American Fern Society 
Amedée Joseph Hans, a member of the Society since 
1901, died at Locust Valley, Long Island, November 30, 
1918. Mr. Hans was born Feb. 7, 1844, at Urbés, Al- 
sace. When he came of age, he entered the gardening pro- 
fession, having been a pupil of Louis van Houte of Bel- 
gium, proprietor of the most famous horticultural estab- 
lishment of that time. Later, he took a’ position with 
another celebrated horticulturalist, Louis Lemoine of 
Nancy. So it was with the very best of qualifications 
that he landed in this country. His first position was 
at Morningside Park in New York, then under construc- 
tion. This being a very rocky hillside park, Mr. Hans 
was in charge largely of a special class of alpine plants, 
with large moss phlox effects which were much apprec- 
iated by the general public travelling up and down the 
elevated road. He planted also thousands of the best 
alpine plants about the rocks of Central Park. He had 
a special talent for bringing forth the beautiful effects 
of color of the early varieties of moss phlox, with Arabis 
alpina and Lychnis alpina for white. He had a special 
love for alpine plants and felt himself in his element 
among them. 
Mr Hans left the New York Parks to take charge of 
the private estate of Mr. Lowell M. Palmer at Stamford, 
Conn., which, under Mr. Hans’s care, became celebrated 
for its beautiful evergreens and for a collection of hardy 
ferns probably not exceeded in America. Here Mr. 
Hans felt himself in his glory for many years; and I have 
Spent many a happy day with him on this beautiful 
place. Afterward, he was persuaded to take charge of 
a new estate at Locust Valley, Long Island, and here, 
also, he gathered a fine collection of plants and had the 
best fruit garden I have ever seen in this country. He. 
remained here until near the beginning of the two or 
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