APRn. 1, 1009. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



39 



Concrete Benches Built by Walter S. Hall, Osage, la. 



HALL'S CONCRETE BENCH. 



Ilmv tlKHdiij^lily tlic trailr is iiilcrcslcil 

 ill till' Siiliji'ct of pcrinMiicnt hciicli coii- 

 sti'iK'tion is shown in the Irccjiicncv witli 

 wliieii soiiH'oiic collies t'oiw .■u'll uitli ii now 

 idea for the use of coiicictc Louis Witt 

 liol(l, of (,'lii(;:i<^(). was one of the pioneers 

 in this line, and lie favors the one-piece 

 bench. Having iierfectod a method for 

 the economical construction of a one-piece 

 bench, lie patented tin; molds lie employs, 

 and these are now in use all over the 

 I'nited States. There is no system of 

 sectional construction which has come into 

 iieneial use. most of the sectional methods 

 lieiiiji tlie result of <'X]K'riment by grow- 

 ers who simply were lookinjif for some- 

 'liiiiy to solve their individual problems. 

 Siicii a one is that shown in tlie accom- 

 jiaiiyiiifi- illustrations, which has just 

 ■ oiiie to light in Iowa. 



This bench is built by Walter S. Hall, 

 .It Osage, la. One of the pictures shows 

 a new Innise, just <-ompleted, in which the 

 bench is just being liiiished. lie is put- 

 ting in two more houses of the same size, 

 using the concrete blocks as shown 

 stacked up in tli(> other illustration. 



Mr. Ilall makes the blocks at odd mo- 

 ments during the winter, each section 

 I icing one foot wide aii<l as long as is 

 necessary for the width of the bench de- 

 "^ired. The bench in the ccnt(>r of the 

 house, as shown, is four feet wiile. The 

 bciicli consists of {losts, runners ;ind cross- 

 I'ii'ces. The sid(^s ancl bottom ;ire in one 

 I'ii'ci'. and made in niie ojieiation. Mr. 

 Ilall spent a year or inoii' in experiment 

 I'lg "11 this bench, and thinks his metlK>d 

 iiiiw so perfect that he has aj>plied for a 

 l''i'i'ni. both on the machine and on the 

 ''l'"k-.. lie finds the cost of the cement 

 ind gia\rl so small an item that he pre 

 ters t(i make his bench strong enough to 

 stand withoiil, reinforcement, and no wire 

 lilt oi- ireii rods are nse(l. The boiloni 

 i^ perforated to supply any desired 

 ■I mount of drainage, although most grow 

 'IS who use sectional benches consider 

 'he i-racks between tlu> sections sii]i|ily 

 ■ill that is needed. The bench ntaiiis lis 

 i"|^i'ion through the locking oi' the jiarts 

 iiid the weight ot iiencli and slock. lie 

 'his found the bench excellently adajited 

 '■I the needs of ;i general line of Stock, 

 "lie oi the benches in the |iictiire being 



plaiite(l to lettuce ;ind llie other contain 

 iiig carnation cuttings. 



While it doubtless will be some years 

 before concrete benches come into general 

 use, still it is only a (juestion of time 

 when concr(»te will supplant pecky cy- 

 press, just as pecky cypress has taken the 

 jilace of hemlock for this purpose. .\ 

 jiecky cypress bench will last sevi^ral 

 times as long as a hemlock bench will 

 stand nnder the severe conditions im 

 posed in a greenhouse, but when cement 

 is used the bench becomes the most en 

 during, insteail of the shortest lived fea 

 tiiie of the house. 



OBITUARY. 



Edward Gill. 



i'.y the death of l-',dward (iill. wliuli 

 occurred .March i;."i at his beautiful home, 

 jiellamoiint IMace, I'.erkeley, (Jal.. the hor- 

 ticultural fraternity of the I'*ai-ific, coast 

 loses one of its brightesl nienilieis. For 

 almost half a centurv he had been active 



ly employed in the direction of his large 

 nur.sery interests, and at the time of 

 his death he h;id over 100 acres ilevoted 

 to hardy oriinmental stock. lie had long 

 made .-i specialty of roses, and over 

 ' forty acres \\ei-e de\otei| exidiisivtdy to 

 ; this portion ot' liis business. His groumls 

 at Berkeley foi- years have been the 

 Mecca for all visiting iiuiserynien fioin 

 various parts of the r(Miutry. 



I'ldw.'trd (iill emiLiiated to (Jali forni;i 

 I'loiii \ew Jersey in I SCi;! arul commenced 

 I at thai early lime lo build up a busi 

 ; iiess, which at lln lime of his death 

 j was one of the laig'^l on th(> coast, lli^ 

 ! fame, however, chielly rests oil his know! 

 I edge of roses, and various trips to east 

 I em states and to lluroiie kept him in 

 I 1(ni(di with all the leading firms in that 

 line and made hi'- own collection by far 

 , the most complel.' on the r'acidc coast. 



He held many medals ami certificate^ 

 from various (•xiiiliii ion> and societies. 

 : and his kiiowledne of liorl icu It ii ral sub 

 .jecis. extending o\ei- ainios) half a ceii 

 tiiry, made him a mine of informaliiui 

 from the earliest limes on the growth 

 ami ilevelopiiieni of his chosen profession 



After being hiipjiily wedded for al 

 most forty years. Mr. tiill lost his wife 

 in .\(i\cmb(M-, l!Mi7. and ev<'r since that 

 time he had been in failing health. Ks 

 seiiliiilly a home loving man. he erected 

 a beautiful residence ami surrounded it 

 with a wealth of magnificent eiowtlis. so 

 thai if soon became oiie of the show 

 places uf lieikelev, Cal. lie leaves a 

 family consisting ot two soiis .and two 

 daughters, all of wjioni weie al the bed 



siile when the end c; \||. (iill leaves 



a host of friends lo nnMiin his loss. lie 

 was a gentleman of the old -diool. kind. 

 courteous and honorable. 



< A.MHltlDdK. .M.vss.- '['he cieditors of 

 \V. ]j. Lewis, in bankruptcy, will hold the 

 meetine lecjnired by law .\pril 9. 



CoKin. I 'v. Mrs. Caldwidl li.as mowd 

 her stock fr(nii the flowei', store on North 

 ('enter si leei lo her yreonhouse. 



< 1 .vi!iu.\. l'.\. Fred W. Zeitfiiss stai:..! 

 in the business here u year ago and ha- 

 made fair ]M'ogress, ;ilthough lie says the 

 peoide re(|U!ie a good deal of ediicaiion 

 .and it is slow v\ork where there is i.|i|\ 

 one florist in a town. 



Concrete Bench Blocks Used by Walter S. Hall, Osage, la. 



