1356 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Mabch 21, 1907. 



EXPRESS RATES. 



Hearing: at Washington. 



The Society of American Florists ap- 

 peared before the Interstate Commerce 

 Commission at Washington Friday and 

 Saturday of last week, March 15 and 

 16. Some twenty or twenty-five officers 

 and members of the society were pres- 

 ent and evidence was offered by Frank 

 L. Moore, Chatham, N. J.; L. M. Noe 

 and Eobert Schultz, Madison, N. J.; 

 Adolph Farenwald, Eoslyn, Pa.; F. H. 

 Traendly, New York City, and W. J. 

 Stewart, Boston. The evidence was for 

 the purpose of proving rates which were 

 charged prior to and after a date upon 

 which the United States Express Co. 

 arbitrarily raised its charges for han- 

 dling cut flowers in the vicinity of New 

 York. Two hours and a half were con- 

 sumed in presenting the evidence. On 

 the following day representatives of the 

 express company presented their side 

 of the case, seeking to show the perish- 

 able character of the goods and the 

 high value, combining to render a rate 

 higher than that charged for merchan- 

 dise justifiable. 



Those who attended the session give 

 it as their opinion that the three mem- 

 bers of the commission who listened to 

 the evidence were favorably disposed 

 towards the florists. The express com- 

 pany now has fifteen days in which to 

 file a brief and the S. A. F. has ten days 

 to reply, so that no decision may be 

 expected inside of thirty days. 



PACKING PLANTS FOR EXPORT. 



Every year, as the season for the sale 

 of soft-wooded stuff comes round, says 

 the Horticultural Advertiser (English), 

 we hear grievous complaints as to heavy 

 losses among plants received from abroad 

 and also exported from this country. 

 Many nurserymen say that they have so 

 many complaints and that the business 

 is so unsatisfactory that they now de- 

 cline foreign trade, unless done upon a 

 cash-with-order basis, with a repudiation 

 of all responsibility. 



From our own experience we are con- 

 vinced that apart from such accidents as 

 being placed too near the boilers, and 

 similar risks of travel, a large propor- 

 tion of this worry and loss may be 

 avoided by proper care and system. The 

 trouble arises mainly from two causes — 

 immature plants and improper packing. 



When we were in this line we had 

 regular customers for new zonals in the 

 States and elsewhere, to whom we sent 

 soft-wooded plants annually with inva- 

 riable success; so much so, that some of 

 our customers used to have plants sent 

 to us from other raisers to be dispatched 

 with our own goods. Our first point was 

 to select healthy, forward plants, which 

 were kept without crowding, well exposed 

 to the light until May, when they were 

 placed outside to harden, but in such 

 position that lights could be run over 

 them on a cold night. After a week or 

 two of this treatment the plants assumed 

 a hard, woody appearance at the base 

 and were then ready for dispatch. 



In packing, the plants were taken out 

 of the pots and the balls well secured 

 either in paper traveling pots or by tying 

 up in moss; this done, they were placed 

 in a box, one layer on each side, with the 

 tops meeting in the middle. This opera- 

 tion requires a little care to make a firm 

 job, but is not really difficult if one row 

 at a time be placed firmly in position 

 and then secured by fixing a square lath 



over the shoulder of the balls; the lath 

 being nailed through the box ends. A 

 few ventilating holes for the tops of the 

 plants must not be forgotten. Bore 

 these with a brace and bit before doing 

 anything else, and tack a patch of per- 

 forated zinc over each to exclude vermin. 

 The processes described demand time and 

 care, but it pays better to receive a con- 

 signment with ninety-five per cent alive 

 and ready to start than a mass of half 

 rotten stuff, even if the packing charges 

 are a little heavier. Also, it goes with- 

 out saying, that if the buyer who cuts 

 prices down to cost of production expects 

 his plants to be cared for as above de- 

 scribed he will probably be grievously 

 disappointed. 



THE DEATH ROLL. 



Charles W. Seeley. 



Charles W. Seeley, of Eochester, N.Y., 

 died March 10 at the residence of Ed- 

 ward Hannah, 226 Merriman street. Mr. 

 Seeley was born at Greenwich, Saratoga 

 county, in 1829, and removed to Eoches- 

 ter in 1835 with his parents, two broth- 

 ers and three sisters. He became asso- 

 ciated with the late James Vick on the 

 editorial staff of the Genesee Farmer. 

 In 1844 he established the Union Nurs- 

 eries. Later he again became associated 

 with James Vick, his brother-in-law, act- 

 ing as editor of Vick's Quarterly, which 

 was superseded by Vick's Magazine. 



