PARK AND CEMETERY. 
181 
CONTINUED PROGRESS OF THE ANNUAL CHICAGO FLOWER SHOW 
The Chicago Flower Show of 1906, held in the 
Coliseum, marks a distinct advance over those of pre- 
vious years, even the great one of last season when 
the big Coliseum was first used for the exhibition, in 
the number and general excellence of the exhibits, and 
in its artistic and financial success. The increased 
trade interest is no doubt largely due to the participa- 
tion of the American Chrysanthemum Society. This 
organization held its annual meeting during the prog- 
ress of the show, which probably had a very consid- 
erable influence in the increased attendance of Chrys- 
anthemum men, especially among the easterners. 
The superiority of the decorations, which were gen- 
erally remarked, resulted partly from the more elabo- 
rate decorations for the Horse Show, held the pre- 
ceding week, which were, as last year, retained and 
made a fine basis or background for those added by 
the committee on decorations for the exhibition. These 
consisted of an extensive scheme of laurel-leaf fes- 
toons throughout the entire enormous space above the 
open floor area of the building and along the front 
of the galleries, — some 15,000 yards of laurel wreath- 
ing being used and every inch showing to the utmost 
advantage against the green and yellow panels and 
draperies. 
The arrangement was also an improvement on that 
of last year. A broad aisle or promenade, bordered 
with bay trees connected by garlands of laurel, run- 
ning north and south from the electric fountain pro- 
duced pleasing symmetry and balance and created con- 
ditions which led naturally to a rather orderly sequence 
of sight seeing on the part of the crowds so that con- 
fusion was prevented. The only criticism in mind is 
in the matter of seats on the main floor. There were 
none but there should have been, for they are essen- 
tial to the comfort of very many to whom the arduous 
climb to the balcony is either impossible or too trying 
to be undertaken. Quite a number of seats might be 
so placed as not to interfere with the free movement 
of the crowd while of the utmost comfort to those who 
need them. A Flower Show is one of the few types 
of entertainments appealing to many elderly and partly 
infirm people, — a class which the management can 
hardly afford to lose. 
The general opinion, even among experts, seems to 
be that the show as a whole was the best ever. Never- 
theless these same experts also claim that it was rather 
weak in Chrysanthemum pot plants, and, in the opinion 
of some the cut Chrysanthemums were not as a 
whole up to the mark in quality, especially in “finish”. 
At the same time, it is said that there were numerous 
and notable exceptions to this rule, some entries being 
made up of unusually perfect and even flowers. 
If breadth and simplicity characterized decorations 
and arrangement at this show, they may be said to 
have also held their own in floral designs. At least, 
in every case noted, the honorable judges (and the 
writer is unknown to every one of them) had the good 
taste to favor the straight-forward, simple, unexag- 
gerated entries to the undoing of pretentious, labored, 
overdone, effects in bouquets, baskets and other ar- 
rangements offered in competition. 
The exhibit of Vaughan’s Seed Store occupied twin 
spaces on either side of a broad aisle leading to the 
annex with twin formal gardens of attractive design 
and quite remarkable for the bloom and color dis- 
played. They were nearly strictly seasonable, too, in 
that the flowers were really late outdoor varieties of 
annuals with the one exception of the Baby Rambler 
rose. Each plot was inclosed with a handsome railing 
in front extended by privet hedges at the side and it, 
in turn, carried on by a border and background of 
shrubs and trees at the rear. The lawns were out- 
lined by handsome borders of flowering plants, chiefly 
showy French marigolds, asters, sweet alyssum, varie- 
gated nasturtiums, etc., against the railing, the hedge 
and the shrub border. At the rear on each lawn was 
an oval bed of scarlet salvia, snap dragons, asters, etc.. 
