Mabch 6, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



iz 



J. Otto Thilow. 



the gardener cannot take as much pleas- 

 ure as the owner. "He who admires 

 is the real possessor." "There is no 

 ancient gentlemen, but gardeners." 



Give foojs their gold and knaves their power. 

 Let fortune's bubble rise and fall; 



Who sows a field, or trains a flower. 

 Or plants a tree, la more than all. 



A MONTH IN EUROPE. 



■f hose who attended the S. A. F. con- 

 vention at Philadelphia last August will 

 recall, as one of the pleasant features of 

 that occasion, the travel lecture by J. 

 Otto Thilow, secretary of the Henry A. 

 Dreer corporation, who told of his tour 

 of the Yellowstone and illustrated his 

 story with excellent lantern slides. The 

 same speaker entertained the Florists' 

 Club of Philadelphia at its meeting, , 

 March 3, with an account of the month 's 

 trip of himself and Jacob D. Eisele, of 

 his firm, in Europe last autumn. Of 

 things horticultural he said: 



"To the horticulturist there is much 

 of interest, especially so when it appears 

 that the conditions seem to be so favor- 

 able for the development of plants, some 

 of which we try to bring under subjec- 

 tion to our varying conditions, to which 

 they unwillingly yield. The methods 

 of cultivation followed in the produc- 

 tion of plants are the same methods which 

 have been applied for many . years, or 

 even decades, with but few variations. 

 We have either not yet learned how to 

 do it, or the system, coupled with the 

 conditions, will remain where it is. 



Results of Years. 



"This much, however, can be said of 

 our European brother horticulturist : His 

 training is much more thorough ; his early 

 association with plant life, which in some 

 degree is tutored in his home, stirs a 

 more intense love for the art, and an 



untiring interest in the vocation. Men 

 and women in the homes of city and 

 country regard the most humble domicile 

 incomplete for themselves and families 

 without plants, flowers or shrubbery 

 under their own personal care. This in- 

 born love for the adornment of the 

 home has been handed down to posterity, 

 so that it has become a part of the na- 

 ture of children to busy themselves with 

 the care of plants. A much greater 

 impetus to the advancement of horticul- 

 ture is given by the personal interest 

 of the nobility and the people of means 

 in that they are surrounded with the 

 best taste in the horticultural art, and 

 perpetuate the estates of their ancestors 

 with even more elaborate outlay and 

 show, and do much by personal con- 

 tribution to perpetuate the interest 

 among those who are engaged in the pur- 

 suit of horticulture as a business. 



Kew and Covent Garden. 



"Having already determined upon a 

 visit to the pride of England's horticul- 

 tural school — Kew Gardens — our desire 

 was intensified by what had already been 

 enjoyed. Starting from Charing Cross 

 Sub, we were soon at Kew Gardens, 

 which well deserves the name of a per- 

 fect Eden in good order. The botanical 

 department is of more than ordinary 

 interest in that it is attractive and under 

 a splendid system and care. Many beds 

 were planted with such stock as we could 

 never venture a trial, and were there in 

 full glory. The roses and dahlias were 

 clothed with a wealth of bloom, and a 

 promise of more. The arrangements for 

 studying trees and shrubs — in fact, all 

 plants — were minutely confined to proper 

 labeling, which even to the novice is 

 an evidence that there is need of system 

 and classification in horticulture. 



"An early start was made the next 



morning for the renowned Covent Garden 

 to watch and study the trend of com- 

 merce in plants and flowers. Much is 

 done in a short time and at an early 

 hour. At this time, September 26, cut 

 chrysanthemums were in abundance, with 

 the almost glut of roses cut from field- 

 grown plants, and hardy asters (Mich%el-. 

 mas daisies) in masses of color. The 

 fruit and vegetable markets were equally 

 active, and afforded much interest. 



Belgium. 



"The cities of Ghent and Bruges are 

 highly interesting in horticulture — the 

 home of the azalea and bay, the fields 

 of tuberous begonias, and glass areas of 

 palms. Prominently in all thoroughfares 

 is seen the ever faithful and unpaid 

 laborer, the dog, hitched beneath the 

 hand carts, tugging and helping the load 

 ouward; the wooden shoe in evidence on 

 the children in the city, and the laborers 

 in the fields. Ghent is an active city 

 of 160,000 inhabitants, with many places 

 of historic interest. Bruges, one hour's 

 train ride east, is also interesting and 

 quaint. The impression left by this short 

 sojourn, the kind attention and courtesy 

 of our Belgian friends, are not to be 

 forgotten. 



Erfurt. 



"Nearing the Saxon country gave me 

 a slight inspiration, it being the land of 

 my father's pride, and which I had for 

 the first time the pleasure to look upon. 



"The city of Erfurt needs no minute 

 description, as it is known well to the 

 horticulturists the world over. The fos- 

 tering of the seed growing industry iden- 

 tifies this ancient German city with the 

 whole world. All that could be done 

 to cover the ground in the forty-eight 

 hours' stay was most courteously afford- 

 ed. An auto trip through Gotha, Co- 

 burg, Friedricksroda and to the Thur- 

 ingian forest was sufficient evidence that 

 motoring is a delightful pastime, because 

 of the splendid roads and the freedom 

 accorded the autoist. The Germans might 

 well point with pride to the well kept 

 forests, of which nearly 35,000,000 acres 

 are in the German Empire alone, thirty- 

 two per cent belonging to the state. Ap- 

 parently not a misshapen tree is to be seen 

 from the roads. This auto tour covered 

 110 miles in three hours, returning to 

 Erfurt in the evening. Sixty minutes to 

 the hour was hardly enough for so 

 strenuous a time as was put in with these 

 big hearted people." 



AS OTHERS SEE US. 



The Horticultural Advertiser (Eng- 

 land) has this to say: 



"American carnationists have been 

 having high old times of late, and, con- 

 sidering that America, as a nation, is 

 many years behind this country in things 

 horticultural, it is amazing how enthusi- 

 astically American florists rally to the 

 annual conventions promoted by the So- 

 ciety of American Florists, American 

 Rose Society and American Carnation 

 Society. 



"As far as I am aware, there is noth- 

 ing run in this country on similar lines. 



"The various horticultural societies 

 hold their annual meetings, shows and 

 dinners, but the American trade societies 

 seem to run the whole lot combined, 

 spreading the proceedings over several 

 days. Frantic enthusiasm seems to per- 

 vade the meetings, the various speeches 

 and papers given are listened to with 

 every attention, while the shows attract 



