f?!c! - Rollins College Experiential Learning

thyrsoidea
[He is 71 years old] "Dr. Fairchild urges me strongly to
accept the proposition." "I think there will come a
great change over Naples etc as soon as the
railroad is completed and the Tamiami Trail is finished.
"There are no Billbergias or any other bromeliads in
bloom just now. The B. thysoidea specimens were all in
bloom about 4 weeks ago but no others are showing
flower buds. I shall be able to send you quite a number
of new Billbergias etc as soon as I can find several(?)
offsets. I have:
B. Leopoldii
B. pallida
B irioides
B. Euphemiae
B. Bruantii
B. Crayiana
B. specio----- but all are quite small yet."
"Do you have any of the Pitcaimeas in your collection?
My specimens are very beautiful--in foliage--and I may be
able to let you ha-e have some. I think I have about 20
different species of Pitcairneas. They came recently from
the New York Botanical GArdens. I received a large box
full of the common bromeliads, but no nidulariums, aechmeas
or vrieseas, and I am particularly anxious to add these
to my collection. I could obtain quite a lot in Germany,
where they are almost as popular as orchids, also from
Holland, but the scientific establishments do not want
to bother with sending them as the Federal Plant Board
requires to have all the soil washed from their roots.
11 Should you have more of your hybrid Billbergias than you
care to have, I am always pleased to obtain a few from
your surplus, particularly such ---- have blood of the
B. zebrina in them. Almost all the bromeliads I obtained
from the NY Bot Gardens showed that they were grown in
osmunda fiber. I used too much muck and sand for mine,
and they do not seem to do as well as these tEat grew in
lighter material such as coconut fiber,osmunda roots and
also leaves. Only the Pitcairneas require heavier
compost.
Nov 16, 1924 A letter of recommendation for Mr. Harry Shadler.
Dec 31, 1924 More about Billbergia. "Four of your five hybrids also
bloomed. They were very beautiful and distinct."
W i l l send all caladium tubers "you need and want.
"This Mr. Betheuser is undoubtedly a man of the kind you
describe. He is a great gardener, but unreliable,
evasive, indefinite etc. I was interested in his contemplated
botanical garden and so was my son of Cornell (Arno).
As he had offered me 20 acres of his Snapper Creek
hammock for my own use, if I would assist him, I went
over to Coconut Grove in July and again in early November.