July 18, 1912. 



The Florists' Review 



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AMERICAN SWEET 



PEA SOCIETY 



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THE BOSl^ON MEETING. 



Local Exhibits Ruined by Storm. 



The eagerly anticipated exhibition of 

 the National Sweet Pea Society of 

 America opened in Boston July 13, and 

 ill spite of the worst possible weather 

 (■(inditions prior to its being held, it 

 was a pronounced success. It is doubt- 

 ful if so many sweet peas ever have 

 hoen seen in one hall in America. 

 For ten days previous to the show Bos- 

 ton was visited by a hot wave, tem- 

 peratures over 90 degrees being re- 

 corded each day, and some days 97 to 



99 degrees. Even this could have been 

 liorne, but on the afternoon of July 11 

 a terrific thunderstorm, accompanied by 

 a fierce wind and hail, struck Boston 

 and vicinity and completely ruined the 

 flowers of all local growers. 



William Sim, the enthusiastic, inde- 

 fatigable and loyal president of the 

 society, had planned to make the ex- 

 liibit of his life. His entire crop of 

 outdoor flowers was ruined. As if this 

 was not calamity enough, 2.50 tubs and 



100 boxes, all distinct varieties of 

 sweet peas, well grown and full of 

 flower, which had been sent to Horti- 

 cultural hall before the storm broke, 

 were ruined by the fierce heat, and 

 after being arranged, nearly filling the 

 main hall, had to be thrown away, so 

 this great feature, so much looked for- 

 ward to by all, had to be done without. 

 Mr. Sim had everyone 's sympathy in 

 liis loss, but was as smiling and genial 

 as though nothing had gone amiss. 



To compensate for the practical de- 

 struction of the Boston sweet peas, 

 growers in Newport, R. I., Bar Harbor, 

 Me., Lenox, Mass., (Connecticut, New 

 Vork, and florists as far away as Phila- 

 • lelphia and Rochester, N. Y., sent 

 j^rand collections. The commercial 

 classes had the least competition, but 

 tlie retailers did nobly, there being six 

 U' twelve entries each for bouquets, 

 I'ompons, baskets, corsage bouquets, 

 mantels, etc. This feature was of great 

 iiitorest. In the table decorations the 

 |irivato gardeners swept: the decks, 

 tlieir arrangements being in every case 

 'i^liter and airier than those of the 

 retailers. Anvateurs did qvpte well and 

 school children nobly. It was in the 

 ^nany i)rivate gardeners' classes and 

 "|"''i classes that competition was keen- 

 "•^t, there being as many as ten to fifteen 

 ''iitries in some classes, and, of course, 

 I ho seedsmen 's big disj>lays were a whole 

 "^how in themselves. The Burpee ex- 

 ''il>it was undoubtedly the finest indi- 

 vidual exhibit in the hall. But for 

 'he storm the halls would have been 

 'ladly crowded, practically all space 

 'leing occupied as it was. 



We have never seen so many en- 

 fluisiasts even at a mum show, and 

 Hoston in 191.S will no doubt make 



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a big advance on this, its initial ef- 

 fort. The weather on the opening day 

 was comfortable, and while July 14 

 gave more humid conditions, it was 

 cool compared with what had passed. 

 The sweet peas kept fresh through the 

 show, except in the designs. There 

 was a large attendance, the halls on 

 Sunday being crowded. 



Business Session. 



Instead of holding two sessions as 

 planned, all business was cleaned up 

 at the afternoon session July 13. 

 President Sim called upon W. J. Stew- 

 art, who in the absence of President 

 Pegler, of the Gardeners' and Florists' 

 Club, extended to the members of the 

 Sweet Pea Society a hearty welcome 

 to Boston. President Sim then read 

 his address. His recommendation that 

 the society award a gold medal to 

 A. C. Zvolanek for his work on early 

 sweet peas was applauded. Secre- 

 tary Bunyard's report was not read, 



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sisted upon it. M. C. Ebel nominated 

 J. C. Vaughan for vice-president, as 

 he thought the society would prob- 

 ably vote to go to Chicago soon. H. A. 

 Bunyard, for secretary, J. H. Pepper, 

 for recording secretary, and A. T. Bod- 

 dington, for treasurer, were all renom- 

 inated and, there being no further 

 nominations, one ballot was cast and 

 they were declared elected, amid ap- 

 plause. 



Invitations were read from the Chi- 

 cago Flosists' Club and W, N. Rudd, 

 of the Horticultural Society, asking the 

 society to meet in Chicago next year. 

 The Elberon Horticultural Society also 

 sent an invitation to meet at Asbury 

 Park. W. Atlee Burpee moved that 

 Chicago and the Elberon society be 

 thanked for their invitations. He 

 next moved that Boston be chosen for 

 the 1913 exhibition. This was enthusi- 

 astically carried, after short addresses 

 by James Wheeler, E. .lenkins and 

 W. J. Stewart. 



Gold Medal Exhibit of W. Atlee Burpee & Co., at Boston. 



but was ordered printed and mailed 

 to the press. Prof. A. C. Beal read 

 his report on the trials made on over 

 300 varieties of sweet peas at Cornell. 

 W. Atlee Burpee, in a eulogistic 

 speech, nominated William Sim for re- 

 election as president for the ensuing 

 year. He said he felt this should be 

 done for the immense labor he had 

 thrown into the present show and be- 

 cause of the unforeseen calamity which 

 had overtaken his great collection of 

 flowers. Mr. Sim wished to decline 

 a renomination, but the meeting in- 



Thc executive committee recom- 

 mended changing the name of the so- 

 ciety. Some hair splitting and dis- 

 cussion arose over whether the title 

 American Sweet Pea Society or Sweet 

 Pea Society of America hv acce])ted. 

 Finally the majority voted to make 

 it American Sweet Pea Society. 



Prof. .1. .T. Taubenhaus read a paper 

 on diseases of sweet peas. At the 

 conclusion he asked for the sum of 

 $1.50 to continue and complete the 

 studies of these at the Maryland Ex- 

 periment Station. W. Atlee Burpee 



