42 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



DECi:.MBi;it li'.. li'ii'.i. 



OBITUARY. 



William K. Harris. 



Williaiii K. Jhu-jis iiassed ]X';i(('i'ully 

 :uvay nl iiis honu' in ^Vost rin]a(leli)liia 

 at ]'u a. m., .Mciiulay, Dci-cinlxT irt, after 

 a I'liiti' illiii'S'-. A (h'Vdlrd liusliaiul ami 

 J'allirv, a waiiii Irifihl, ;i skill'iil jivowcr. 

 an alili' man <<\ Imsiin'ss, lie is ninnriu'<| 

 by all who knrw ami jovi'd liini. Selt'- 

 inade, ciirnosl , ha id work in;:-, farsecin^, 

 of llio liiL;!io<i iiito^iity. William K. Har- 

 ris vi'iir( sriili'd what: is host in llic world 

 (.! Ilowcrs A lltirisi I'or I'urtylwo years, 

 a hadiT in his iirct'essiun, with a rt'inita- 

 lii))! tar ^\illll■ ihaii lural. his loss \\i]l 

 be keenly 1\\\ \>y many and iiis memory 

 will be clierisled in ilndr hearts t'er 

 years te eoine. 



Wdliam K. Ilanis was biprn in I'iiila 

 <i.'liihia Man-h I'l. 1'^."'^. His lather, a 

 sea tail ni:- man. a| >| o ciil ice. I him ;il ihr 

 HL^e el 7 t'l :i \'\\' JiM'scy larnno, wlm 

 Ircateii him liar-lily. The l^iy r.an away 

 when !' years nM. returning to I'liiladel- 

 [iliia. wlieii- he Winked t • o' l\iili(>rt. J>unl<. 

 :i liasket-niakir and liorist. lie became- a 

 ijood basket -maker and eontinneil with 

 liis (Mn]ihiyer for many ye.ars. Phiiiis 

 were at tliat. 1inn^ only a siije issne. ser\ 

 in^ b> kee|i the wolf from the (hxn. As 

 the boy ^rew into a niiin his love for 

 plants inneaseil. A]iril l.,].S(i7, he cem- 

 nicneed bnsiness ;is a llerist in a small 

 wav. with the jireeidioiiscs of William 

 ITobson. a. botanist, at l-'iTty lifth street 

 ;md Parbv road. Moro ^\\■. Harris ^ri'w 



yr(>w was orowii well. Wlioii compotilion 

 lir<in;iht down the ]oi('(> nt' yenuiiuins, 

 otiier tliint^s were Irieij. l'\)r years a 

 house ot' Htm ia serrata was grown for 

 rhristmas. Ivoses wore tried, but witli 

 the exception of some wonderfully sue- 

 cessful Jacqncniincts. tlioy did not do 

 well and Avere dropped. William K. ]I;u- 

 ris never fooled witii ornjis that did no! 

 pay. Anotlier objection to 1h(> roses was 

 th.al iliey stayed loo lono- in the houses. 

 Mr. Harris liked to clear np a lunise 

 <|inid\]y, then follow with .another crop. 

 I'and.anns N'eitchii was a ^real money- 

 m.aker: so were rubbers. lie was a 

 jiiioieer wiih the br.anediinL;' t.vpe. 'J'hen 

 e.anie the lilii's. .an o]ii)orl nnity f|nickly 

 ;;r;ispec|. Tl:e story of the lut ni.ade liy 

 I. ilium Ifarrisii is well known .all over 

 till' ciointry. The chrysanilh'innms, too, 

 ^a\e him a s|ileiidi(l lield. hury. IMiss 

 .Minnie Wananiaker, ]\Irs. {''rank Thoni- 

 sdii. .Mi>s i'lorenee Harris, Our Dear 

 frii'iid, are a few of the best known 

 jiroductions of his camel 'sjjair brush. 



A].ril 1. ]S91, :\Ir. Harris moved to 

 his jtresent ]ilace at .I'''ifty-fif1h street 

 and Spi'inglieid avenue, where he erected 

 the tii'st houses of his ]ir(>sent line rans(\ 

 Twn (d' these houses ,are oi plate jilass. 

 Tliey made a stir when they were built; 

 in fact, they are still belie\t-d to be the 

 uidy cionmerciai plate elass houses in the 

 ciiuntry. l-]veryone <ja\'0 ]Mr. Harris 

 credit i't<v bein;;- extraordinarily ])ros- 

 perous. lie at ()nce I'osc to the front 

 rank amonL;' the fjrowers. As a matter 

 <it' f;i(d . thes<> ]date n-];iss houses were not 





William K. Harris. 



geraniiiins. fuchsi.as .ind hclint ni]]es in i l he .Npm-iM' luxury jK-iipIr- suiiposed. ,\ 

 pots f<^ir sail' in the spring— -mil ortli- > lull in ilic marki't en.abled I\Ir. Harris 



nary stock, but nf such flm^ i|u.ality that. 

 \\licn ]i<diert linist s;i\\ them, he sabj it 

 wris lidd th.at the' be>i geranium glower 

 in the ceuntiy w.as a basket -m.akei. 

 I'nsket-m.akinu- \\;is sjil] kept up, gr.ad 

 ually gi'viuLT w.ay tn I'lants and linwers. 

 I\Ir. ]Iarris A\as a keen obseiver and 



U< buy thi^ plate <;l;iss at .a low figure. 

