SKi'Ti:.Mi!i;it i), ]!•()!». 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Pink cannot be beaten in its color. Mis. 

 Alex. Wallace is a good lavender, coming 

 into flower a little later tiian tiie ubito 

 and pink ones. 



Any good loam -will grow sweet peas, 

 provided it is not of an acid nature. Use 

 some lime to correct sourness. The beds 

 must have thorough drainage. Cow 

 manure, well decayed, makes an excellent 

 fertilizer. Sheep manure, wiien procur- 

 able at a reasonable rate, also is good. 

 Some fine bone can be used when the 

 })lants start to llower. This can be poked 

 into the soil. Lifjuid maiuu'e can also be 

 tised with much beneiit. 



A night temperature o|" 4G degrees to 

 ■IS degrees, whin lloworing, suits sweet 

 peas. It should not go higher than 50 

 degrees and an even lower temperature 

 can be given until the flowers start to 

 open. The plants succeed much better 

 grown in solid beds than raised benches. 

 They can hardly have too much headroom. 

 Wide, lofty houses are the best, with not 

 less than six feet headroom and as much 

 more as you can give. I have seen well 

 grown greeidiouse peas ten to fourteen 



C. W. 



feet high. 



THE OLDEST EX-PRESIDENT. 



Among the oldest as well as the best 

 known of Scotch gardeners in this coun- 

 try is William R. Smith, superintendent 

 of the Botanic Gardens, maintained by 

 the government, on land directly opposite 

 the eapitol grounds, in Washington, 

 D. C. This post he has held continu- 

 ously for the almost unprecedented period 

 of more than fifty years. An additional 

 distinction is that he is the oldest living 

 ex-jiresideiit of the S. A. F., for Eobert 

 Craig, who preceded him Ijy six terms 

 in the presidency, numbers but 02 years 

 against JNIr. Smith's 81. 



Wm. R. Smith was born in Scotland in 

 1SL!S!, and gained his first professional 

 experience in Lord Elcho 's gardens at 

 Haddington. In IS"),'! ho entered Kew 

 (Jardens, London, thence coming to 

 America. He was first employed as a 

 private gardener in Philadelphia, but 

 soon -went to Washington and there be- 

 gan his life work. The Botanic Gardens 

 emerged from a swamp, into the beau- 

 tiful aspect they now present, under his 

 able management. Mr. Smith has in ad- 

 dition to his long years of service at the 

 Botanic Gardens given liberally of his 

 time as chairman of the Parking Com- 

 mission of the District of Columbia and 

 has done much towards making the 

 streets, squares and parks of the national 

 capital among the most beautiful in the 

 world. 



Mr. Smith has been the friend of many 

 of the presidents, statesmen and othcT 

 distinguished men of their day, and it 

 was principally his wide acquaintance 

 that made it possible for the S. A. F. to 

 secure its national charter, granted by 

 congress and signed bv Wm. McKinley 

 March 3, 1901. yiv. Smith is an ardent 

 admirer of K'obert Burns and has what 

 is said to be the largest private collec- 

 tion of liurnsiana in the world. Mr. 

 Smith possesses his full share of those 

 characteristic Scotch traits, sturdy inde- 

 pendence and grim humor, and has had 

 many amusing experiences during his 

 long career. Tlie two fcdlowing are 

 typical: 



A pompous senator, meeting Mr. Smith 

 at one time in the Botanic Gardens, 

 st.ated empliati<ally tiiat he could see no 

 utility in the gardens, iu)r any reason- 

 able excuse wliy Congress sliould i-on- 

 tinue to maintain the place. Giving him 

 a withering glance, Mr. Smith is s;ud to 



(V 



William R. Smith. 



(Oldest past president of the Society «{ American Florists, from a photoRraph taken a lew day^ 



before tlie Cincinnati convention.) 



have replied: "My dear sir, if the 

 Great Creator of all the universe had ha<l 

 utility in mind when he made you. He 

 would have put you on four legs and 

 sent you to eating grass. ' ' 



Another senator, from one of the 

 southern states, heard, early in his term 

 of office, that Superintendent Smith, of 

 the Botanic Gardens, made presents of 

 palms and other plants to statesmen he 

 liked. This senator wanted some ]>alms. 

 So he tried to find a way of getting on 

 the right side of the superintendent. 

 Learning of the latter 's admiration for 

 the poet Burns, ho let that serve as his 

 cue. 



Walking over from the Capitol to the 

 Botanic Gardens, he found Mr. Smith, 

 and after talking some time on general 

 topics, led the conversation around to the 

 subject of Burns. 



"There was the poet!" he exclaimed. 

 "For fine sentiment he has them all 

 beaten a mile. 1 read mv Burns everv 

 day." 



"Ken ye Burns?" asked Smith, thor- 

 oughly interested. 



"I should say I did." re|(lied the sen 

 ator. "Why, I know most of his jioems 



by heart. They can talk about their 

 other great poets, but as for me, give 

 me .Timmie Burns." 



"Jimmie Burns!" fairly snorted the 

 enraged Smith. "Jimmie Burns! Augh! 

 Billie Washington! Frankie Napoleon' 

 (ieorgie Lincoln! Get out of my sight, 

 ye ignoramus! " 



And that crestfallen senatm- never die, 

 iS>'\ his palms. 



IOWA FLORISTS MEET. 



the 



Society 

 Moines 

 in last 

 ntficer? 



At the annual meeting of 

 of Iowa Florists, held at Des 

 September 1 and referriMJ lo 

 week's Revikw . the follow inu 

 were elected : 



ITosi(l«Mit. <;. n. lUack. Iii(lt|UM,lciu'r. 

 Vic.' iircsiilfiit, F. .(, Olsaii, Ames. 

 S.'clftiiry, Wesley (ireciie, Davciiperl 

 Tifasiiiir, l'(Mfr I.;nnbcrt. Dis Moim ..-■. 



A resolution was passed offering a 

 special preiinuni of .$:.';-) from tli(> funds 

 of tlie society for the best mant«'l deco- 

 ration of glad(di to be shown at the state 

 fair next year. 



Sparta. Wls. — The .Tewetts are re 

 building the greenhoiuse destroyed by fire 



