.iLii 1 1, r.Hi-. 



The Florists^ Review 



16 



arterial sclerosis, Imt death <aiiie from 

 an attack of |iiieuiiioiiia, wliicli was of 

 only five days' duration. The funeral 

 was held fioni the residence, Tuesday 

 jifternoon, duly !*, Iiurial heiny- at Oal<- 

 woods. A luunher in the traile sent' 

 lloweis. 



William R. Smith. 



The xenei'alile William l\. Smith, who 

 had lieen leported in recent issues of 

 The l»e\ iew as slowly losirij^ streii;^th, 

 ]>assed ((uietly away at a W'ashinj^ton 

 hospital SuiKlay morninj:, .Inly 7. 



Anion}.', the oldest as wcdl as the best 

 known of Scotidi j^ardeners in this coun 

 ti'y was William K'. Smith, suiierinteiicj- 

 ent of the l^otanic (lardens, maintained 

 by the <:()\'ernment, on land directly op 

 posite the ('ajdtol ^iroumls, in Washin;.;- 

 ton. Tljis post lie had held continu- 

 ously foi' the unprect'dented |)eriod of 

 more than (ifty years. An additional 

 distinction is that he was the oldest li\- 

 in;: ex-jirc'sident of the S. \. F., foi- 

 Kolieit ('rai^i, who ])reced('d him li\' 

 six teiins in the jtresidency, numbers 

 but <■>■") years ayainst .Mr. Smith's S4. 



Wm. K. Smith was born in Scotlanij 

 in ISi's, and ;.;ained his first profes 

 sional experienct' in l^ord KIcho's gar- 

 dens at IIad<lin}iton. In IS.").'! he eii- 

 tereil Kew (iardens, jjondon, thence 

 <-ominji to .Vuu'rica. He was first em- 

 ployed as a |iri\ate jiardener in Phila- 

 delphia, but soon went to Washington 

 and there iicyan his life work. The 

 Botanic (iardens omei'^cd from a 

 swainji. into the beautiful aspect they 

 now pi'eseiit, under his manajicment. 

 Ml'. Smitii, in addition to his loiiy \i>ars 

 of ser\ ice at the Botanic (Jardeiis, ya\o 

 liberally of his time as chairman of the 

 I'arkinj: Cominission of the District of 

 Columbia and ilid miKdi towanis makiiiy 

 the str<'ets, s(|uares ainl parks of the 

 national caj'ital amony the most beau 

 tiful ill the world. 



.Mr. Smitli \\as the friend of many 

 of the presiileiits, statesmen and other 

 dist injiuished men of the day, and it 

 was princi|(ally his wide accjuaintaiice 

 that made it possible for tlie S. .\. F. to 

 secure its national charter, ;:rant<'(| by 

 ('onjiicss and si<iiie<| by Wiy. .Mc Kin ley 

 -March .!, Illdl. .Mr. Smith was an ar 

 • lent admirer of Woliert Burns and had 

 what is sai<l to be the largest |iri\ate 

 coliei-tion of Burnsiana in the world. 

 He possessed his full share of those 

 characteristic Scot(di traits, sturdy iiide 

 jieiidence and yriin humor, and had many 

 amusing experiences durinj: his lony 

 career. The two following are ty|>ical 

 of tiie stories told of him : 



.\ |ionipou> senator, i tin;^ Mr. 



Smith ;it one time in the Pxilanic (Jar 

 dens, st.Mtecj emphatically that he coiiM 

 >e<' no utility in the .i^aideiis. nor any 

 ri'asonable excuse why Conj^ress should 

 continiii' to maintain the |da<e. (ii\ 

 ini: him a witheiin;; ;;lance. Mr. Smith 

 IS ~.aid to lia\f replied: "My dear sir, 

 if the (Jre.Mt <'reatoi- of all the unixcrse 

 liiid had ntilit.x in mind when he made 

 ><'ii. He would lia\e |iut ynu on four 

 le^^s HU'i si'iit you to I'atinii i^rass.'" 



