The NATIONAL HORTICUL TURAL MAGAZINE APRIL - · - - 1929 The American Horticultural Society A Union of The National Horticultural Society and The American Horticultural Society, at Washington, D. C. Devoted to the popularizing of all phases of Horticulture: Ornamental Gardening, including Landscape Gardening and Amateur Flower Gardening; Professional Flower Gardening and Floriculture; Vegetable Gardening; Fruit Growing and all activities allied with Horticulture. PRESENT ROLL OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS March J, 1929 OFFICERS President, F. L. Atkins, Rutherford, N. J. First Vice-President, F. L. Mulford, 2400 Tunlaw Road, Washington, D. C. Second Vice-President, Mrs. Francis King, Alma, Mich. Secretary, D. Victor Lumsden, 1629 Columbia Road, Washington, D. C. Treasurer, Otto Bauer, 1216 H Street N. W., Washington, D. C. DIRECTORS TERMS EXPIRING IN 1930 Miss Mary McD. Beirne, Ashland, Va. Mrs. Mortimer Fox, Peekskill, N. Y. Dr. Harrison Howe, Washington, D. C. Prof. A. P. Saunders, Clinton, N. Y. J. C. Wister, Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa. TERMS EXPIRING IN 1931 Miss Isabel Busbee, Raleigh, N. C. Frank W. Campbell, Detroit, Mich. Mrs. L. H. Fowler, Washington, D. C. Fairman R. Furness, Media, Pa. J. Marion Shull, Chevy Chase, Md. AFFILIATED SOCIETIES GEORGIA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. G. H. Firor, Secretary, Athens, Ga. ALBEMARLE GARDEN CLUB. Mrs. Allen Perkins, President, Mid<llebrook Hills, University, Va. ALEXANDRIA, VA., GARDEN CLUB. Care of Miss Mary Lindsey, President, Braddock, Alexandria, Va. GALESBURG HORTICULTURAL AND IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY. C. Z. Nelson, Secretary, 534 Hawkinson Avenue, Galesburg, Ill. GARDEN CLUB OF HAGERSTOWN, MD. Care of Mrs. Marshall Wilson, President, The Terrace, Hagerstown, Md. GARDEN CLUB OF SOMERSET HILLS, N. J. Care of Mrs. Marshall Sandford, Far Hills, N. J. GEORGETOWN GARDEN CLUB. Mrs. J. B. Gordon, 2917 Q Street N. W., Washington, D. C. LOS ANGELES GARDEN CLUB. 2530 West 8th Street, Los Angeles, Calif. ST. LOUIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 821 Central National Bank Building, St. Louis, Mo. Entered as seoond-class matter March 22, 1927, at the Post Office at Washington, D. C., under the Act of August 24, 1912. Apr., 1929 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 49 BOBBINK & ATKINS ASK FOR VISIT CATALOGS NURSERIES $ .11- ROSES SPRING PLANTING .1 We have several hundred thousand two-year-old, low-budded, field-grown Rose plants In several hundred varieties ready to ship t hi s spring. "Roses by Bobbink & Atkins," our revised Rose Catalog, is profusely illustrated in color. Many new and rare varieties have been included; an extensive list of Climbing a nd Roses adapted to all parts of the country a re described a nd priced. Descriptions are given with comments on t heir merits a nd demerits. All are classified a nd arranged to help the buyer. HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS Our catalog, Hardy Herbaceous Plants, co ntains a co mplete li st of Old-fashioned Flowers and Rock Garden Pla nts, many of which we have growing in pots. Beautifully illustrated in color a nd black. It contains an alphabetical table of H ardy Herbaceous Plants, indicat- ing flowering period;_~, hei g ht and color. .:;'1- """ EVERGREENS, TREES, SHRUBS AND VINES An illustrated catalog 61 Hardy Azaleas, Conifers, Evergreens, Hardy Broad-leaved Eve~­ greefls, Flo\Verjng Shrubs, Hedge Plants, H a rdy Vines, Lilacs, Rhododendrons, Shade' T.,f~es. ;- ;~~ OUR SPECIALTIES - Chinese Magnoliasl Evergreen Azaleas, Lilacs, Ja panese Maples, Koster a nd Moerheimi' Blue Spruce, Ran:l Flowering Shrubs, Red Dogwood, Weeping Flowering Cherri es. VINES AND CLIMBERS Ampelopsis, Aristolochia, Bignonias, Cotoneasters, Euonymus in variety, Honeysuckle, Ivies, Silver Lace Vine, Wisterias. HEART CYPRESS TUBS YAle take pleasure in directing the attention of our patrons to our Plant Tub Manufacturing Department. These are described in our special Tub Pamphlet. Estimates furnished Sor special tubs. In your req uest for catalog, it is importa nt to state definitely what you intend to plant. We issue several catalogs. Nurserymen and Florists Rutherford, New Jersey 50. THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Apr., 1929 . Liliam A. Guernsey (See page 86J Narcissus, T he Fawn and Irish Pearl The National Horticultural Magazine B. Y. MORRISON, Editor SHERMAN R. DUFFY, BERNARD H. LANE, J. MARION SHULL, HAMILTON TRAUB, Contributing Editors Vol. 8 Copyright. 1929, by THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY No.2 APR.IL, 1929. Dr. Walter Van Fleet. By FURMAN LLOYD MULFORD 52 The Manufacture of Incense. By P. H. and J. H. DORSETT 61 The Lilies. By H. CORREVON. Translation by B. H. LANE 65 Types of Peonia Albiftora. By MRS. EDWARD HARDING 71 Peonies for Exhibition 72 A Shopper's Guide . 74 Words ....... 