August 29, 1894.] 



Garden and Forest. 



349 



wasteful lumbering methods, to the illegal cutting of timber 

 on Government and private lands, and to destruction by forest- 

 fires. The prompt adoption and firm enforcement of a forestry 

 policy by the Government was strongly urged by Mr. Trat- 

 man. 



Economy in the use of railroad-ties may be effected (1) 

 by care in the selection and use of new ties. The average cost 

 of renewals of ties on many roads already exceeds that of rail 

 renewals, and is still increasing. (2) By care in the renewal 

 of ties. (3) By preservative treatment. On the Southern Pa- 

 cific Railroad, which has tie-preserving works of its own, the 

 number of renewals per mile decreased from 243 in 1891 to 

 240 in 1892 and 205 in 1S93, while the requisitions for 1894 

 amounted only to 145 ties per mile. (4) By protection by metal 

 tie-plates. These tie-plates, although as yet in moderate use, 

 have been found on a line with heavy traffic and with many 

 sharp curves to effect an economy in maintenance expenses 

 of fifty per cent, in ties and seventy-five per cent in labor. 

 Economy in the use of ties in the ways noted results in econ- 

 omy in other directions. First, by increasing the life of the 

 ties the number to be purchased for maintenance is reduced. 

 Second, it enables cheaper and inferior woods to be made 

 longer-lived and practically equal to the ordinarily more ex- 

 pensive and better timber. Third, the maintenance work on 

 the track is reduced, not only by reducing the number of ties 

 to be renewed, but also by lessening the disturbance of the 

 track which such renewals involves. Fourth, the more 

 permanent condition and surface of the track are con- 

 ducive to greater hauling capacity of the engines and 

 better riding of the cars. In France, for instance, the 

 annual consumption of ties per mile of single track was 

 reduced steadily from 170 ties in 1883 to 84 ties per mile 

 in 1888, due to increased care in selection, improved 

 methods of renewals, the use of the creosoting process and 

 the introduction of better fastenings, better ballast and heavier 

 rails. (5) By substitution of metal for wooden ties. The mile- 

 age of track with metal ties in this country is increasing more 

 rapidly than the mileage of new railways, and the manufacture 

 of steel ties may become as important an industry here as it 

 already is in other countries. 



Mr. Tratman, who has given long study to the subject of 

 economy in the consumption of timber for railway purposes, 

 and who has already contributed several reports on the sub- 

 ject to the Forestry Division in Washington, concludes that 

 care and economy exercised in regard to railway-ties result in 

 a direct and appreciable financial economy in expenses for 

 track-work and operation. 



The Society of American Florists. 



THE Society of American Florists held its tenth annual con- 

 vention at Atlantic City, last week, and elected Edwin 

 Lonsdale, of Philadelphia, President for the ensuing year ; 

 William J. Stewart, of Boston, was again chosen Secretary, 

 and H. H. Beatty, of Oil City, Pennsylvania, Treasurer. One 

 point in the address of .the retiring President, Mr. Anthony, 

 was a suggestion that the growers of this country might pro- 

 duce new varieties of Roses with the same success that has 

 crowned their efforts to produce new Carnations and Chrysan- 

 themums suitable to American conditions. No doubt, Presi- 

 dent Anthony is aware that there are now many workers in 

 this field, and that America has already produced some ad- 

 mirable hybrids of Rosa Wichuriana, R. multi flora and R. 

 rugosa. It is true that few Teas, Hybrid Teas or Hybrid 

 Perpetuals have been produced here, but in California 

 there are many experiments to that end now in progress 

 under exceptionally promising conditions of climate. An- 

 other recommendation of Mr. Anthony which caused con- 

 siderable discussion, and which certainly merits attention, 

 was a proposal to establish an examining board whose duty it 

 shall be to grant certificates of proficiency in various branches 

 of floriculture to young persons who should make application 

 for examination. The President suggested that the inquiry 

 should be as diversified as the florist's work, and that there 

 should be separate examination for such specialties as Rose- 

 culture, Orchid-growing, etc. It was argued that in the absence 

 of horticultural schools these certificates would be in the na- 

 ture of diplomas and would prove advantageous to the work- 

 ing florist, inasmuch as they would set forth with some distinct- 

 ness the lines in which he wa's most capable, and they would also 

 relieve employers who wish worthy men and are willing to 

 pay fair wages. Many of the members considered the proj- 

 ect impracticable, while others were willing to try the plan, 

 with the impression that if the examining board was composed 

 of capable and impartial men who would award certificates 



after the most careful consideration some good might be ac- 

 complished. 