.\notlier senafoi-. from one of the 

 southern stati's, heard, early in his term 

 (d' otiice. that Snpeii nl endeiit Smith, id' 

 the B(d;niic Caiilens, made presents oi 

 I'alms ;iim| other plants to statesmen he 

 liked. This senator wanteil some palms, 

 ^" 'le tried to find a way of yettiiij: on 

 the ri^^ht siije of the superintendent. 

 l-«>arniii-i of the latter "s admiration for 

 the p(.et Burns, he let that -^erx e ;is his 

 cue. 



William R. Smith. 



Walkine o\('i- from the <'a|iitol to the 



Botanic (iardens, he fiuind .Mr. Smith. 



j and after talkin;^ some time on general 



' topics, led the con \ ers;i t ion arouiid to 



the siiiijei-l ot' l-turns. 



■ ' There was the poet ' ' ' he e\( la i med. 

 ■"For line sentiment lie has theiif all 

 beaten a mile. I read m\ 1-tniiis e\ei\:' 

 dav. •■ 



'"Kin ye I'.iiru^ .' ' ' M--ked ."^m it h. t hur 

 <Ml;:lily interested. 



' ■ I --hould -^ay 1 did, ' ' replieil the --ell 

 ator. "'Why. I know most (d' liis poems 

 by heart. They run talk about their 

 other ;:reat poets, but a^ for me, ei\,. 

 me .1 i nimie Burns. 



■'.limmie Burns' ■■ fairly ^noited the 

 enraged Smith, ''.limmie BurnsI .\u.L;h' 

 Billie Washiiiiiton' Frankie \;ipoleon! 

 (!eorL;ie l.iiicidnl (iet (Uit id' m\ ^iL;lit. 

 yi' ii^iioramus ! 



.\nd that ri'est lalleii ■~enator iie\er 

 dill L:et his palms. 



The t'uneral of Mr. Smith was ludd 

 .•It L':.iii Tlles(|;i\-. .inl\ '.i, and wa-- at 

 tended by the Wa^hiii;jton llorists in a 

 liodv, as \\ ( 11 ;i-^ by a number in the 

 trade from ontsidi' jioints. There were 

 many flowers, for there \\;is no man 

 in the trade who w.-is heM in liieher 

 esli'em. 



George Farrant. 



(ieoi-e F:iriaiit, who was mana-er of 

 T. 1- .Metcalfe's I'leasant \iew (ireeii 

 Ill-uses, ,it .Madisonx ille, Kv., dropped 

 'lead in t!ie street .Inly :;. lie had .piit 

 "'"■!< '■"'■ 'lie d;iy and started to walk 



'" '"" "• ''•" had - not more than 



liftN \ard-. from th<' -leenhouses when 

 III' received the fatal stndxc. 



Mr. Fari;int was .'ii' y,.;,rs of a-e. a 

 ii:tti\e oi' |)e\ onshire, Kn;:laihl. He 

 '•aiiie to the Inited States twent\ \f;irs 

 ''.-" ;iiid h;id worked in a number of 

 i^ieeiihou-e e-t a Id ish men t s m \;iriou> 



l''''l's of tiie coiillflW He Went to 



.Madisoin ille from Kokonio. I mk .\ 



^\i'l<'\\ I three children sur\i\e. ;il>o 



■> brother in Washington. .Mr. .Metcalfe 

 sjieaks highly of the deceased, ^avinL,' 

 that he was one of the most c;ipabli' 

 and conscientious men he e\ er has had 

 in lii'^ emplo\-. 



Utica, N. Y. Samuel Wliilton i- build 

 ini: a .-reenhoH'^e ;it L'.'.l' <liiiridiill a\e 



line. 



Batavia, N. Y. (lustav .\d;i(k i^ 

 -milinij because of the arrival ot' a 

 ^on at his home. .Iiiiie L'!i. 