76 The Gardener's Pocketbook: Autumn Crocuses 77 Extermination of Moles 79 Hesper-is nivalis '79 Statice latifolia 81 Dodecatheon meadia 81 Phlox stellaria 84 Cotoneaster divaricata 84 Iris spuria 84 Narcissus, "The Fawn" and "Irish Pearl" 86 Papaver ....... 86 Lilium sargentiae 90 Trenching-Pro and Con 90 Seeds 92 A Book or Two 95 The magazine in this issue reflects the coming June show in the special notes related to peonies, for our society is to have the great pleasure of being host to The American Peony Society in its annual exhibition to be held in Wash­ ington June 7-8. Further details of the show will be sent to members in due season. We are most happy to have these guests and the magazine is happy to have articles from Mrs. Harding and from Mr. Little arranged by Dr. White, all three members of both organizations. Plans for the show are developing amazingly and promise one of the finest shows that has ever been held, thanks to Dr. White and the cooperation of all he has approached. In the remainder of the magazine you will find continuations of all the de­ partments that have been inaugurated save that of Planting and Design. This will appear again in the next issue, having been displaced by other papers at this time. And in The Gardener's Pocketbook, which is the editor's favorite department, you will find for the first time correspondence in which there is a difference of opinion. It probably will never be that we shall rival our con­ temporary, The Forum, and become. a "Magazine of Controversy," but let us have and enjoy a difference of opinion and practice. It is of the greatest value, as the editor discovered this winter in a trip to Florida, where he found cover crops raised to be mowed down hut not dug under, the exact opposite of the practices with which he is familiar. Published quarterly by The American Horticultural Society, Washington, D. C. Editorial Office, 116 Chestnut Street, Takoma Park, D. C. Contributions from all members are cordially invited and should be sent to the above address. Advertising Manager, Margaret C. L"ncaster, 6615 Harlan Place, Takoma Park, D. C. A subscription to the magazine is included in tbe annual dues of all members; to non-members the price is seventy­ five cents the copy, three dollars the year. 52 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Apr., 1929 Dr. Walter Van Fleet By FURMAN LLOYD MULFORD The honor that is due those who a museum. The following June Mr. have made the world a more beautiful Maynard thought he saw an oppor­ place in which to live celtainly belongs tunity to open a branch store in to Dr. Walter Van Fleet. He was Williamsport and arranged with Walter one of the greatest plant breeders to manage it. Mr. Maynard stayed this country has had and he gave there with him until August, but a especial attention to roses. From few months later they closed out. boyhood he was interested in natural About this time Walter taught his history and plant growing and the craft to Chas. F. Eldon and other products of his unremitting and pains­ successful taxidermists. taking energy, combined with un­ Early in 1876 he published an limited patience, are known to garden article on the Rough Winged Swallow lovers all over the country as well as in the first number of the Nuttall in foreign lands. Bulletin which a few years later was Walter Van Fleet was born at called the Auk. In 1886 and the two Piermont, Rockland County, New following years he published several York, not far from the northern end articles on birds in Frank Leslie's of the Palisades of the Hudson, on Popular Magazine, and in 1888 a book June 18. 1857. His ancestors came for children on some of our common from Uti'echt, Holland, to New Am­ birds. sterdam in 1662, a later generation In 1877 the family again moved to moving to the Mohawk Valley. His Williamsport. Soon after W al ter signed parents were Elvira and Solomon a contract to go to South America Van Reusselean Van Fleet. He had a with the Collins Construction Com­ brother older and two sisters younger pany that was about to build a rail­ than himself. The family moved from road on the upper tributaries of the Piermont, New York, to Duboistown, Amazon near the Falls of the Madeira. Pennsylvania, and then across the In February, 1878, he sailed from river to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia on the City of Richmond when he was very small; and a little without his parents' knowledge. His later to Watsontown, Pennsylvania, work was wood chopping, which took where he spent most of his boyhood on so much of his time that he apparently a small farm that his father handled found but littlC( left in which to make while principal of the Watsontown short excmsiorls into the jungle with Academy. As children, he and the his shot gun. While working here sister nearest his own age had their he had an attack of tropical fever own plots in the family garden, which and was nursed in the hut of an Indian, were a source of delight to them.