June 8, 1918 



HOETICULTUKE 



000 



FLOWERS AN ESSENTIAL 



(Address l>y AlvaU E. Jones of the S. S. Penuook Co. to the Ladies' Library 

 , Club of Athens, Pa., May 18. 1918.) 



There has been considerable agi- 

 tation along the line of the elimina- 

 tion o£ non-essentials, but it seems lo 

 be impossible for us to come to the 

 decision as to what constitutes a non- 

 essential, for all we individuals care 

 for, to us seems most essential, and 

 we unconsciously find ourselves i)lat- 

 ing in the list of non-essentials the 

 things that did not particularly af- 

 fect us but might be considered very 

 necessary to some one else. So that 

 today we find people to whom flowers 

 did not particularly appeal placing 

 the same in the list of non-essentials 

 and agitating very strongly for the 

 non-growing of the same. There are 

 two important facts to be considered 

 in connection with this condition, the 

 practical" one being that there is an 

 enormous amount of money and many 

 people engaged in the florist's busi- 

 ness, both in cut flowers and plants 

 and the raising of flowers for seeds, 

 and as our government depends upon 

 the receiving of taxes from the busi- 

 ness people for the money to defray 

 its expenses, therefore this industry 

 plays quite an important part in the 

 raising of revenue for the government. 

 The second view is the message of 

 love and pleasure that flowers convey 

 and the brightening of the dark cor- 

 ners of life, on this earth, for you 

 will all grant me one thing, and that 

 is, that this world would indeed be a 

 most dreary spot with no flowers 

 available. 



In the early spring of the year what 

 is more refreshing than a stroll 

 through the country-side communing 

 with nature, and during the walk the 

 song of the birds would not be near 

 as melodious were it not for the nod- 

 ding welcome of God's most beautiful 

 expression to man, namely, flowers. 

 In times of joy there is nothing that 

 conveys one's thoughts so com])letcIy 

 as do a few flowers, and the pleasant 

 memory of them remains for many 

 years after. As time rolls on the haiiii 

 of sorrow is placed on our shoulder, 

 and is there anything then that so 

 satisfactorily lets us know that thosi' 

 whom we hold most dear are thinkinf; 

 of us in the dark moments. Word of 

 the orator, brush of the painter, cr 

 hand of the sculptor have never as 

 yet been able to convey to man :,hi' 

 message that flowers carry, and y°t 

 they are within the reach of the most 

 humble of us all, for the varieties are 



so numerous that without any effort 

 it is possible to find some of God's 

 messages within the reach of the poor- 

 est; and should our efforts only reach 

 the hardier varieties as found in the 

 gardens hereabouts, we are still ful- 

 filling our mission on earth of mak- 

 ing life a brighter place for our neigh- 

 bors as well as ourselves. For the 

 fact remains that 



The roses red upon my neighbor's vine 

 Are owned by him, but they are also mine, 

 His was the cost and his the labor, too. 

 But mine as well as his, the joy their 

 loveliness to view. 



Tliey bloom for me and are to me as fair 

 As to the man who gave them all his tare, 

 An(\ I am rich because a good man grew 

 A rose-clad vine, for all his neighbors' 

 view. 



I know from this, that others plant for me, 

 .\nd what they have, my Joy may also be; 

 So why be selfish when so much that's line 

 Is grown for you upon your neighlior's 

 vine. 



And in these moments of stress 

 when the country is becoming deeper 

 and deeper immersed in the great war 

 that is now raging, to the one that is 

 left behind could there be more nerve- 

 resting and helping diversion than 

 the growing of flowers and the cut- 

 ting of the blooms, sending the same 

 to the hospitals for the brightening 

 up of the sick and bringing a little 

 sunshine into the lives of the un- 

 fortunate; for is there not a feeling of 

 pleasure in this work that words can- 

 not describe, and also the thought that 

 perhaps some one is doing the same 

 for your boy "over there." And as 

 time rolls on there will be brought 

 to our own shores hundreds of men 

 for medical treatment, and flowers 

 when sent to them will in many cases 

 do as much good as medicine in the 

 much desired recovery. As the United 

 States have ever been a boon to the 

 persecuted, a haven of rest to the 

 weary, so let us continue along the 

 lines of beautifying the community in 

 which we reside, and by each doing his 

 share we shall make of this country a 

 most beautiful place for the newcomer 

 to see. and a source of great comfort 

 and pleasure to us who have always 

 been here. 



And so in closing may I say in the 

 words of that great writer: "He who 

 has made two blades of grass grow 

 where one grew before, has planted a 

 flower that gives a welcome to the 

 weary traveler along the King's high- 

 way, and has paid his rent to the 

 Owner of this universe for the spate 

 that he has permitted him to occu()y 

 along the |)athway of life." 



ADVERTISING IS THE MOTOR 

 POWER OF INDUSTRY. 



Relax in your advertising and your 

 business will eventually slow down lo 

 a standstill and then what! 



Advertising serves to stimulate the 

 buying public to greater needs and 

 to awaken the desire for certain com- 

 modities that perhaps lay dormant in 

 the mind of the prospective buyer. 



It is absolutely necessary to carry 

 on our advertising campaign to great- 

 er power than ever before in order to 

 stimulate more demand for flowers for 

 two reasons, first because we have 

 made a good start, and second be- 

 cause it will be the means of creat- 

 ing more sales for flowers which will 

 solve the higher price problem so es- 

 sential to the growers to overbalance 

 the increased labor cost and fifty per- 

 cent deficit in coal distribution. 



This is the missing link that must 

 supply the needed energy so essential 

 for the furtherance of our business to 

 a means that must make it profitable 

 With this is needed the individual ef- 

 forts of the various florists through- 

 cut the country to back it up to get 

 the fruitful results. 



Unless this is done on a broader 

 scale than ever before I can see only 

 disaster for a good many of the flor- 

 ists in the near future, while the men 

 who have courage and vision to go 

 through, will and must benefit, more 

 now than ever. 



It would be the most unpatriotic 

 act on the part of the florists of this 

 country to even think of curtailing in 

 this direction as it would lead to still 

 further inroad's of depression and 

 eventually this would of necessity be 

 the means of their not being able to 

 participate in the Liberty Bond, Red 

 Cross, and other movements so es- 

 sential to help win the war. 



This problem affords serious 

 thought, and the greatest thinking 

 minds of the advertising world have 

 decreed that advertising now. more 

 than ever, will be the motor power 

 that will solve the problem: that of 

 giving us maximum results for en- 

 ergy used. 



Boys! Go to it stronger now than 

 ever and watch the results. 



Chairman. National Publicity Cam- 

 paign. 



NEW CORPORATION. 

 East Liverpool, O. — The Colton 

 Flower Com))any, capital stock $1,000. 

 Incorporator. .Mary A. Colton. 



