Wolfe, all friends of Mr. Papworth and 

 with him able to carry their undertaking 

 to success. It may be considered that 

 they have the best equipped and most 

 tip-to-date establishment in the south. 

 "The six new greenhouses, the framework 

 of which was furnished by the John C. 

 Moninger Co., Chicago, are 27x225 feet, 

 built of Louisiana cypress, and the roof 

 is supported by 1-inch and 2-inch iron 

 pipe purlin posts. The entire range of 

 new houses, as well as the older ones on 

 the place, are heated by steam, for which 

 purpose a 100 horse-power Stirling water 

 tube boiler has been put up. The piping 

 is under the benches and was done ac- 

 cording to plans furnished by the Ameri- 



can Engineering Specialty Co.J Chicago, 

 using the Webster vacuum system. ■ 



To insure a plentiful supply of Water, 

 a tower forty feet in height witjjf.':^ tank 

 of 12,500 gallons Capacity was built and 

 the water is pumped by means of a six 

 horse-power gasoline engine and pump 

 from the Bayou Metairie, which runs 

 through the place. Attached to the 

 houses is a potting and packing house 

 30x165 feet, which communicates with 

 all the houses. The office is situated in 

 this building. \ 



As evidencing the, cam with which the 

 manufacturers of greenhouse material 

 conduct their . business, Mr, Papworth 

 says that when the several cars of mate- 

 rial arrived, a thousand miles from the 

 place of manufacture but only a score 

 of miles from where the lumber was ob- 

 tained, there was nothing missing, not 

 even a screw, and nothing was left over 

 when the houses were completed; every- 

 thing fitted nicely in its place and no 

 saw was used in putting up the frame- 

 work. 



Speaking of the heating plant Mr. 

 Papworth says: "We find the Webster 

 vacuum system the most economical heat- 

 ing system and a great saver of fuel. 

 The main and return pipes are all un- 

 derground and therefore there is no ob- 

 struction in the walks of the houses. 

 We consider the Stirling water tube 

 boiler the best steaming boiler in the 

 market. It has given us entire satisfac- 

 tion and for heating a large range of 

 houses there is nothing like it. The 

 six horse-power gasoline engine and 

 pump, direct connected, has been run- 

 ning almost a year and a half, day by 

 day, and has during that time never 

 missed and no breakdown occurred dur- 

 ing that time. The running expenses 

 are next to nothing and beat electricity 

 all hollow. Running expenses are 1^ 

 cents per hour and no attention neces- 

 sary. ' ' 



' As during the summer months palms, 

 ferns, etc., are grown outdoors, and as 

 they require some protection against the 

 sun, a palm shed 60x75 feet had to be 

 put up. Some of the views show the in- 

 terior of the houses planted in roses, 

 mums and asparagus, which look well at 

 this time and are exceptionally promis- 

 ing. 



The pursery proper consists of 200 

 acres of the richest alluvial soil, thirty 

 of which are at present under cultiva- 

 tion in palms, roses, shrubbery and shade 

 trees of all kinds suitable for the south. 

 Noteworthy are several thousands of 

 Areca lutescens growing in the full sun 

 which are remarkably thrifty and of fine 

 color. 



October 6 a finely appointed downtown 

 store was opened at 141 Carondelet, 

 where the high class retail trade will be 

 catered to. 



SHRUBS FOR FORONG. 



[Remarks by J. F. Wilcox, Council BliiffB. at 

 the recent meeting of the Iowa State Florlata' 

 Association.] 



The term shrubbery is applied to 

 groups of woody plants of compara- 

 tively small size. The line between 

 shrubs and trees is not very definite. A 

 shrub generally has a number of stems, 

 springing from the ground, and a tree 

 usually has a single trunk, but this is 

 not uniformly true in either case. 



The chief value of shrubbery comes 

 from its use in an artistic way, although 

 some shrubs have edible fruits, but as I 

 understand it, I am to give you what 

 information I can as to the best flower- 

 ing shrubs to force for retail trade. 



The choice of varieties depends pri- 

 marily upon the locality. Without know- 

 ing this it is impossible for any person 

 to give satisfactory advice as to varie- 

 ties, as we often find that there is a 

 certain variety which will sell well in 

 one locality but does not find any de- 



