Skptember 3, 1008. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 





J3 



out new grounds, drives, golf links and 

 artificial lakes. 



In 1898 Mr. Eoney went to James- 

 town, N. Y., as manager of the Lake- 

 view Eose Gardens, where he has con- 

 tinued until the present time. He de- 

 veloped the business of this firm until 

 the houses now cover nearly ten acres, 

 solidly built in greenhouse glass. He 

 developed a trade that compasses a radius 

 of 500 miles from Jamestown, and has 

 established a reputation which indicates 

 a first-class success in a business for his 

 own account. 



IOWA FLORISTS' CONVENTION. 



Charles N. Page, treasurer and man- 

 ager of the Iowa Seed Co., Des Moines, 

 was elected president of the Society of 

 Iowa Florists at the sixth annual meet- 

 ing of the society, held in the offices of 

 the Iowa State Horticultural Society in 

 the state capitol building at Des Moines 

 August 26. James S. Wilson, of Des 

 Moines, was elected vice-president; Wes- 

 ley Greene, of Davenport, was reelected 

 secretary, and Peter Lambert, of Des 

 Moines, was reelected treasurer. The 

 following were elected directors: W. M. 

 Bomberger, of Harlan; P. L. Larson, of 

 Ft. Dodge; J. T. Temple, of Davenport, 

 and G. A. Heyne, of Dubuque. 



The societj' voted to hold its next an- 

 nual meeting in Des Moines during the 

 state fair next fall, and decided to hold 

 a special meeting the second week of 

 next December. 



The address of President J. A. Kra- 

 mer, of Cedar Eapids, congratulated the 

 society on its work in past years and 

 pointed out ways for future usefulness. 

 The reports of Secretary Greene and 

 Treasurer Lambert showed a satisfactory 

 state of affairs as to membership and 



W. Q. Potter. 



finances. Papers on the announced pro- 

 gram Avere as follows, but a number were 

 informal talks, and brief: 



"Sterilization of Greenhouse Soil," A. T. 

 Erwln, Ames. 



"Propagation of Geraniums from Outdoor 

 Wood." William Trillow, Des Moines. 



"Prop-igatlon of Slirubl)ery," Chas. B. Simon, 

 Des Moines. 



"Tlic Planting of Lawn Vases and Window 

 and Porch Boxes." G. A. Heyne, I)ubuq\ie. 



"Floral Arrangements," Theodore Ewoldt, 

 Davenport. 



"Gladioli," Henry Field. Shenandoah. 



"Carnations," J. F. Pollard, Eldora. 



"Irises." J. T. Temple, Davenport. 



"Caunas," William Hester, Des Moines. 



OBITUARY. 



Mrs. George L. Miller. 



Mrs. Emelia Miller, wife of George L. 

 Miller, of Newark, O., died August 24, 

 at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs, 

 Chris Koehl, 398 South Sixth street, 

 from tuberculosis. She was 32 years of 

 age, and besides her husband, left a son, 

 James. She was born and reared in 

 Columbus, O., but had lived for ten years 

 in Newark. s 



Patrick H. Meehan. 



Patrick H. Meehan, who died in Phila- 

 delphia August 21, and whos6 funeral 

 occurred August 25, has beenywell known 

 in floral circles in that citT for many 

 years. He first came into prominence as 

 the grower for Myers & Bamtman at 

 Wyndmoor. Under his fostering care 

 the firm's Beauties and tea roses at- 

 tracted favorable commendation from 

 the most critical buyers. Wyndmoor, the 

 coming debutante of Myers & Samtman, 

 was a seedling of Mr. Meehan 's, raised 

 some ten y6ars ago. Mr. Meehan re- 

 signed this position to accept charge of 

 the greenhouses of Dingee & Conard Co. 

 at West Grove, Pa. Mr. Meehan had 

 charge later of large establishments in 

 Washington, in Eichmond and in Nash- 

 ville. Two years ago he returned to 

 Philadelphia and took the position of 

 foreman for Charles E. Meehan, in Ger- 

 mantown. This position he filled until 

 his death. Mr. Meehan was 50 years of 

 age. He was a true florist and loved his 

 business dearly. He will be mourned by 

 many friends. 



