FIjRST frlits. 



45 



and roses, and published a monograph on the ivy. He 

 developed the plunging system ; and, in fact, all branches 

 of horticulture received his active attention. 



Mr. Hibberd also took an active part in all horticul- 

 tural societies with which he was connected. He ma- 

 terially aided the foundation of the United Horticultural 

 Benefit and Provident Society, and of the Gardeners' 

 Orphan Fund. He was for many years Fellow of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society, and did excellent service 

 on the various committees of which he was a member. 

 In this line of work he will be particularly missed, for 

 his quick, active spirit seemed to infuse new life and 

 energy into all the projects he undertook. 



Pitcher & Manda's Show. — In some respects 

 Pitcher & Manda's great show, which was held in 

 Madison Square Garden, New York, during Thanksgiv- 

 ing week, was the most important exhibition ever made 

 in this country ; it proved that the metropolis will sup- 

 port a show upon its merits, and that there are private 

 collections of plants in the country large and complete 

 enough to afford a symmetrical exhibition. The obsta- 

 cles to be met in the holding of such a show are suffici- 

 ent to have overwhelmed any but the most enterprising 

 firms. The Florists' Club of New York had planned to 

 give an autumn exhibition, but because of various dis- 

 couragements the venture was abandoned. Disliking to 

 see the metropolis go without a show. Pitcher & Man- 

 da, whose nurseries are within eighteen miles of the 

 city, with most commendable enterprise, decided to make 

 one themselves. The great Madison Square Garden, 

 which is not yet fully completed, was secured, although 

 the rent was $1,500 per day. The interior space covers 

 an area of 30,000 square feet, and the building is so high 

 that even the best palms appear like pygmies ; and this 

 fact was against the effectiveness of the display. $2,000 

 was required to move the plants, some 40,000 in num- 

 ber, and the expenses of advertising, music, catalogues, 

 etc., were very heavy. And aside from all this, the hall 

 could not be secured until the season was nearly two 

 weeks too late for chrysanthemums, and orchids were 

 not yet in full bloom. Yet the show probably about 

 paid for itself in direct entrance fees. No less than 

 5,000 paying entrance fees were recorded any day in 

 Thanksgiving week. 



The two prominent features of the display were chrys- 

 anthemums and cypripediums. As usual, Mrs. Alpheus 

 Hardy attracted much attention, and although the sea- 

 son was late, many fine blooms were shown. Louis 

 Boehmer, the pink variety of the Mrs. Alpheus Hardy 

 type, was well represented and was much admired. The 

 varieties of chrysanthemums of particular interest were 

 Rohallion, Mrs. William Barr, Hicks Arnold, William 

 S. Kimball, Mrs. E. D. Adams, Excellent, Superbe 

 Flore, Mrs. Libbie Allen, Lilian Bird, Violet Rose, Ada 

 Spalding, Bohemia, L. Canning, John Lane. Three 

 promising new varieties were shown : Otero, a large 

 lemon yellow flower with the reflex petals tinged with 



pink ; Herald, a pronounced anemone-flowered variety 

 with very long and even golden-yellow tube flowers ; 

 and Tribune, a large incurved white with some approach 

 to the Mrs. Alpheus Hardy type. The massing of 

 chrysanthemums was effective. The varieties chiefly 

 used for this purpose were William H. Lincoln, Grandi- 

 flora, Cullingfordii, Mrs. Jessie Barr and John Lane. 



The cypripediums, although less showy than many 

 other groups of plants, were the most attractive part of 

 the display to lovers of fine plants. Some over 130 dis- 

 tinct species and varieties were shown, probably the 

 largest collection ever shown in the world. It is well 

 known that Pitcher & Manda have the largest collec- 

 tion of these plants in existence. A new and unnamed 

 sort, a hybrid of C. haihaiiim with C. -•iliosuiii, occupied 

 a conspicuous place. C. Mnsi-reelianinii, for which the 

 owners paid an enormous price, and which was ticketed 

 "the $1,000.00 orchid, " attracted much attention. Some 

 of the sorts worthy of especial mention were C. les- 

 sella/nm var. porphyreiuii , magniflorum, Arthurianum, 

 Hookerse, Charles Canham, cardinale, Schroderas, 

 Spicerianum, Harrisianum, Javanico-superbiens, leu- 

 corhodum, vexillarium, insigne. 



The general display of orchids was good, considering 

 the earliness of the season. Lyias/e Skinneri var. alba, 

 Oncidutm varicosiiin var. Rogersii, Pliajiis Blumei, Vanda 

 Ctri'uL'a, Odontoglossuiii Crispin):, Dendi olniDii clirysauthiini , 

 and several Laelias — as Z. aiituninalis, Dayaua. Could- 

 iana, Arnoldiana and others — were plants of particular 

 interest and merit. 



Palms were present in good variety, among them being 

 an enormous latania, Licuala horrida, Verscliaffeltia 

 spletidens, Pi-itcJiardia mact oairpa, Phanix Andersoni and 

 P. Rofhlinii, Geonoiiia gracilis, Areca Saiideriana, and 

 other interesting specimens. Among ferns, which were 

 numerous atid well disposed, were good specimens of 

 platyceriums, Cybotitnn priitccps, Davnllia Mooreana and 

 phimosa, Asplcnium Nidus and Aspiditim viridescens. 

 Good plants of dracaenas, marantas, alocasias and an- 

 thuriums brightened the display. Some fine specimens 

 of Pandanus VeitcJiii made a bold show near the main 

 entrance. A large araucaria also attracted much com- 

 ment. Various plants had been brought forward to be 

 used in the banking of the sides, particularly Easter 

 lilies, cyclamens, and lilies of the valley. On one of the 

 side tables the new American Flag carnation aroused 

 much curiosity. 



A novel and interesting feature of the exhibit was a 

 collection of various useful and curious plants, as the 

 olive, papyrus, black and cayenne peppers, camphor 

 tree, cinnamon, quinine tree, guava, pine apple, dionsea, 

 etc. In the center of the great hall two rooms were 

 decorated as reception and dining rooms, with choice 

 flowers and silver, but some of the decorations appeared 

 to have been overdone. 



The exhibition was a monument of enterprise, and 

 that it was a commercial success as well as a thing of 

 beauty is creditable to the metropolis. 



L. H. B. 



