THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
339 
THE 
GARDENERS^ CHRONICLE 
OF AMERICA, 
Published by 
THE CHRONICLE PRESS, Inc. 
Office of Publication 
286 FIFTH AVE., NEW YORK 
MARTIN C. EBEL, Editor. 
EDITORIAL OFFICES— MADISON, N. J. 
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF 
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS 
Subscription Price, 12 Months, $1.50 Foreign, $2.00 
Entered as second class matter Nov. 3, 1914, at the Post Office at New 
York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3. 1879. 
Published on the 15th of each month. 
Advertising forms close on the 1st preceding publication. 
For advertising rates apply to 286 Fifth Ave,, New York, N. Y. All 
editorial matter should be addressed to M. C. Ebel, Editor, Madison, N. J. 
Vol. XXI 
September, 1917 
No. 9 
EUROPE'S RAVAGED GARDENS TO BE 
RECONSTRUCTED 
'T'HE help of the English-speaking peoples of the 
world is asked to enable the ravaged gardens and 
orchards of Belgium, of France, of Serbia, of Poland 
and of Rumania to be raised from the destruction to 
which they have been subjected through the ravages 
of war. For this purpose a sum of £5,000,000 is 
required, and it is to the co-operation of the United 
States and the British Empire that the Royal Horticul- 
tural Society of London looks for the realization of this 
great constructive work. Its genesis, its aims and scope 
were described by Mrs. R. P. Bishop, the organizing sec- 
retary recently appointed by the Royal Horticultural 
Society, to a representative of The Christian Science 
Monitor. 
I feel that the really only needful thing to insure 
success is to make the English-speaking peoples realize 
what wonderful work it is which they are being asked to 
accomplish, was Mrs. Bishop's confident opening remark. 
What we are aiming at is literally to make "the desert 
to bloom and blossom as the rose,'" and we are asking 
the United States, the dominions, India and the colonies 
for a co-operation prompted by the gratitude which all 
owe to the martyr countries and particularly to Belgium. 
With the work which lies before us, I do not think that 
we should ask for a penny less than £5,000,000, and I 
•have not the least doubt that the response will be such 
that there will be no difficulty in collecting it. I think 
that it would be interesting for every one to know how 
the Allies' war horticultural fund was first started. 
Directly after the invasion of Belgium by the German 
armies, the society started to raise a fund to repair the 
gardens and horticultural industries which Germany had 
ruined. English horticulturists felt that, even apart from 
the strong debt of gratitude which England owed Bel- 
gium for the stand which she had made against the invad- 
ing armies, the fact that horticulture owes more to Bel- 
gium than to almost any other country constituted a 
claim in itself to all the help and assistance which the 
English society could give. From generation to genera- 
tion, the Belgians have made the experiments and carried 
on cultivation which have resulted in whole departments 
of the finest flowers and fruits known to the world to-day; 
and it is to the advantage of horticulture in the future 
that such expert skill should be re-established in the 
lands where especially it flourishes. 
The scheme, which was at first intended solely for 
Belgium, soon included the Northeastern provinces of 
France, and, as the war extended, Serbia, Poland, and 
finally Rumania. Thus the sum of £30,000 which was 
fixed at first has grown totally insufficient. After eight 
months, the Royal Horticultural Society found that with 
the work which it was called upon to do in connection 
with food production, it could not carry on the relief 
fund as well, and it appointed a ladies' committee to deal 
with it. About a year after the committee had been 
formed with Lady Northcote, C. I., as president, it was 
found necessary to introduce proper organization to 
enable the scheme to make further headway. 
And now the time has come to give the work its inter- 
national scope, to make this great opening for construc- 
tive, humanitarian and essentially patriotic work known 
in America, Australia, India and every part of the world. 
America is already interested through the splendid efiforts 
of Miss Ethel Mather Bagg and Mrs. Hoffman, and the 
work is being taken up by American gardening associa- 
tions. It will be satisfactory for all contributors to know 
that the Royal Horticultural Society are taking steps to 
insure that, when the money is raised, it will be put into 
the right hands, and for this purpose they have already 
got into touch with the governments of the countries con- 
cerned, so that there may be no waste, leakage or over- 
lapping. It will also be as well to make it quite clear 
that the scheme of the Horticultural Society is xjuite 
distinct from the work undertaken by the Royal Agri- 
cultural Society of Great Britain. We confine ourselves 
to market gardens and orchards, nurseries and peasants' 
gardens. The Royal Horticultural Society has not the 
least intention of obviating the necessity for whatever 
German financial reparation mav be arranged toward 
those peoples whose livelihood they have ruined, but it 
will be a practical necessity for the freed peasant popu- 
lations to be given immediate means of making their 
living, and German money might be some time in 
coming ! 
We have already had a request from the French Min- 
ister of Agriculture for help for the district which the 
Germans have just had to evacuate, said Mrs. Bishop, 
and the council have sent a small sum, more in the nature 
of a pledge that we really had begun to get money and 
were going to help. But the fact that we have already 
had an appeal of this kind is sufficient indication that 
we must hurry if we wish to be readv to do our great 
and splendid work as soon as the war ends, and, who 
knows, it mav end this vear! 
Of Interest to Estate Owners 
Tbe National Association of Garrieners maintains a Service Bureau 
wbicli .s at the fiisposal of all who may require the services of efficient 
ganleners in tlieir Tarioiis capacities. 
The association seeks the co-operation of estate owners in its efforts 
to secure opportunities for those en^rasert in the profession of .-larclen- 
ing who are seekinp to advance themselves. It makes no ciiarse for 
st'rvices rendered. It endeavors to supply men qualified to assume the 
responsibilities the position may call for. 
Through this service the National Association of Gardeners aims to 
hrinjr the Country Estate Owner and the truly efficient men en-aped 
in the profession in closer relation to each otiier. that the interest In 
ornamental horticulture and its greater development in this country 
may thereby be elevated. 
Make your requirements known to 
M. C. EBEL, Sec'y, National Association of Gardeners. Madison, N. J. 
