Jandaky 2, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



37 



Establishment of Joseph Bancroft & Son, Cedar Falls, Iowa. 



THE FORDHOOK MUSK MELON. 



W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia, 

 are this season to introduce a new musk 

 melon, to which they have given the name 

 Fordhook and which was originated in 

 1900 as a cross of Emerald Gem and 

 the Improved Jennie Lind. It was 

 raised by A. P. Owen, at Mickleton, N. 

 J., who has agreed to sell seeds to no 

 other seedsmen for a period of three 

 years. 



The Fordhook melon is the subject for 

 a colored plate in the thirty-second edi- 

 tion of Burpee's Farm Annual and the 

 way in which it is exploited is charac- 

 teristic of the Burpee establishment. An 

 extract from the novelty sheets of the 

 Burpee catalogue will be of interest, not 

 only as showing the character of the 

 melon, but as indicating the selling talk 

 which abounds throughout the Burpee 

 book. ^ 



"The Fordhook melon resembles Im- 

 proved Jennie Lind in form; it is 

 equally roughly netted, while the 

 skin, showing between the netting, is 

 emerald green. The flesh is very thick, 

 of an attractive deep salmon color and 

 surpassingly sweet to the very rind. It 

 18 fully equal in flavor to Emerald Gem. 

 Many who have been so fortunate as to 

 taste the new Fordhook say that it is 

 even better — 'the most delicious of all 

 melons.' The beautiful salmon flesh, 

 while BO surpassingly luscious, is not only 

 very thick but also extremely solid. The 

 rind, although thin, is unusually firm, 

 so that the fruits carry well to market. 

 There are no musk melons that are bet- 

 ter shippers. 



The Fordhook melon is most vigor- 

 ous in growth, very early and extremely 

 prolific. The fruits are ready for mar- 

 ket fully as early as the green fleshed 

 Early Jennie Lind. The vines grow 

 vigorously and each vine sets from five 

 to nine melons immediately around the; 

 stem; frequently the fruits touch each 

 other. The melons are remarkably even 

 in size, weighing from a pound and a 

 half to two pounds each. Fordhook ia 



so 'thoroughbred' that there are prac- 

 tically no fruits unfit for market." 



Certainly any melon grower would 

 want to try Fordhook after reading that, 

 and a lot more like it, but for fear it 

 may be considered the description is only 

 the word of the enthusiast, there is this 

 paragraph : 



"Twenty-seven years ago (in 1881) 

 we first named and introduced Burpee's 

 Netted Gem, now the most popular musk 

 melon in cultivation and the variety 

 that, under the market name of Rocky 

 Ford, has made Colorado famous. Twen- 

 ty-two years ago (in 1886) we intro- 

 duced the celebrated Emerald Gem, which 

 has been recognized ever since as the 

 sweetest of all melons, the standard by 

 which all others must be judged as to 

 quality. Of our other introductions 

 which have become standard varieties we 

 would mention Bayview, Montreal, 

 Champion Market, Golden Eagle and 

 Burpee's Matchless. We have been 

 equally successful in the introduction of 

 water melons. The above record of musk 

 melons, however, will sufiice to show that 

 we know melons. ' ' 



BANCROFT VILLE. 



The fame of Cedar Falls, in Iowa, rests 

 upon the wide extent of the business of 

 Joseph Bancroft & Son. At the date of 

 the last census the count of noses showed 

 Cedar Falls had 7,000 people. The an- 

 nual pay roll at the Bancroft greenhouses 

 is over $5,000, or almost a dollar apiece 

 for every man, woman and child Uncle 

 Sam found in the town at the date of his 

 last count. 



The business was established in 1876, 

 thirty-two years ago, by Bishop & Ban- 

 croft, in connection with their nursery, 

 but the greenhouse department was soon 

 after purchased by Joseph Bancroft, 

 whose son, George, is now the active man- 

 ager of the business. The first green- 

 house was 30x50 feet and it waa not until 

 1892 that additional glass was erected. 

 Since then new houses have been added 

 almost yearly, until now practically half 



a city square is covered and the establish- 

 ment is one of the largest and best 

 equipped in Iowa. 



Besides the local trade of the town, a 

 general mail order business is done, cover- 

 ing practically every department of the 

 trade and extending not only throughout 

 Iowa but over adjoining states. A portion 

 of the glass is devoted to the growing of 

 cut flowers, but a large part is given to 

 the production of plants for the catalogue 

 trade. Besides wholesaling cut flowers 

 and plants, the retail business includes 

 the shipment of cut flowers and designs 

 to adjoining towns and a general mail 

 order catalogue business in plants and 

 seeds. The spring catalogue for 1907 was 

 an edition of 10,000, which will be some- 

 what increased for 1908, as the firm looks 

 forward to one of the best seasons in its 

 history. A fall bulb catalogue also is 

 issued and at the Christmas season a 

 large business is done in Christmas greens 

 and Christmas supplies, such as bells, 

 wreaths, etc. 



The accompanying illustration shows 

 the Bancroft establishment with the ex- 

 ception of two greenhouses, which are 

 obscured by the dwelling. These two 

 houses contain 4,000 feet of glass. 



Everett, Wash. — The Broadway 

 Floral Co. says that business has never 

 been better than at present. The firm 

 is planning to extend its glass area and 

 expand its business in 1908. 



Freeport, III. — Louis Bauscher says 

 the Christmas trade was exceptionally 

 good and gave no indication of any 

 money shortage. But, he says, the flo- 

 rists are in need of these lively holiday 

 seasons to spur them up after the lulls so 

 often experienced. 



Titusville, Pa. — W. Bay says that 

 Christmas business in this city .was satis- 

 factory. The volume of trade was larg- 

 er, but the value less, than last year. 

 There was an increase in the demand for 

 cheap potted plants and absolutely no 

 call for fancy price stock. 



