Nn\i:Mi!i:i! s. I'.kk;. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



1603 



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THE AUTUMN 



EXHIBITIONS 



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J 



CHICAGO. 



Tlic iii.'ui ulio coined tlic ])hrasc "The 

 World's (iroatest Flower Sliow " knew 

 cxiictly wliiit it wiis tlmt the public would 

 tlirou^ to see at the Coliseum beginuiug 

 November (5. It is no misnomer. Last 

 year's exhibition at Cliicajro, which was 

 "ealled " Tiic Million i)ollar Siiow, " es- 

 tablished a record as the "greatest 

 ever," but it is relegated to a second 

 place by tiie exhibition now in progress. 



I^ast year the fear that not sufficient 

 stock would be forthcoming to make an 

 adequate show in so great a building led 

 to some overcrowding. This year this 

 defect has been remedied l)y using 

 smaller groups of decorative; plants antl 

 by devoting the annex, which last year 

 was given to the lectures, to a [)art of 

 tlu' display of cut blooms. 



'Pile arrangement is a decided improve- 

 ment over last year's, the l)road prome- 

 nade down the center of the building 

 being bordered with bay trees joined by 

 streamers of laurel wn^athing. tiie plant 

 I'xhibits langt'd on either side, '.vitli the 

 jnod(d gardens occupying the ends of the 

 hall, and the spaces between the arches 

 along this side being occupied, as last 

 year, by the exhibits of the retail flo- 

 rists. The whole arrangement is greatly 

 to the credit of Manager George Asjuus. 

 whose work inqiroves with each year of 

 his experience. 



It is to the committee on decorations — 

 ('. A. Samuelson and W. J. Smyth — that 

 a large part of the credit for the gen- 

 oral effect must be given. The horse show- 

 canopy of green and yellow was retaineil. 

 heneath it are festooned long lines of 

 I uirel wreathing leading from loops of 

 the same material in th(> center of the 



great sjiau down to where the arche.s cut 

 the balcony. These arc spaced every 

 few feet, and present an excellent ap- 

 pearance, es])ecially at night. The bal- 

 cony is looped with interlajiping garlands 

 of the same material, in all about 15,000 

 yards of laurel wreathing having been 

 employed. It is probably the largest 

 quantity of laurel wreathing ever got to- 

 gether for one ' j)urpose. In addition a 

 carload of wild smilax has been used to 

 cover the structural parts of the build- 

 ing below the line of the balcony. 



As was the case last year, the circle 

 of I'ctailers' displays not only is a won- 

 derful attraction in itself, but serves to 

 bind the show into a harmonious whole. 

 Kacli one of the spaces formed by the 

 steelwork of the building is occupied by 

 a retailer, and there were others who 

 would have nuide exhibits had there been 

 spaces for them. There is a greater va- 

 riety in their displays than was the case 

 liist year, and several have gone to large 

 expense to provide a fitting setting for 

 their stock. The retailers appear to 

 thoroughly appreciate the advertising 

 value of such a showing, nevertheless 

 credit should be given them for what 

 their enterprise adds to the interest of 

 the exhibition as a whole. They are 

 using oidy the choicest of material in 

 great variety and changing the ilisplay 

 eacji day, so that there is constant nov- 

 elty. The diagram lejuoduccd in this 

 is.sue shows who are- exhibititig and the 

 locatiiui of each dis])lay. 



The participation of the Chrysanthe- 

 mum Society of America has a<lded not 

 a little in jioint of trade interest. It 

 has given Chicago growers an opportu- 

 nity to see Muiny of the season's novel- 

 ties before jdacing their orders for stock. 



Usually they have been coin[i(;lled to act 

 on the reports from eastern exhibitions. 

 Charles II. Totty, of Madison, N. J., is 

 one of the largest eastern exhibitors, his 

 cut blooms having traveled in excellent 

 shape, ami are a center of interest. His 

 collection of forty blooms in forty vari- 

 eties never has been ecpmled so far as 

 western exhibitions go. Wm. Duckham, 

 president of the Chrysanthemum Society 

 and superintendent of the estate of 

 I). Willis James, Madison, X. J., almost 

 swept the decks in the classes for six 

 blooms, and what probably affords him 

 greatest pleasure is to show western 

 growers how the chrysanthemiun bearing 

 his nanu! looks when well grown. Pos- 

 sibly it is climate rather than culture 

 that makes the difference, but the vari- 

 ety, as he shows it, is a complete surprise 

 to Chicago growers who know it only as 

 locally produced. But there is tlie same 

 dift'eronco in ]Mr. Duckham 's Beatrice 

 May and the same sort as grown here. 

 Another Madison grower who has splen- 

 diil blooms is W. Yince, gardener to 

 H. J). Foote. All told, Chicago never 

 has had such fine cut mums as the Madi- 

 son gentlemen have brought, and the 

 vases of 100, all home grown entries, 

 also show an a<lvance in ipmlity. 



Arthur llerrington, of .Madison, con- 

 tributes the largest chrysanthemum plant 

 ever seen in Chicago. It occupies a point 

 of vantage directly in front of the en- 

 trance, and is easily the most noti(;eable 

 feature in the eyes of the general pub- 

 lic. The plant is about eight feet in di- 

 anu'ter, and is said to cany 500 flowers, 

 each abtjut three inches across. 



The Chicago parks ami private gar- 

 deners are exhibiting as usual. 



Special Features. 



The special features are so numerous 

 that it is wholly impossible to mention 

 any considerable ])art of them. One that 

 cannot be overlooked is A. llerrington 's 

 jdant of Chrysanthemum .Mrs. J. \\. 

 Tranter, which is said to be tlie largest 

 eiuysanthenuim jilant ever exhibited in 

 the United States and jirobably in the 

 world. It is al)ont eight feet in diameter 

 and carries over 500 flowers; not guess- 

 work; Mr. llerrington says he counted 



A Glimpse of the Chicago Exhibition in Progress This Week. 



(Tottytj niiignUiceni forty varieties, unc of c'.ch. at iln' left ) 