Mr. Seeley had quite a reputation as a 

 botanist. Among the things he possessed 

 was a fine collection of ferns. He was 

 also greatly interested in grapes and 

 once owned a fine vineyard at Vine Val- 

 ley, on Canandaigua lake. He is credited 

 with having originated several varieties 

 of this fruit. He was a landscape artist 

 of some repute. He drew the plans for 

 Eochester 's most beautifully planted 

 street, Portsmouth Terrace, which was 

 made after the death of James Vick, 

 twenty-five years ago. 



As a writer on horticultural subjects, 

 Mr. Seeley was widely known. Among 

 his productions were "Language of 

 Flowers," "How to Make a Lawn," 

 "Farmer's Handbook" and a popular 

 card game designed to teach botany. He 

 edited * * How to Grow Flowers, ' ' pub- 

 lished in West Grove, Pa. He was a 

 charter member of the Western New 

 York Horticultural Society, which he 

 joined in 1857. 



James Draper. 



James Draper, who died at Worces- 

 ter, March 13, was one of the best 

 known of the pioneer market garden- 

 ers, nurserymen and all around horti- 

 culturists in Massachusetts. He was 

 born in Worcester, August 31, 1842. At 

 the age of 18 years he began doing 

 business as a market gardener and at 

 this was very successful, becoming one 

 of the largest producers in the Wor- 

 cester section. He grew small fruits 

 on a large scale and finding a heavy 

 demand for stock of the sort he grew, 

 he branched out and established the 

 Bloomingdale Nurseries, issuing his 

 first catalogue in 1867, which was then 

 quite a unique affair. A general vari- 

 ety of nursery stock was grown and 

 the reputation of his nurseries spread 

 all over New England. 



The deceased also manufactured ce- 

 ment drain and sewer pipes and was 

 one of the originators and constructors 

 of the Worcester and Shrewsbury rail- 

 road. He was an active member of the 



Worcester Horticultural Society for 

 many years, was one of the originators 

 and first president of the Massachusetts 

 Fruit Growers' Association, trustee of 

 the Massachusetts Horticultural Col- 

 lege and held a number of civic ap- 

 pointments at various times. He was 

 also past-master of the Massachusetts 

 State Grange. The interment on March 

 17 was largely attended, a delegation 

 from the Worcester Horticultural So- 

 ciety being included. W. N. C. 



. John C Garden, 



John C. Garden, a gardener of Ana- 

 costia, D. C, died at his home on !Min- 

 nesota avenue, March 11, aged 57 years. 

 He came of a family of Scotch florists 

 and was educated as such in the old 

 country, but changed to the vegetable in- 

 dustry after coming to America, though 

 much attention was given to growing 

 bedding plants. Deceased was a son of 

 the late Alexander Garden, and half- 

 brother of Alexander B. Garden, the 

 well-known grower of Washington. 



J. L. C. 



BOSTON. 



The Market 



Flowers are now shortening up quite 

 perceptibly. Growers are holding back 

 as much stock as possible and as a 

 consequence prices have stiffened some- 

 what all around. Eoses are equal to 

 all demands, but are realizing good 

 prices. Brides continue a little scarce. 

 Beauties are improving, but do not sell 

 so readily as Eichmond, which has 

 displaced the older rose to a large ex- 

 tent with many buygrs. Killarney is 

 coming extra fine, as is Chatenay and 

 Wellesley. Carnations are making 

 much better prices, whites continuing 

 to sell as well as the colored sorts. 

 Enchantress is still the leading sort on 

 the market. Violets are abundant. 

 Good stock averages 50 cents per hun- 

 dred, poor grades going lower. Higher 

 prices will prevail in a few days. 



Sweet peas are of superlative ex- 

 cellence and more abundant than in 

 June and July. Mont Blanc and Ear- 

 liest of All continue the leading sorts, 

 few 'of the other shades being seen. 

 Prices on these have improved. In ad- 

 dition to the general run of narcissi, 

 tulips and hyacinths, which are clear- 

 ing out better, there are ixias, white 

 and scarlet anemones, tritomas, and 

 other spring bulbous stock seen. Callas 

 and Easter lilies are just enough for 

 demands and higher prices are being 

 asked. Many growers, in spite of the 

 warmer weather, will miss getting 

 many of their lilies in season and in- 

 dications are that there will be none 

 too many of these to go around. There 

 is a good supply of fine valley. Gar- 

 denias also are more plentiful. Cat- 

 tleyas are scarce, a few Trianae and 

 Schroederjana only being seen. Green 

 supplies remain about the same. 



Carnations at Ellis. 



The new scarlet. Beacon, is the lead- 

 ing attraction at Peter Fisher's this 

 season. Some 20,000 plants are grown 

 and while many plants have been used 

 for cuttings rather than bloom produc- 

 tion, it was easy to note that this new 

 scarlet is a wonderfully prolific vari- 

 ety. Color, stem and general habit 

 seem to be ideal. Mr. Fisher's own 

 sales amount to 100,000 and it is evi- 

 dent that Beacon is going to be the, 

 dominant scarlet in 1907-8. 



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