Title: The American florist : a weekly journal for the trade
Identifier: americanfloristw22amer (find matches)
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: American Florists Company
Subjects: Floriculture; Florists
Publisher: Chicago : American Florist Company
Contributing Library: UMass Amherst Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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1580 The American Florist. June 8, The orchids in the small exhibition hall are remarkable for their great variety and rarity and for their artistic arrange- ment, which is the work of W. N. Craig. The contributors in this section are Mrs. F. L. Ames, H. H. Hunnewell, Joseph H. White, W. P. Winsor and E. V. K. Thayer. Ferns and small palms came from J. S. Bailey and John Farquhar. The only cut flowers in the exhibition were two superb vases of Liberty rose from Waban conservatories. Professor Sargent has worked earnestly and perseveringly for months upon the details which the undertaking of this dedicatory exhibition entailed. The plan and arrangement are all his own and it was his influence which secured the hearty co-operation of the owners of the finest private collections of plants in the vicinity. The gardeners, one and all, took a lively interest in the show. The result of all this effort is a pronounced artistic floral triumph. The Massachu- setts Horticultural Society may justly feel proud of its stately new home, and the city and state can take equal pride in the possession of a society which can develop such public spirited generosity as was displayed upon this memorable occasion. Boston Through Quaker City Spectacles. There's a curious quietness about Bos- ton this year—a sort of lull difficult to account for—and I am unable to say whether it's sorrow for the disappear- ance of the old Horticultural Hall, lack of enthusiasm for the new one, new loca- tions and new ways of some of the chief actors in the trade drama, sicknesses of others, accidents to one or two, the back- ward season and business but so-so, or a combination of the whole bunch that's to blame. But the fact remains that sab- ' batarian calm broods o'er the scene and dullness wraps the Hub in its amplitud- inous mantle. Boston has 9ertainly got the megrims this spring. There's no more pith in the Cuban or Philippine questions; the South African scrap has lost its savor; Lawson's "defi" to the Shamrock excites but a languid interest; "Sam" Neil mopes around with nothing livelier to think or talk about than a trip to Europe and a long rest; Sutherland tinkers in a spiritless way with the insides of that yacht of his which has had chronic dyspepsia since Moses struck the rock; Lawrence Cotter is as rusty and discontented as an unex- ercised war horse; "Tom" Cox has the rheumatism; "Jim" Rough is down to malted milk—and 'pon my soul, I think nearly everybody had the "molly grubs" in some form or other except Mrs. Cox and Dave" Welch; the former was march- ing around, as lively and flirtatious as ever, and Dave seemed cheerful and con- tented and quite satisfied that if people would only do their duty properly this is the best of all possible worlds. Sutherland took me through his work- shop and explained the making of the new Koral letter. It's a good thing; by all odds the most attractive script letter I have seen—the fine and heavy strokes of the letter being very ingeniously brought out. The effect in script is very graceful, and the l^ter is as good as any for Roman or block letter. French ranunculus and montbretias are an attractive feature of some of the florists' windows here at present. The nasturtium done up in little bunches, like violets, is another Boston oddity worth mentioning—I have not observed them elsewhere. At Pierce & Son's I saw the largest crop of spifcEa that I ever beheld in one place. There must have been over 10,000 pots of it altogether. One house 50x300 feet was devoted exclusively to this crop, besides two other houses of smaller dimensions. It was about as well grown as you'd wish to see and just right for Memorial day. Tomatoes are a big item in this establishment; they are grown on solid beds and trained on wire, even span like a roof. Only one variety is used, Lorillard, which Air. Pierce says is still the best of them all if you get the right stock. This will be good news to John G. Gardner, who raised this good old sort and who still stoutly maintains that there's none to equal it. Peter Fisher was busy superintending the erection of a new dwelling house when I called, bat had time to exhibit some of his new carnation wonders. Look out for seedling No. 170, Daybreak pink and larger than Lawson. Stems a i yard long and about as thick as your i finger. You'll hear from this later. Peter i has to do better than Lawson to be in it \ now. A cruel fate, but I think he's as i good as overcome the almost impossible. I heard here of the welfare of the orphan children of the late David Allen, who is still held in afiectionate remembrance by many members of the craft. The two girls, now some 12 and 14 years old, are with an uncle down Medfield way. Thej are said to be very sweet and charming creatures, and a great help to their foster parents, who are well over in years and have a little farm at the place mentioned. Mrs. Fisher has them up to Ellis a while every summer and declares there are no better children anywhere than Helen and Edith. AJl who knew David will be glad to hear that. E. L. Beard, president of the Shady Hill Nursery Co., says that though rather damp, 1901 has been one of the best sea- sons they have eyer had for the nursery business. They have recently purchased and are now planting a large addition to their already extensive area. This com- pany has now probably the largest and finest nurserv devoted to hardy orna- > mentals in New England. They do a I very large business in landscape planting; I in fact, this department has now become one of the most important branches of their trade. Mr. Beard has an able lieu- j tenant in Mr. Pratt, who devotes special ' attention to the landscaping end of the business. I had the honor of a drive through the Boston park system in company with Mr. Pettigrew, the superintendent, and Mr. Stewart—a delightful experience, for the day was fine and the redbnds and py ruses and other early bloomers were in their first freshness, and everything looked so bright and green that our spirits rose about a thousand degrees and we forgot for a while that we had to earn our daily bread. Boston has much to be proud of in her park system—it is a living monument to the genius of Olmsted and an object lesson for the whole world. One of the refreshing things about it is
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NEW BUILDING OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

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