Mrs, La Fever. 



Mrs. Mary La Fever, who for some 

 years had been in the florists' business 

 at Eaton Eapids, Mich., died August 31. 

 The business will be continued by 

 La Fever & Minnie, in connection with 

 their furniture store. 



THE PITTSBURG QUARTETTE. 



On this page appears the portrait of 

 W. Q. Potter, who completes the quar- 

 tette of young men who have this week 

 opened for business under the name of 

 the McCallum 'Co., at Pittsburg. The 

 president, secretary and treasurer's por- 

 traits appeared in the last issue. Mr. 

 Potter will have charge of the supply 

 department in the new business. 



GROWING FOR MARKET. 



In going about, I meet most of the 

 largest market growers of plants, says a 

 writer in the Horticultural Advertiser 

 (England), and the question that most 

 of them put is: "What is there in the 

 way of new things that are likely to be 

 worth taking up?" I must say, go back 

 to the old things, and do them well. We 

 get new things which are wanted for 

 one or two seasons, and many growers 

 neglect old favorites for them. The 

 most striking instance I have noted this 

 season has been in regard to the zonal 

 pelargonium, Paul Crampel. It is one 

 which will always sell as a bedding 

 variety, and will hold its own with Henry 

 Jacoby, Vesuvius and others; but it 

 will not pay to overstock it. New grow- 

 ers go in for new things, and having no 

 previous connection with buyers, have to 

 sell cheaply. I remember that when I 

 first grew carnations, and grew them 

 well, it was difficult to find buyers. And 

 only recently a grower gave me an ac- 

 count of his first experience with ram- 

 bler roses. He had a large stock of 



good plants, and he could not sell them, 

 except a few buyers took samples. Later, 

 when he had a much smaller stock, he 

 had more orders than he could execute. 

 It was the same with carnations, and I 

 could give other instances. The grower 



Charles N. Page. 



who succeeds is' he who starts a thing, 

 keeps to it, and does it well. 



I know that there are many who think 

 that if they sell the best, what are left 

 will do for stock, but in most instances 

 this is not the case. Stock should be 

 selected first, and what is not fit for sale 

 should be thrown away. From my own 

 experience I must say that what is not 

 good enough to sell is rarely worth keep- 

 ing over for stock. 



In the market this season I have found 

 that all well grown old or popular 

 plants have cleared out better than novel- 

 ties, but I do not mean to imply that 

 new things should not be taken up. The 

 thing is to grow them well, and if they 

 prove a failure one year, if it is a good 

 thing keep on until a trade is made for 

 it. I could name several of the most 

 popular plants of the present time, which 

 would never have been recognized if it 

 had not been for growers who, after 

 losing over a first or second venture, 

 have kept on with them. 



This season I have seen few novelties 

 which would be likely to be of any 

 value to the ordinary market grower. 

 In the herbaceous pyrethrums we have 

 already so many good varieties that it 

 is dangerous to recommend new sorts, 

 but the Langport Crimson, which gained 

 an award of merit at the last E. H. S. 

 meeting, was certainly a promising va- 

 riety and should be worth a trial. 



Another plant which may prove of 

 value is Deutzia Wilsoni, but I may say 

 that I have been much disappointed with 

 most of the hybrid deutzias from a mar- 

 ket point of view. The old Deutzia 

 gracilis, when grown as we used to do 

 it thirty years ago, wants a lot of 

 beating. 



The new stock named the Magenta 

 Strain is a good thing, but I should 

 call it a good crimson and it should be 

 good for market, but these strong grow- 

 ing sorts take more trouble in growing, 

 and in the long run the larger quantities 

 of the easier grown sorts may be most 

 profitable. 



