A MEMOIR. 21 



the late Peter Henderson, and that his advice was sound 

 is demonstrated by the abundant success of the young 

 firm from the very start." 



While thus busily engaged in all operations of the 

 greenhouse and garden, he was a frequent contributor to 

 the various horticultural journals, the Gardener's Monihly, 

 the Horticulturist, Tilton's Journal of Horticulture, (■■.','hile it 

 lived) and the American Agriculturist rarelv issuing a num- 

 ber without something original and timely from his pen. 



By the increased facilities and economical methods he 

 now used, the output of plants had become so large and 

 the competition so keen that he felt constrained to 

 send his surplus stock of plants to auction, and with his 

 accustomed energy and foresight established a system 

 of growing plants for auction only. This also was a 

 marked success from the start, and is now looked upon 

 as a legitimate part of the business in New York and 

 other large cities. 



His quick brain was constantly on the alert for simpli- 

 fying and cheapening the cost of production ; and by ex- 

 ample and by words, he was ever urging those under 

 him to seek short cuts in all their methods. This con- 

 stant striving not only brought its due reward, but to 

 Peter Henderson, more than to all others, are the florists 

 and market gardeners of this country indebted for the 

 shortening of the multifarious operations of both green- 

 house and garden. Scores of these methods are indelibly 

 associated with his name, and almost as many more 

 have lost the connecting link with the master mind with 

 whom they originated. To him, more than to any one 

 man in this country, is due the raising of the florist's 

 business to the level of other mercantile pursuits. 



He retained his office at No. 9 John street until 1862, 

 when by his advice, James Fleming and Wm. J . Davidson, 

 two bright young Scotch gardeners, having opened a 

 seed store at 67 Nassau street, he moved his office to 

 their store, abandoning the auction part and relying 

 wholly on his annual catalogue and newspaper advertis- 

 ing, which he had just then begun, for the development 



