THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
291 
AMERICAN FLORISTS’ CONVENTION. 
The Silver Jubilee Convention of the Society of American 
Florists’ was held in Cincinnati, Ohio, August 17-20. The 
election of officers for 19x0 resulted in F. R. Pierson, 
Tarryton, N. Y., President; Fred W. Vick, Rochester, N. Y. 
Vice-President; H. B. Dorner, Urbana, Ill., Secretary; H. 
B. Beatty, Oil City, Pa., Treasurer. 
The routine work was first gotten out of the way, then 
followed the president’s address and reception. The session 
of Thursday night was designated as the anniversary meet¬ 
ing. The first meeting of the society was held in Cincinnati, 
August, 1884. 
Rochester, N. Y., has been chosen as the meeting place 
for 1910. The judges of the Trade Exhibition, among 
others, made an award of a certificate of merit to Henry A. 
Dreer of Philadelphia for Nephrolepis Scholzeti. Mr. Dreer 
had one of the largest displays he has yet made, occupying 
600 square feet of space. Nephrolepis Scholzeti had the 
place of honor in the exhibit. 
Julius Roehrs Co., Rutherford, N. J.,had an entire car¬ 
load of stock, including thirty varieties of evergreens in 
tubs, bay trees, boxwood, some large plants of Phoenix 
Canariensis and Phoenix Roebelenii, and many other plants. 
Bobbink and Atkins, Rutherford, N. J., the well known 
nurserymen had one of the largest displays in the hall. 
They shipped a solid carload of plants, valued at more than 
$1,500. In the exhibit were 100 different varieties of ever¬ 
greens in tubs. There were some large ivies in tubs, trained 
to cover balloon trellises. The kentias ranged up to large 
sizes. There were some large bay trees and Phoenix Canari¬ 
ensis, with araucarias, ficus and many other plants. 
Jackson & Perkins Co., Newark, N. Y., had a table of 
field-grown roses, tree hydrangeas, lilacs, clematis and 
phlox. C. H. Perkins was in charge. 
Storrs & Harrison Co., Painesville O., had a table of field- 
grown roses for forcing, araucarias, kentias, primulas, 
asparagus and genistas for growing on, adiantums and small 
ferns. 
The J. Horace McFarland Co., Harrisburg, Pa., made 
an attractive display of autochromes, the French system of 
color photography, also printed matter turned out in con¬ 
nection with the McFarland Publicity Service. 
The Foley Mfg. Co., Chicago, put up a io-foot section, 
full size, of a house twenty feet wide. The construction 
embodied all the features of the firm’s method of construc¬ 
tion, including the Foley ventilating apparatus. 
A complete account of the entire convention is contained 
in the Florists' Review for August 19. From this account 
one may gain an idea of the work accomplished by the 
association in the past and of the work outlined for the 
future. 
A. E. Frost of Chicago has located in Adell, Vis., with 
the purpose of conducting a nursery business. 
PURE CATALPA SPECIOSA 
Editor National Nurseryman: 
We have been intending to take up with you for some time, 
facts regarding pure Speciosa Catalpa. This is to the interest of 
the nurserymen, planters and the country in general. We have 
found by much experience in this line that it is impossible to procure 
the genuine seed from any of the seed houses, altho they claim to 
sell the pure Speciosa. 1 hey usually furnish hybridized seed, which 
are as worthless for good groves as the bignonioides or koempferi. 
Many nurserymen are procuring seed and putting on the market 
what they believe to be pure Speciosa Catalpa, and altho their inten¬ 
tions are alright, their ignorance is working a hardship on forestry 
planting, which will act as a boomerang to the nursery business and 
in time greatly injure, if not entirely kill the forestry movement. 
The majority of the nurserymen over the country would no 
doubt purchase only the genuine Catalpa seedlings for their trade, 
if they knew where to procure them. There are a number of firms 
in the United States at this time that are well enough acquanited 
with the seed that they can readily tell them, but the majority of 
the nurserymen, from lack of experience or from being new in the 
business, are ignorant of these facts. 
We should appreciate if as a national paper, you would look 
into this matter and do your best to help correct it. 
Many people are fooled by trying to buy pure Speciosa seedlings 
below the cost of production, for as Speciosa seed do not germinate 
as well as the common, the seed cost about four times as much; 
hence there is more profit in furnishing the common Catalpa seed, 
which to some nurserymen would look the same as Speciosa. 
Note in our booklet, copy of letter from the U. S. Dendrologist 
and we trust you will note the agricultural department realizes the 
damage being done in this line and are anxious to help correct it. 
We are mailing you under separate cover our new booklet on 
Winfield Trees of Quality, which we believe testifies better than 
anything of the progress of our business. We were recently told 
by one of the largest nurserymen in the country when he visited us, 
that our plant showed the most progressive and up to date system 
of anything he had yet seen. 
Very truly yours, 
The Winfield Nursery Co. 
THE BENEFIT TO BE DERIVED FROM FLOWERS 
By the Late T. C. Thurlow 
This is apparent in all civilized communities, and the higher the 
state of civilization the more flowers are appreciated. There is no 
doubt that people are made better and happier through their 
influence. In this country there are about six thousand commercial 
florists, besides hundreds of private individuals who have green¬ 
houses and conservatories connected with their own places. 
If you would have children love their homes and grow up to be 
good and virtuous, give them a little garden of their own where they 
can plant the seeds,watch the development,and dispose of the prod¬ 
uct in their own way. If they live in the country, teach them to 
ramble through the fields and woods for the first wild flowers; 
teach them enough of botany so that they can tell the common trees 
and shrubs by their correct names and you have laid the foundation 
for their future health and happiness. 
Many a woman has been cheered and encouraged by her few 
pet flowers in the house; or better still, if she has a garden, be it ever 
so small, where she can breathe the pure air and feel the warm sun¬ 
shine, will be so strengthened and refreshed by the few minutes in her 
garden that she will take up the burden of life again with renewed 
courage and determination. There come, no wry faces and cross 
words from the flowers, but only smiles and encouragements. It 
sometimes appears as though the wild roses by the roadside turned 
their faces toward one as he passes along. 
The business man, returning from his office or his store, harassed 
and perplexed by daily work, or the rise and fall of stocks, is soothed 
and comforted by spending a few minutes in his garden; or, if he 
will “rise with the voice of'the bird” and breathe the pure, fresh air 
of morning, will be strengthened for his day’s work with kind 
Nature’s stimulant. 
The writer of this has long passed the allotted age of man. He 
was for many years in early life a confirmed invalid, and in later 
years, when seriously ill, has revived and recovered, largely through 
the influence of his flowers and his pleasant business. He has been 
a nurseryman nearly all his life, engaged in raising fruits and 
flowers, and has sent them broadcast all over the land. If people 
have been made happier and better by these fruits and flowers, he 
feels that he has not lived wholly in vain. He fully believes with 
Dr. Edward Everett Hale that “nothing is so conducive to a long 
and happy lifejas to keep in close touch with nature.” 
