June 1. 191S 



HORTICULTURE 



535 



If the florists of the entire nation 

 had carried out a program of publicity 

 in each city as the Lancaster County 

 Florists' Association did on May 2"i 

 for the benefit of the second Red Cross 

 War Fund, a lot of the talk about 

 flowers being non-essential would die. 



Mrs. Albert M. Herr conceived, and 

 with the cooperation of the associa- 

 tion, carried to execution the sale of 

 donated flowers at various booths, 

 placed at vantage points on the 

 streets; the success being so great 

 that our most sanguine expectations 

 were exceeded. The booths were dec- 

 orated with Red Cross posters, and 

 conspicuously displayed was the slo- 

 gan, "Say It With Flowers.!' The 

 amount of cash realized was over $700 

 — which would have been much larger 

 had our supply of flowers been ade- 

 quate. Long before the demand was 

 satisfied the stock was exhausted, and 

 repeated calls to headquarters had to 

 be turned down. 



This puts our industry — as far as 

 Lancaster is concerned — squarely be- 

 fore the city authorities and officials 

 conducting this great campaign of 

 mercy, as no other method of advertis- 

 ing could do. Had each city in the 

 United States carried to so successful 

 an end a similar campaign, the flow- 

 er industry would be so thoroughly in 

 the limelight that the S. A. F. com- 

 mittee could undoubtedly have the re- 

 cently issued fuel order greatly modi- 

 fied at the conference of the 27th inst. 



There were other methods of raising 

 money galore, though most of it was 

 begging, pure and simple, while the 

 Red Cross girls at our booths received 

 5c. for a daisy or two sweet peas, lOc 

 to 25c. for a carnation, and 25c. and up 

 for roses. 



We did not notice any competition 

 on the streets by other so called non- 

 essentials, such as the confectioners 

 offering to pin a bon bon on a man's 

 coat, or the saloons offering to deco- 

 rate him with a glass of beer, though 

 the effects of the latter decorations 

 were evident in the crowds However 

 these and other industries were doing 

 a fine business, though the Red Cross 

 did not receive all the proceeds. The 

 retail florists' trade suffered some- 



What Is That Plant? 



A difficult queatlon to aniwer nsuallj 

 unless flowers are present, because the 

 ordinary Manuals make use of flower 

 and fruit characters. It maj be 

 answered easily for over 1000 trees and 

 shrubs. Including those most commonly 

 planted In the eastern States and In 

 northern Europe, from follagp only, by 

 aid of the 200-paBe book. "Plant Ma- 

 terials of Decorative Gardening," by 

 William Trelease, convenient for band- 

 \\Dg and of a size to fit the pocket, 

 which may be had of the HORTICUL- 

 TURE PUBLISHING CO,, for »1.00— 

 postpaid. 



Red Cross Parade Float by Penn the Florist 



what. This was inevitable and was 

 borne cheerfully, as what business 

 they lost was in a manner their con- 

 tribution to the Red Cross. 



I would not wish to suggest that 

 florists should not give cash to these 

 campaigns, as we should give as much 

 as it is possible for us to afford: but 

 in addition to cash, any florist body 

 whose members would each give a 

 few hundred or thousand carnations, 

 sweet peas, roses, or any small flower 

 that will serve as a bottonniere, would 

 be giving in a way that his dollars 

 would be multiplied ten. or even an 

 hundred-fold. Nor should giving the 

 flowers be the end of your efforts. 

 That is only the beginning. An effi- 

 cient organization, willing and eager 

 salesgirls, runners to keep the supply 

 equalized on the various booths, a 

 study for the proper location for the 

 booths, and the proper flowers for the 

 different sections, etc. This we found 

 very important, as certain flowers as 

 peonies, iris, etc.. could not be sold in 

 some sections nearly as well as in oth- 

 ers. This manner of campaign, nation- 

 wide, would command the attention of 

 all the big men and women of the en- 

 tire country, and would — I firmly be- 

 lieve — put our industry on a basis of 

 necessity and value as no other action 

 or advertising could do. 



If Lancaster with 50.000 inhabitants 

 could raise $1000 in this manner — and 

 we would have gone over this had 

 there been more stock on hand — the 

 amount that could be raised through- 

 out the entire country would be hun- 

 dreds of thousands of dollars. Such 

 an amount of money being raised by 

 the unselfish efforts of this industry 

 would likely bring new business to the 

 florists. Many workers for the same 

 cause would see the value of flowers, 

 others their beauty, and still others 

 would buy flowers in a spirit of reci- 



procity for our unselfish efforts in 

 helping a great cause. 



And as a result it is improbable that 

 the fuel administration in the future 

 will ask us to cut our business in two. 

 or greatly restrict it to conform to the 

 present ruling. 



We would be demonstrating the 

 value of our profession to the Nation 

 in a manner that few, or no other In- 

 dustries could do. 



EliMER J. Weaver. 



Ronks, Pa. 



THE THINGS THAT MAKE A 



SOLDIER GREAT. 



By Edgar A. Guest, from "Over Here." 

 (The Reilly & Britton Company.) 



The things that make a soldier great and 

 send him out to die. 



To face the flaming cannon's mouth, nor 

 ever question why. 



Are lilacs by a little porch, the row of 

 tulips red. 



The peonies and pansies, too, the old pe- 

 tunia bed. 



The grass plot where his children play, the 

 roses on the wall: 



Tis these that make a soldier great. He's 

 lighting for them all. 



What is It through the battle smoke the 



valient soldier sees? 

 Tin* little garden far away, the budding 



apple trees. 

 The little patch of ground back there, the- 



children at their play. 

 Perhaps a tiny mound behind the simple 



<'hurch of gray. 

 The golden thread of courage isn't linked 



to castle dome 

 Hut to the spot, where'er It be — the humble- 



.spot called "home." 



And now the lilacs bud again and all Is 

 lovely there, 



.•\nd homesick soldiers far away know- 

 spring is in the air; 



The tulips come to bloom again, the grass 

 once more Is green, 



.\nd every man can see the spot where all 

 his joys have been. 



lie sees his chililren smile at him, he hears 

 the bugle call. 



And only deaili can stop him now— he's 

 lighting f"r them all. 



