The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-21
beauty, but If one may judge by the
frequency Of his choice the rose IS his

beauty, but II one may Judge py tne
frequency Of his choice the rose IS his
favorite boutonniere.
GEN. ALLAN'S FANCY.
Gen. Edgar Allan is another Richmond
err who loves flowers. Whether or not
he loves to cultivate them I do not know,
but I know that he loves to wear them,
for I never saw him In my life that he
did not have fresh flower in his button
hole. It is usually an American Beauty
rosebud, or a carnation.
GOV. OFERRALL AN EXPERT.
One Of the greatest enthusiasts on this
subject is former Governor O'Ferrall,
who has lovely home at Dundee. When
he was a member of Congress he belonged
to what was known as the aesthetic
Committee whose business It was to
purchase pictures for the Library, see
that the decorations were kept up, and
SO on. Senator Quay. of Pennsylvania,
was another member of the same COM
mittee, and he and Governor O'Ferrall
got to be very good friends, personally,
being drawn together, doubtless, by their
common love for flowers and pretty
things generally. It was while the Gov
ernor was member of that committee
that there was such discussion through
out the length and breadth of the United
States as ito what should be our national
flower. All sorts of suggestions were
made to the committee, but the chrysan-
sthemum, the golden rod and the pansy
were the favorites. One proposition to
the committee was that our national flag
be adorned with a big pansy. each pansy
leaf representing different State, but
to this day we have no national flower.
When Col. O'F'errall came to Richmond
3 to live in the Governors mansion he paid
special attention to the flowers in the
greenhouse, around the mansion and in
the Capitol Square, and my old friend.
Mr.. Fl. T. Cat1in, did good service in
making the Capitol Square SO attractive.
Now that Col. O'Ferrall has gone to live
on his fine country estate he spends much
Of his time. when away from the office,
in cultlvatiEG flowers and shrubs and
grass, and In identifying his extensive
lawns. He is not content to leave the
work entirely to the hired man. He not
only directs, but he actually digs in the
soil and associates regularly with his
flowers. Like Mayor Taylor he is very
fond Of roses, but, if anything. he loves
schrysanthemuns better. He has a splen-'
did stock Of these grand flowers. most OF
which are yellow and white-"gold and
silver" he laughingly explains, but he
does not regard the Is to ratio.
RS asked Col O'Ferrall why he gave so
much attention to flowers. WELL" he
replied, u love them, l love to see them
grow, 1 love TO work among them, ana
more than that. I love them because they
make my home SO much more attractive,
Flowers are as necessary to the ornamen-i
tation Of home as paint, and believe
that my,IlloTne with the green lawn and
pretty flowers would bring, II wanted
to sell it, thousand dollars more than
1t would without these attractions"
THE PRACTICAL SIDE
Richmond is fine market for cut
flowers, and business has been growing
from year to year. Miss Eby, one OF our
principal florists, tells me that it is i'm
possible to secure enough sweet violsts
! to supply the demand and she says that
the demand for roses and acrnat1ons IS
also constantly growing. OF late years
the farmers of Louisa county have, been
turning their attention to the culture OF
violets, as the soil of that county seems
to be peculiarly adapted to them. Mss
Eby thinks that at least two-thirds or
the farmers of Louisa are now growing
aviolets, and are finding good proht IN
them. Richmond takes as many as u
can get. but a large part Of the crop
goes to Washington and the Northern
cities. Vfosets do not seem to do SO we'll
Z Immediately around Richmond. although
some few OF the farmers Of Chesterfield
have cultivated them with marked sue
cess. It seems 70 me that ladies' who live
4 In the suburbs of Richmond might easily
make their ptn-money and more BY CIV
ing little attention to their violet Pits