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The Weekly Florists^ Reviewt 



July 2, 1908. 



SOIL STERILIZATION. 



I desire some information in regard to 

 sterilizing soil for indoor use. I have a 

 bin, 5x14x40, for compost and intend 

 to inject steam through six runs of 

 4-inch tile to heat it. Kindly advise 

 if the plan is right. What temperature 

 should it reach before letting cool? Any 

 suggestion -will be gladly received. Can 

 we use about half sod compost and half 

 soil out of bench? J. H. C. 



While I have never tried drain tiles for 

 sterilization purposes, I see no reason 

 why they should not answer perfectly 

 well. Perforated iron pipes are most 

 generally used, these being made up into 

 frames ten to twelve feet long and eight 

 to ten feet wide. The Sargent sterilizer 

 is also much used. It consists of an 

 iron frame four or five by eight or ten 

 feet, provided with perforated teeth a 

 foot apart and ten to twelve inches long, 

 these teeth being thrust into the soil 

 and steam turned on. The first method 

 requires a low pressure of steam, fifteen 

 to twenty pounds, and a large volume, 

 the latter a high pressure and smaller 

 volume. The soil should have a tempera- 

 ture of 185 degrees. You can use half 

 sod and half bench soil, but the former 

 is to be preferred. C. W. 



OBITUARY. 



George T. Sambrook. 



George T. Sambrook died at his home 

 in Watervliet, N. Y., June 21, after an 

 illness of about six months. Mr. Sam- 

 brook was born in England 70 years ago, 

 but came to this country when a young 

 man, and had resided in Watervliet for 

 fifty years. For forty years of this 

 time he had been in the florists' business. 

 He was a veteran of the Civil War, hav- 

 ing served in the Ninety-third New York 

 Volunteers, and was seriously wounded 

 at the Battle of the Wilderness. Three 

 sons and a daughter survive. 



William B. Leeds. 



William B. Leeds, the American 

 financier and former Rock Island rail- 

 road magnate, who died in Paris June 

 23, deserves a place in the mortuary 

 record of the Keview from the fact that 

 he was once a florist at Richmond, Ind., 

 his native place. He was born in 1861 

 and was in the florists' business in Rich- 

 mond for some five years, under the 

 name of Leeds & Co., of the Cascade 

 Rose Nursery, purchased from A. K. 

 Williams and founded by E. Y. Teas. 

 He was much interested in plants and 

 flowers and had worked up a fine cata- 

 logue trade; E. G. Hill was foreman for 

 him until 1880. Mr. Leeds was a mere 

 lad when he took up the florists' busi- 

 ness, a young man of charming person- 

 ality, but not at that time foreshadow- 

 ing his later success except in the won- 

 derful enthusiasm which he put into the 

 work at hand. He finally went into 

 bankruptcy in 1883 and soon after took 

 up railroading under General Superin- 

 tendent J. F. Miller, on the Richmond 

 Division of the Pennsylvania railroad, 

 and rose to be one of the country's lead- 

 ing railroad magnates and financiers, be- 

 ing estimated to be worth $35,000,000 

 at the time of his death. 



Robert Boeck. 



After waiting anxiously all night for 

 the return of Robert Boeck, 62 years of 

 age, Hyde Park, Cincinnati, Mrs. Boeck 

 made a search June 26 and found her 



husband's body in a cistern under the 

 floor of a greenhouse. Death is,, believed 

 to have been accidental: Mr. Boeck dis- 

 appeared early the previous evening. 

 His wife believed he had gone on an er- 

 rand and did not worry over his absence 

 until late in the night, when she became 

 alarmed at his failure to return. It is 

 believed that the boards covering the 

 cistern mouth gave way under him 

 as he walked over them. As the cistern 

 is not more than five feet deep and five 

 feet in diameter, it is thought that in 

 falling he struck his head, causing un- 

 consciousness, and that he drowned while 

 in that condition. About a year ago 

 Mr. Boeck was severely injured in a run- 

 away accident. He became entangled 

 in a rope with which he was leading a 

 horse and the animal dragged him sev- 

 eral hundred feet. 



Mrs. George Williams. 



The sympathy of a large circle of 

 friends goes out to George Williams, of 

 the Taunton Greenhouses, Taunton, 

 Mass., in the loss of his wife, which oc- 

 curred June 23, the interment being 

 June 26. 



Mrs. Rhinehart. 



The death is reported of Mrs. Rhine- 

 hart, mother of Mrs. Sarah I, Smith, of 

 Secane, Pa., who is well known as a 

 grower for the Philadelphia market, 

 where much sympathy for her is ex- 

 pressed. 



John Wilkinson. 



At the age of 80 years, John Wilkin- 

 son died of erysipelas, June 18, at his 

 home in Mittineague, a suburb of Spring- 

 field, Mass., after a sickness of four 

 weeks. This was the first time he had 

 been confined to his bed for over twenty 

 years. 



