Mabch 19, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



ifjvr-.- 



13 



25-cent and 50-cent bouquets, with a 

 home-made paper holder thrown in. The 

 best part of the bouquet was ground 

 pine and broom splints, the flowers being 

 short-stemmed primroses, fuchsias, ge- 

 raniums and other short stuff. A plate 

 of boutonnieres was always on the coun- 

 ter at 5 cents each. 



"The first funeral design, a wreath, 

 was constructed of twigs cut from shrubs 

 formed on a hoop from a tub, the flowers 

 and green tied on. For this a charge of 

 $1 was made when the design was called 

 for. The lady was so well pleased that 

 she gave $1.50, saying that $1 was not 

 enough for it. When short of flowers at 

 a time when he had what he would call 

 a large order, a wreath, anchor or cross 

 and star, the whole amounting to per- 

 haps $5, Mrs. Gasser woflld come to the 

 rescue. Knowing the art of making wax 

 flowers, she would hurriedly make up the 

 larger flowers, such as callas, camellias 

 and tuberoses. Customers were so 

 pleased with them that they would 

 frequently come back after two and 

 three weeks to tell how well they kept. 

 Then Mr. Gasser would explain. The 

 abutilon also had to fill in double space 

 by being turned inside out, turning back 

 the petals and pinching out the column 

 of stamens and substituting a little 

 double primrose drawn through with 

 wire. People wondered what flower it 

 was. And so they manoeuvered in all 

 sorts of ways to fill the orders." 



By careful methods and perseverance, 

 the business was developed and the range 

 of operations extended until the enter- 

 prise became one of the most extensive 

 of its kind in the state. A few years 

 ago, it being necessary to rebuild the 

 plant and provide room for further 

 growth, the greenhouses were removed to 

 Eocky River, about nine miles from the 

 city, where there is approximately 250,- 

 000 feet of glass. The city store is at 

 232-234 Euclid avenue, where both a 

 wholesale and retail business is con- 

 ducted. There will be no change in the 

 management of the company. Mr. Gasser 

 leaves a widow and one daughter, Mrs. 

 J. C. Pettee. 



Isaac G>oper. 



Isaac Cooper, who was employed by 

 B. H. Schloemer, on Florissant avenue, 

 St. Louis, Mo., fell dead late in the 

 evening of March 9, while at work in 

 the greenhouses. Mr. Cooper was 63 

 years of age, and a widower. 



Julius C Gerlach. 



Julius C. Gerlach, of Newark, N. J., 

 died March 9 of heart disease, follow- 

 ing an attack of asthma. His death oc- 

 curred at St. Augustine, Fla., where he 

 had gone last November in the hope of 

 regaining his health. He was a mem- 

 ber of the firm of Begerow & Gerlach 

 until five years ago, when he retired from 

 business. He was born in Germany 64 

 years ago. 



Prof. W. A. Kcllennan, 



Professor William Ashbrook Kellerman, 

 head of the department of botany at 

 Ohio State University, died in the jungles 

 of Guatemala, March 8, of malarial fever. 

 In company with a number of students, 

 he had left for Central America Decem- 

 ber 17, to study the botanical features 

 of that region. Professor Kellerman was 

 born in Ashville, O., 57 years ago, and 

 was a graduate of Cornell University. 

 He was the founder and editor of the 

 Journal of Mycology and Ohio Mycology, 

 and the author of several botanical 

 works. 



J. M. Gasser. 



CT. CDeake. 



Cyrus Towner Curtice Deake, the 

 founder of the Idlewild Floral Co., at 

 Asheville, N. C, died March 12, at the 

 age of 84 years. Mr. Deake was bom 

 at Providence, N. Y., December 5, 1824. 

 He graduated from Bucks academy and 

 taught school in that section of New 

 York for several years. In January, 

 1850, he accepted a position as tutor in 

 a family living on a plantation near 

 Savannah, Ga. While teaching at Jones- 

 boro, Tenn., he met Miss Josephine Simp- 

 son, whom he married July 16, 1855, and 

 who survives. No children was the result 

 of the union, the only relatives surviv- 

 ing being two nieces, his wife and J. 

 W. C. Deake, of Asheville, former vice- 

 president of the S. A. F. 



Soon after the beginbing of the war 

 Mrs. Deake went to her old home in 

 Tennessee, where she remained during 

 the war while Mr. Deake went to Ala- 

 bama in an engineering corps in charge 

 of some niter works of the Confederacy. 

 He read law and went into mica mining 

 with J. W. C. Deake. In 1875 he bought 

 the BakersA'ille Independent, of which he 

 became editor. In 1879 he sold his 

 mining property and devoted his time to 

 the newspaper until the summer of 1880, 

 when he sold out and began the publica- 

 tion of the Asheville News. The pub- 

 lication of the Asheville News was kept 

 up until 1884. In 1887 he started in the 

 florist business which afterwards became 

 the Idlewild Floral Co., composed of 

 C. T. C. Deake, Mrs. J. B. Deake and 

 J. W. C. Deake. This business was main- 

 tained until two years ago, when the 

 greenhouses were leased. During several 

 years he was in charge of the company's 

 downtown flower store. 



Joseph Kaiser. 



Joseph Kaiser, aged 58 years, a florist 

 of Belleville, HI., fell dying at his home, 

 721 East Seventh street, March 14, at 



2:30 o'clock of apoplexy. He had been 

 under treatment for heart trouble for 

 some months, but seemed as well as 

 usual. Mr. Kaiser had been a resident 

 of Belleville all of his life, and was 

 well to do. He is survived by one son, 

 Joseph Kaiser, Jr., and one daughter, 

 Mrs. Peter Freitag, and four grandchil- 

 dren. 



Erank Sahao. 



Frank Sahan, who was florist in the 

 park system at Omaha, died very sudden- 

 ly March 13. 



PIGEON MANURE. 



I can get a large quantity of pigeon 

 manure and would like to know whether 

 it is suitable for use in any of the fol- 

 lowing ways: In liquid form on carna- 

 tions and roses; as a mulch, with an 

 equal quantity of soil, on the same crops; 

 in composting soil for the next crop; as 

 a top-dressing for outside crops, such as 

 sweet peas, asters and roses. What is its 

 value per ton for such uses? J. P. K. 



Pigeon manure, being so much stronger 

 than barnyard manure and possessing 

 strong caustic properties, must be used 

 with great caution when applied to green- 

 house crops. As a mulch it should be 

 composted in the proportions of one part 

 of manure to eighteen of soil, and should 

 be worked over for at least two weeks 

 before using. For use in liquid form, 

 begin with one-half peck to a barrel of 

 water. That is strong enough for a first 

 application. 



For outside crops a compost of one 

 part manure to ten of soil will be strong 

 enough for mulching. 



Pigeon manure can be procured in 

 some localities very cheaply, while in 

 others it is quoted at $15 to $20 per ton. 

 Where the manure is clean it is worth 

 that price. Ribes. 



