Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-01

THERE is a war In the Back bay
which harks back to the Wars OF
the Roses, when each wore his
rose upon his breast
'Tis the battle of flowers, the su-
preme struggle for leadership in the
most delightful "fad" society has-the
art of agriculture
Thousands of dollars arc spent every
year by the society leaders Of Boston
In vieing with each other for the pre-
oious victory of being known as the
patron saint of Massachusetts, most
beautiful rose, orchid, amaryllis OF
pansy.
SO far, not one of Boston's fair and
aristocratic gardeners has been able
to produce such orchids as those, in
comparable for beauty and variety
grown by Mrs. Jack" Gardner on her
Brookllne estate.
The war of the orchids wages be-
tween Mrs. Gardner and Miss Mary
S. Ames.
Every day the gardener Of Mrs.
Gardner's country estate in Brookline
brings to the Fenway palace wagon
load of orchids and palms, tropical
trees and ferns
Every single day new orchids come
in to be placed about the inner court,
above all does Mrs Jack" love orchids
She watches them with tender So
llcitude grow and bud and blossom into
beauty, and never have they been ex-
celed by those of the. other social
leaders, either friends or enemies.
But she has a rival, and dangerous
one.
Miss Mary Ames of Dartmouth street
maintains at "Langwater Gardens,
her summer home in North Easton, most
extensive orchid houses. 1t is the de-
sire of her heart to cultivate a blossom
which shall make the Gardner orchids
Insignificant by comparison.
Every year these two women, the
petite blonde mistress of Fenway Court
and the tall, stately mistress of Lang
water Gardens, meet at the Massa =
chusetts Horticultural society's famous
exhibitions to watch the battle Of the
orchids.
Always there are professionals there,
men and women who make business
of flower raising.
The Rival Orchids
But society recognizes but two, Miss
Ames and Mrs. Gardner.
Pale elusive colors, delicate beauty.
fragrance and odd beautiful
these are what make the
Gardner and Ames orchids so much
in flower sho-. time.
Mrs. Edward Brandegee, who sends
in from her beautiful Brookline estate
a few but very choice flowers, is a
ntributor, and Mrs.
Sears is another of the
noted society leaders who, by her love
for flowers, has helped to make the
societys wonderful rose, chrysanthe-
mum and flower shows so Tast sue
cess, and gladdened the hearts of many
Of the tenement dwellers by a little
glimpse of floral heaven.
One of Mrs. Sears hobbies is the
nation. For some years she an
nually offered a prize of $3.50 for a
which among other good
points should above all be fragrant.
But the Sears carnatfon, alas, has yet
to be found. The carnation of today
is large, Towering and of beautiful
shade. But for fragrance there is none
hat approaches the old-fashioned, mod
est garden pink, and so the Sears prize
went begging.
The amaryllis is, however, a flower
with which Mrs Sears has had much
luck. Her Seeding amaryllis is noted
for it's prizes. and in raising tropical
plants and trees she vies with Mrs.
Gardner.
The dahlia queen of the yearly show
Is the Hon. Mrs. George Duncan, whose
dahlia garden at Nahant is noted for
It's fine display of large, healthy blooms.
Two sisters, Mrs. Lester Leland and
Mrs c. C. Converse of Maiden, seem
able to produce the finest chrysanthe-
NUNS shown by the society set.
They invariably attract great atten-
ion, as the plants have as many as 500
,r 600 Towering blossoms of great beau
Y and size. They always capture first
,rizes and are the despair of all lovers
# this odd, fascinating flower.
To Mrs. Josiah B. Shurtleff, jr., of Re-
ere is awarded the honor of the most
lorious purple pansies.
Mrs. A. E. Hartshorne of Worcester
INVARIABLY has the prize rhodendrons.
To Mrs. oliver Ames, ST., the world
yves the lovely Mrs. oliver Ames'
ose, which is of a beautiful pink and
imilar to the bridesmaid.
Mrs. Ames has for many years spent
great deal of money and time in the