He was born in England, where he 

 learned his trade of nurseryman and 

 florist. At the age of 25 he came to 

 America and entered the employ of Ho- 

 mer Fort, who had a private greenhouse 

 at the south end of Springfield. 



After a few years he built a range of 

 greenhouses near his former employer's 

 place. Soon afterward he started a store 

 on State street, now owned by N. F. Hig- 

 gins, the florist. After five years at this 

 stand he opened a store at 331 Main 

 street, but, not finding this latter stand 

 profitable, he removed to Agawam and 

 engaged in the violet business. Later he 

 erected a range of greenhouses on Plain- 

 field street and seven years ago he re- 

 moved to Mittineague, taking the green- 

 houses of H. Wilson Smith. These he con- 

 ducted, with the aid of his son, until his 

 death. 



Although troubled with rheumatism, he 

 was always able to keep at his work, 

 which he seemed to love. As a close 

 neighbor remarked, he hardly took time 

 to eat, but hurried back to his work as 

 though he enjoyed his flowers more than 

 his meals. He was always pleasant and 

 kind to everyone. 



A peculiar incident in relation to his 

 death was that three days later H. Wil- 

 son Smith, who formerly carried on the 

 same greenhouses, died of consumption 

 at his home, adjoining that of Mr. Wil- 

 kinson. 



The funeral was held Sunday, June 21, 

 from his residence, with interment in 

 Oak Grove cemetery. There were many 

 floral tokens of sympathy from his busi- 

 ness friends and neighbors. 



He is survived by his son, William, 

 who will continue the greenhouse busi- 

 ness. 



Marcus Ellis. 



Marcus Ellis, the senior proprietor of 

 the Ellis Bros. Co. 's greenhouses, at 

 Keene, N. H., died at his home Saturday 

 afternoon, June 13, of a heart trouble, at 

 the age of 62 years. 



Mr. Ellis was a son of Enoch and 

 Marcia Ellis, of Royalton, Vt., and was 

 born in that town September 1, 1845. 

 He was educated in the public schools 

 and at Royalton Academy, and when 19 

 years of age removed to Keene, where 

 he afterward lived. He entered the iron 

 foundry of his half brother, the late 

 Moses Ellis, of Keene, where he learned 

 the trade, and went into partnership with 

 his brother, remaining there until 1880, 

 when he left that business to take charge 

 of the greenhouses which he had estab- 

 lished with his brother, Albert, in 1874, 

 the firm being Ellis Bros., florists and 

 seedsmen. Albert Ellis went to Wichita, 

 Kan., a number of years ago, but Mar- 

 cus continued the business under the same 

 firm name. Four years ago Mr. Ellis 

 suffered a shock of paralysis, which left 

 him in a much enfeebled condition, and 

 later he took into partnership Frank 

 Chapman, and formed the Ellis Bros. Co., 

 which still continues. 



January 1, 1874, he married Miss Kate 

 C. Goodnow, who survives him. Besides 

 his widow, Mr. Ellis leaves four children, 

 Carleton, of New York city; Gertrude 

 C, who has taught school in Shelbume 

 Falls, Mass.; Ruth E. and Theodore G., 

 of Keene. He is also survived by two 

 brothers, George, of Royalton, Vt., and 

 Albert, of Wichita, Kan. 



David Gindra. 



David Gindra died at his home on 

 Delafield street, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., 

 June 20. He was the oldest florist in 

 that vicinity. 



John W. Minott. 



John W. Minott passed away at his 

 home on Summer street, Portland, Me., 

 June 23, after an illness of nearly ten 

 weeks. Mr. Minott was born June 26, 

 1834, a native of the We^t Indies, and 

 followed the sea the greater part of his 

 life until he settled in Portland and 

 started the florists' business thirty-two 

 years ago. He was always one of the 

 leading citizens of his city and a host 

 of friends will be grieved to learn of his 

 death. Mr. Minott leaves a widow, Eliza 

 D., and two adopted children, Frank L. 

 Minott, of Portland, and a daughter, 

 Mrs. H. I. Cobb, of Nashville, Tenn. 



BOSTON. 



The Market 



Conditions showed some improvement 

 last week, there being a good call for 

 graduation and other exercises as well 

 as weddings. A quieter market now 

 rules and midsummer dullness, with few 

 ripples to break it, is probable for some 

 time. White roses have been in good 

 dematid and appreciated in value as a 

 consequence. Kaiserin is the dominant 

 variety. Some fair Liberty is seen, but 

 Richmond is poor. Killarney keeps its 

 position as the leading pink rose. There 

 is still a good supply of carnations, but 

 the quality leaves much to be desired. 

 Sweet peas from outdoors are now abun- 

 dant and sell as well as anything on the 

 list. Valley moves more slowly. It has 

 had a good call for several weeks. 



Lilies are not abundant, but are ample 

 for all calls. A few speciosum have 

 made their appearance. Asters are not 



