THE FIRST NATIONAL FLOWER SHOW 
Held at Chicago, November, 1908, gave the horticultural world 
a good opportunity to test their superiority of culture or extent of 
their collection. Well, we were there with the result that we carried 
away sixty-five premiums, mostly firsts, all the medals for new plants 
and also all the sweepstake prizes offered to the exhibitor taking the 
largest number of prizes, either as to number or value, and we had to 
ship our plants 1,000 miles in the middle of November to do it. See 
what the Horticultural Press says: 
HORTICULTURE. 
The exhibits of W. A. Manda were the wonder of the show. His 
new fern Polypodium Mandaianum, not yet in commerce, won the 
gold medal, and as a climax to all his prizes takes the diamond pin 
for winning the greatest number of premiums.—Horticulture, Nov. 14. 
AMERICAN FLORIST. 
In palms, ferns and other large plants, W. A. Manda, South Orange, 
N. J., practically swept the board of all the principal prizes. Some of 
his larger specimens were immense yet in perfect health, and they did 
yeoman service in rounding out the fine appearance of the hall as a 
whole. Notable were the giant kentias. K. Forsteriana and K. 
Belmoreana especially. The plants were large, healthy specimens and 
bore no traces of having been brought one thousand miles or so. All 
of Mr. Manda’s exhibits were, in fact, notable for their freshness. In 
the classes for a collection of palms not over fifteen varieties, he 
showed neat, well finished specimens of Phoenix Rcebelenii, large, 
clean and finely grown; Latania aurea, a fine well grown specimen; 
nice healthy Areca sapida and a grand specimen of A. Verschaffelti, 
Pritchardia macrocarpa, Rhapis humilis, Chamterops humilis and 
Cocos australis, we also noted in fine shape. This noted exhibitor also 
had Polypodium Mandaianum, a new fern, in fine condition. This 
was raised by Mr. Manda as a seedling and is a grand fern, quite one 
of the surprises ;of the show. The large, deeply pinnated fronds give 
this newcomer almost the appearance of a todea. His orchids included 
a most interesting lot of cut cypripediums and we noted C. insigne 
Coulsoni, a form very much like the Harefield Hall variety. Fine 
forms of the beautiful C. Fairreanun, recently reintroduced, well 
colored C. Sanderse and a pretty hybrid, called C. Aschates. This 
latter has evidently insigne blood in it as well as that of C. B'oxalli 
and is a most interesting secondary hybrid. 
The splendid exhibits of plants and blooms is most highly to be 
commended and don’t wait until the men are dead before you tell it. 
W. A. Manda’s exhibit especially may be mentioned as something 
uncommon in extent and this comes from the little State of sand, 
rock and mosquitoes called New Jersey, but great men are there.— 
American Florist, November 19, 1908. 
FLORISTS’ REVIEW. Splendid Decorative Plants. 
The quality of the decorative plants was especially noteworthy. It 
hardly would be possible to find finer specimens anywhere in the 
United States than were gathered together for this show. To W. A. 
Manda special mention is due, because of the quality, number and size 
of his exhibits. The only regret was that it seemed difficult to provide 
each one with space to show its perfect development. He had a 
number of palms which stood fifteen to twenty feet high and scores of 
large plants in tubs, specimens weighing many hundreds of pounds 
each. To transport them to Chicago he engaged a special express car 
at South Orange, N. J., and filled it with stock without wrapping. 
One of his special groups was of Dracaena Mandaiana. He also made 
an exhibit of landscape plans, which was the subject of much study by 
those interested in the matter. — Florists’ Review, November 12, 1908. 
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