We have only space now for the subjects of the essays read : 

 The first one, by William H. Taplin, of Holmesburg, Penn- 

 sylvania, set forth the need of systematic work, organization 

 and education in order to elevate and improve the business of 

 floriculture ; Mr. S. P. Matthews, of Boston, Massachusetts, 

 presented a paper on "Comparative Colors in Relation to 

 Flowers," which he illustrated by the use of colored papers 

 and diagrams ; Mr. John N. Taylor, of Bayside, New York, 

 described the varieties of Roses which best met the present 

 demands, and discussed the best methods of growing them ; 

 Mr. John T. Temple, of Davenport, Iowa, treated the subject 

 of Cannas ; Mr. Grove P. Rawson, of Elmira, New York, de- 

 livered an extempore address on the "Evolution of the 

 Chrysanthemum," which was voted one of the most brilliant 

 features of the meeting ; Mr. William Tricker read an elabo- 

 rate address on Aquatics, in which he carefully traced the his- 

 tory of the cultivation of these plants in the United States ; 

 Mr. Andrew Washburn, of Bloomington, Illinois, read a paper 

 on Successful Violet-culture, while " Fertilizers and their Ap- 

 plication " was a subject treated with great care by Robert 

 Simpson, of Cromwell, Connecticut. Many of the papers were 

 of first-rate merit, and we hope to give instructive extracts 

 from them in future numbers. 



In connection with the meetings there was an interesting 

 exhibition of flowers and plants and florists' supplies. No 

 doubt, the feature which attracted most attention was the gen- 

 eral collection of aquatics displayed by William Tricker & 

 Co. in a large tank on the floor. Especially well-colored flow- 

 ers of Nelumbiumspeciosum, one of them on a stalk eight feet 

 long, were shown with clean leaves, the largest of which was 

 forty-two inches in diameter. There were about thirty 

 Nymphasas, including night-bloomers like N. Devoniensis, N. 

 rubro-rosea, a fine flower of N. Sturtevantii, nearly a foot in 

 diameter ; N. dentata and N. Smithiana, a new hybrid, sulphur- 

 colored within and pale blush on the outside of the petals, 

 'N. delicatissima and N. Deaniana. Among the-day-bloomers 

 were Marliac's hybrid, Chromatella, the peach-pink Trickeri, 

 many forms of Nymphsa odorata, including sulphurea, al- 

 bida, rosea and carnea ; N. Laydeckeri rosea ; N. tuberosa, 

 with its pink form ; varieties of N. Zanzibarensis of excellent 

 form and deep color; N. ceruloea, N. gracilis and its blue 

 form, N. alba candidissima, N. Mexicana, double forms of 

 N. Lotus, N. gigantea, N. pygmasa with its forms alba, Helvola 

 and many more. Besides these there were numerous other 

 water-loving plants and a large bud of Victoria regia, which 

 opened after it had been brought to the exhibition. 



Pitcher & Manda's group of ornamental greenhouse plants 

 was noteworthy, and in another hall they had a most interest- 

 ing collection of hardy herbaceous flowers, including some 

 beautiful Rudbeckias, different species of Liatris, Veronica, 

 Helianthus, Heliopsis and Statice. Cypripedium Charles- 

 worthii was blooming in very fair form and was on exhibition 

 for the first time in this country so far as we are aware. 



Mr. W. A. Manda, of South Orange, had an interesting show 

 of Ivies, Orchids, Palms, and a new Fern, which is a neat 

 variety of Adiantum Capillus- Veneris, called Imbricata, which 

 resembled in the shape and airy grace of its fronds Adiantum 

 Farleyense. No doubt, the variety will prove useful on account 

 of its hardy qualities. 



Mr. Charles D. Ball, of Holmesburg, Pennsylvania, showed 

 an attractive assortment of Palms, Cycas, Ficus, Pandanus, 

 etc., of usual trade sizes, and Robert Craig also had a merito- 

 rious exhibition, among which the Crotons, grown out-of- 

 doors, were exceptionally well done. The Phlox of Ellwanger 

 & Barry ; Mr. John N. May's new Rose, Mrs. Whitney ; a large 

 collection of Canna blooms, in dishes of sand, exhibited by 

 Dreer, of Philadelphia ; a good collection of Orchids and other 

 plants, including fine specimens of Licuala grandis from 

 Messrs. Siebrecht & Wadley ; Meteor Roses from F. R. Pier- 

 son, of Tarrytown, New York, and the group of potted hybrid 

 Perpetual Roses, from Storrs, Harrison & Co., were all note- 

 worthy exhibits. 



The report of the Nomenclature Committee, of which Pro- 

 fessor Trelease is chairman, was very satisfactory because so 

 few examples of misnaming plants in commercial lists were 

 cited. The Carnation now sold as Lady Emma seems to be 

 Portia, and the variety sent out this year as Bouton d'Or is 

 Baron de Rothschild. The confusion among Chrysanthe- 

 mums seems in a fair way of settlement, and among numerous 

 new Cannas the only case of duplicate names given is that of 

 Antoine Barton for Florence Vaughan. No doubt, the influ- 

 ence of the committee's inquiry has largely aided in the cor- 

 rection of errors. 