 I'nder ils lla\\les< |i;ini'S lie h:is Cohu'ed 

 i'.and.aioi^ \'.-ilchii .-Hel Irnit'd ( >t;iliciti' 

 (ii;inL;es in ;i \\;iy tu i\cite the admiia 

 tmn ef the ciiiirs. Mr. Hari'is' saga- 

 city and skill in relating crojis is shown 

 in hi^ management of the shamrock. 



progressive. He soi.n had the best va- j Thes(^ little Irish favmites Avere sown, 

 rieties of geraniums .and other flowering ^iiovn .and sidd in increa^iuLT i|uanti1ii's 

 plniits in quantity. i;\erythiii:j' 1h;it Im i i ;iih year, jn-l in time t<i make room fm' 



th(> final ]ir(- Easter spread of azaje 

 hydr.angeas, genistas, spira'.as an. I otl 

 Jlowering stock, for A\hicli he is faniu 

 M.any other things might lie mention, 

 the great specimen bongaimilleas ai 

 the sport named after himselt', the fei 

 of lioston t.ype, tiie dall'odiN. ])rimul; 

 buttercups. Knough h.'is been written 

 show what ^ir. J [arris has drme ae 

 Avherein Itiy his success. ]\[ay it inspl 

 otliers to labor faithfully to elevate u; 

 iiower business standard. 



.Mr. ]Iarris has been presiiLud ui i 

 I'hiladelphia Florists' Club and of n 

 Philadtdphia Wholesale Flower Mark. 

 He wrote A'erses, loved bnwliue- .-n 

 thoroughly enjoyed social gatlieniigs. ii 

 is survived by a, widow, twn daunhtei 

 and on(> son, William K. Ifarris. .Ir., wi 

 with his brotherdn-law, ]\[ark B. ^lib' 

 •hav(> for iiian^- years ligliteiie.) liis bu- 

 ness cares. I'liir,. 



John H. Myers. 



John H. Myers, a member : the wi.| 

 known linn of INIyers Bros,, - 1 Altoon. 

 ]'a., died December .S, as .i lesnlr .: 

 drinking ,a largo quantity ..f sidphup 

 acid, which he mistook for m.-.jicine th:. 

 was near by. He was remove.l in an ui 

 conscious condition to the Ali.iniii he- 

 pital, wiiere he died within a f • \\ hour- 



William S. Phelps. 



W. S. I'helps, for .abiiu; -. \.-i' \e;i!- 

 senior niendier of tlu> lini; .;l' \\ . ^ 

 I'helps it Sons, South {■'laminuhan 

 ]Mass., died December (! ai ijie aoo . ' 

 7S years. The plant at one time .qieraf.- 

 by the deceased is now in tiie hands et 

 Lemoine Bros. ^Ir. Pheliis u'ew caiai.i 

 lions and (dirysantiiemnni-- .lui lorce. 

 large qu.anlities of bullion- -• '.ci< wliil. 

 in the business. 



Sewall Fisher. 



Sewall Fisher, fine ol' i:,. j.i.iiii.e; 

 hybridizers of carnatieus. we!', kn.iwn t 

 the trade fifteen to lwen!\- y.ais ;il:' 

 diecl in Boston, at the home .it' iii> d;nte' 

 ter, Dec(Mnber o, in his Si.\,.n.iy-six; ' 

 vear, Tiic deceased gentleman incafe. 

 in ]'''raminghani, near the jiresrnr plai 

 III" William Nicholson, in Isiio, ami dii: 

 ing the late eighties ami eariv iiineii. 

 rtiised and introduced quite .i number i' 

 svedling carnations. Aniont: thes,. wer.' 

 V'rystal, white; Mary Fisher, varn-aatoo 

 .Saxon, scarlet; Seber. crinisoii ; ;Mi 

 fisher, wlme. one of the iiM^r popuj; 

 lif its color for several ye.ars. ;i tin.-, oi i 

 door bloomer and still grnwi; in S(ii' 

 places. It is doubtful if aii\- carnali' 

 L:.av(> .a ereater number of iliuers. a 

 though many were in those iia\s s.dd : 

 -hurts. Florence, scarlet, ■\\:!s much e 

 'eemi'il fur several years, wiih' Aim 

 Webii was till'' leading criins..n i iis d; 

 :iiid twenty years age*, with l.r..'. Wihh 

 Silver Spr.ay. Ifeinzi^'s W"::;'.. r..r'i 

 Tid.al Wave .and Astoria. AAa- : ,•• xaiic 

 aii.stly in evidence. 



Ml', l-'isher retired from b ,-:i-'-s t,i: 

 >e;irs .'ie,, and, while livin.; i|iii.t|\' 

 I'.i-tiiii. was a frequent ai-,' .t ..' ; 

 x.ariiuis exhibitions in Hort icai'M al !::. 

 He w.as a nii'inber of the .M.'is-a.ause' 

 Hurt ieullural Society anil ke.niv in;. 

 esfeij in flowers, particularly .iinatior 

 until the Last. '{'he intcrm.- \'.as 

 IMlii'II lirnve cemetery. l'''i'aiii.i,^:.a ni. 1' 

 leiidier <'i. when a numlier ji. :!.■■ i :"; 

 .'imioiilT I'lhers gathereil te y.r.- ■'m' ■' 

 ..■ase,| their last tribute oi' ,^r.,ii,, 



W. X ' ;Mi; 



The Review sends Scott's I ieris' 

 -Manual postpaid for $':. 



