75° 



A PRELIMINARY EXHIBITION. 



angle iron. They can, however, be used upon the old 

 bench floors if so desired. One advantage claimed is a 

 saving of labor, as the sodding and whitewashing are 

 completely done away with. This is, of course, the 

 testimony of the father of the system, who may have 

 natural prejudice in favor of his bantling ; yet a system 

 that could at first sight so impress growers with a belief 

 in its merits that they at once declared their intention 

 of putting it in for trial, certainly deserves investiga- 

 tion. As late as August of this year, florists in conven- 

 tion were assured by one of their number that nothing 



in known use could equal slate ; yet the advantage of a 

 bottom porous and perforated, over the flat slate slabs, 

 needs but a glance to carry assurance of its value. 

 Probably the cost will be the greatest deterrent to its 

 general use in the near future. 



In connection with the "exhibitor" should have 

 been mentioned a frost-proof case for shipping the cut 

 blooms in their several tubes. Five shelves receive the 

 tubes from two " exhibitors," and the case is lined with 

 thick felt, and lettered at top: "Cut-flowers in water; 

 this side up with care. " ' C. V. 



A PRELIMINARY EXHIBITION. 



ORCHIDS, PALMS, CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 



DURING the week preceding the Madison 

 Square Garden show, the friends of the 

 United States Nurseries at Short Hills 

 were invited to a "private view," which 

 was of itself an exhibition of no mean extent. 

 This great establishment, with its wealth of orchids, 

 palms and "'mums," was well worth a visit. 

 Messrs. Pitcher & Manda have recently very greatly 

 enlarged their plant-houses, as well as added facili- 

 ties for transacting a seed and bulb business on 

 the same scale as their plant operations. 



The "private view" was largely attended, many 

 interested coming from a distance. The chrysanthe- 

 mums, filling seven large houses, were the main attrac- 

 tion, but among the orchids were some notable things. 

 An immense plant of the noted J'nnda Sanderiana had 

 23 open flowers. Other features were blooming plants 

 of Cypripediiim tesselatimi porphyreiiin , Cattleya Eldo- 

 rado IVailisi, a chocolate-colored form of Lycaste Skin- 

 neri, a natural hybrid laelia, and many other beautiful 

 or rare orchids. The superb display and arrangement 

 of palms, tree-ferns and decorative plants was interest- 

 ing and remarkable. 



The seedling chrysanthemums shown were a great 



advance on previous years. The new yellow Mrs. 

 Hardy named W. A. Manda, and described above, 

 attracted great attention, equalled only by that given to 

 Mrs. E. D. Adams, a grand creamy white flower of 

 remarkable size and body — the writer measured one 

 flower seven inches across by five inches deep, Harry 

 May forshadowed its popularity at Madison Square 

 Garden, while lesser lights were Mrs. W. S. Kimball, 

 of white water-lily coloring ; R. Flowerday, a singularly 

 pure magenta incurved flower; Miss M. Colgate, a 

 superb incurved creamy white of regular shape ; Tyro, 

 a remarkable tubular salmon, with sulphur center; New- 

 York Herald, a fine yellow anemone-flowered sort; 

 Dr. Mandeville, which is practically a yellow Mrs. E. D. 

 Adams ; and Ulysses, an exceedingly rich dark crimson 

 reflexed variety. 



Of seedlings as yet unnamed there were some espe- 

 cially fine flowers. No. 343 showed a bright crimson 

 upper surface, with light lemon on back of petals ; 

 No. 169 resembled a large paeony in shape ; No. 366 

 was a great flower of the Wheeler type, bronze color ; 

 No. 351, reflexed petals, very oddly striped with pink; 

 No. 176 was very large and double, and of a light 

 sulphur yellow. All these were entirely distinct from 

 existing varieties. 



