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Febbcaby 2, 1911. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



27 



Establishment of William Sim, Qiftondale, Mass. 



quality used to be one of his Memorial 

 day features, but it is with violets and 

 sweet peas that his name is most inti- 

 mately linked. He surprised people 

 when he began growing violets in 

 houses 35x300, exploding the idea that 

 these flowers thrived best in small and 

 rather dark houses. Of single violets 

 he grows 100,000, Princess of Wales 

 and the new variety, Boston, predomi- 

 nating, but new varieties are constant- 

 ly being tested. 



Mr. Sim was the first grower of 

 note to grow sweet peas under glass, of 

 the new Zvolanek varieties, on a large 

 scale. Of these he is still probably the 

 largest grower and certainly is as sue 

 cessful as any grower in the United 

 States. Those who want to see really 

 high-grade sweet peas with tens of 

 thousands of flowers open, should visit 

 Cliftondale at the time of the S. A. F. 

 national show in Boston. At no season 

 are the houses unoccupied here. Until 

 sweet peas grow so tall as to shade 

 them seriously, violets occupy the 

 ground between the pea rows. When 

 violets in special houses are gone, to- 

 matoes at once take their place, some 

 50,000 of these being grown to single 

 stems annually. Comet being the favor- 

 ite variety. One or two tons daily is 

 no unusual pick. Cucumbers and 

 melons are also grown to some extent. 



Last season about twenty acres was 

 planted with sweet corn, much of it 

 being started in pots. As much as 400 

 boxes were picked a day. All this was 

 cleared practically before other market 

 growers began picking. Anything 

 grown at Cliftondale is of high quality. 

 All the houses are kept neat. The 

 heating and ventilating are up-to-date, 

 while the systems for supplying water 

 and liquid manure are of the best. 

 Manure is used heavily, Mr. Sim being 

 a firm believer in giving the land 

 plenty of it. 



Mr. Sim recently completed a beauti- 

 ful new 13-room residence for himself. 

 Suspended to the iron gate is the Gaelic 

 name, "Ben-y-Gloe," which being in- 

 terpreted means "Sunshine on the 

 Mountain." The grounds here ' are 

 tastefully planted. 



Mr. Sim is a member of the Massa- 

 chusetts Horticultural Society and has 

 served on the prize and exhibition com- 

 mittee. He has received many medals 

 for his exhibits at the various shows at 



Boston. At the meetings of the Gar- 

 deners' and Florists' Club he is a regu- 

 lar attendant and has served on the 

 executive board. He has favored the 

 club with practical talks on several 

 occasions. The S. A. F. and other spe 

 cial societies have his name on their 

 membership lists and of the Sweet Pea 

 Society he is now vice-president. Like 

 all good growers, Mr. Sim is modest 



ILLINOIS FLORISTS TO MEET. 



The sixth annual meeting of the Illi- 

 nois State Florists ' Association will be 

 held at Champaign, 111., February 8 to 

 10. Wednesday and Thursday, Febru- 

 ary 8 and 9, are the two main days. 

 The banquet takes place February 8, in 

 the evening. Among the addresses to 

 be given, will be one by J. C. Vaughan, 



William Sim. 



and unassuming, but is ever ready to 

 welcome visitors at Cliftondale and en- 

 tertain them kindly, in which his good 

 wife ably seconds him. There are a 

 quartette of winsome bairns in his 

 household. W. N. Cfaig. 



Shelbume Falls, Mass. — Louis H. John- 

 son, a florist of this place, has been ap- 

 pointed deputy sheriff. 



entitled "Live Issues for the Florist." 

 Another address will be given by E. G. 

 Hill, on "Some of the New Things." 

 Mr. Hill's opinion of the new plants 

 which are being offered for sale to the 

 florists this year should alone be worth 

 the price of a trip to Champaign. Mr. 

 Dorner will give a talk on the work 

 done at the experimental greenhouse. 

 This work has now reached its second 



