For December, 1923 



303 



The Gardener's Opportunity 



M. C. EBEL 



AT the annual Fall exhibition of the Horticultural 

 Society of New York, and at some of the other 

 Eastern shows there api)eared in the list of success- 

 ful prize winners a number of new names which have not 

 heretofore been noticed as exhibitors. 



Does this not indicate that the old time interest in flower 

 shows is being revived and that the owners of country 

 estates are again disposed to sujjport flower shows as lib- 

 erally as they did before the war caused a curtailment of 

 expenses? I think so. I know of two instances where 

 gardeners, only recently placed in charge of the estates 

 but who quickly gained the confidence of their employers, 

 sought their permission to exhibit at the Fall shows. Con- 

 sent was granted, but with grave doubts that the garden- 

 ers could successfully compete against the regular ex- 

 hibitors with such short preparation. The results proved 

 otherwise, however, and I am now looking for great 

 achievements at the International Flower Show next 

 Spring from these two estates, although they have never 

 exhibited before, as the owners have now become inter- 

 ested and their gardeners are quite enthusiastic. 



There are many other employers like those just referred 

 to, but there are also many gardeners who hesitate to 

 approach their employers with suggestions or recom- 

 mendations that might revive old or instill new interest. 

 But why should they hesitate when the suggestions or rec- 

 ommendations they might make would be to the benefit of 

 their employers ? The employers cannot fathom what 

 may be stored in their gardeners' minds that would tend 

 to improve their estates. 



No greater opportunities present themselves for the 

 professional gardener to exploit his skill than the events 

 that are to occur in the Spring of 192-i — the International 

 Flower Show at Xew York from ]\Iarch 17 to 22, the 

 National Flower Show at Cleveland from March 29 to 

 April 6, and the National Orchid Show at Boston in May. 

 The time is none too soon to begin preparations. 



These shows are as dependent for success on the small 

 grower as they are on those who may compete in the 

 larger classes, for it is the smaller classes for specimen 

 plants and for one or two dozen cut blooms which help 

 to make the shows interesting. The public enjoys study- 

 ing the individual plants which is not always possible 

 when the plants are gathered in a group of many varie- 

 ties. As for Madame Estate Owner, she is gratified with 

 her gardener's success when she observes her name in 

 the press among the list of prize winners, and it does not 

 really matter to her what the exhibit is, if it secures the 

 honors. 



It is at the flower shows that estate owners often begin 

 to "sit up and take notice." They see the exhibits from 

 neighboring estates and wonder why they cannot have 

 the same high quality of flowers as their neighbors show. 

 Then they begin to feel that while they are paying the 

 bills, they are not obtaining the results. This is not al- 

 ways their gardeners' fault, for the disbursements are 

 not always sufficient for the results they desire. But how 

 are the employers to know this, if their gardeners do not 

 intelligently inform them how much more could be ac- 

 complished in making the estate attractive through a 

 little additional expenditure? 



When a man is placed in charge of a business, he is 

 expected to produce certain results, and if he cannot, it 

 remains with him to make known the reason why. When 

 a gardener finds that he is not producing satisfactory 

 results, due to certain restrictions or limitations, in jus- 

 tice to himself he should inform his employer why the 



results are unsatisfactory. In doing so, he may succeed 

 in having the restrictions removed ; at least he is per- 

 forming his duty in informing his employer why the an- 

 ticipated results are not forthcoming. There is no ques- 

 tion but that the employers are demanding more and more 

 that their gardeners possess initiative to recommend how 

 an estate may be improved in order to provide more 

 pleasure for its owner, and not merely be able to "keep a 

 place up." They are looking for quality in their garden- 

 ers as well as the ability to work, and can see no reason 

 why they should not have it. Sometimes it becomes 

 necessary to explain that they are not paying the price 

 of quality, but this is usually met with the response that 

 they are willing to pay the price if they can obtain the 

 quality. 



This is no mere theory, but is based on what actually 

 transpires in interviews with estate owners from all parts 

 of the country who visit our offices. We are meeting with 

 an entirely new class of owners of country estates, men 

 still actively engaged in business who are acquiring estates 

 somewhat as toys with which to play and for the sake 

 of the joy they may derive from them. 



The employers are manifesting much interest in the 

 affairs of their gardeners through their support as sus- 

 taining members of the gardeners' national association, 

 by the way they entertain them during its annual con- 

 ventions, and in patronizing the association when knotty 

 problems arise in connection with the management of 

 their estates. It remains with the gardeners to continue 

 to increase this prestige by showing that if given but 

 half a chance, they are desirous and interested in mini- 

 mizing- the annoyances that estate owners have sometimes 

 to contend with ; for when all is said and done, it is really 

 a fifty-fifty proposition. 



Let us start now to do our share to make the big shows 

 of the Spring of 1924 a tremendous success. Their suc- 

 cess will arouse a greater interest in American horticulture 

 and this spells greater opportunities for the professional 

 gardeners. You, as a gardener, may not be in a position 

 to prepare anything for the big classes, but vou must be 

 unusually handicapped if you have some glass and can- 

 not grow a specimen plant — something not commonly 

 grown — or a few dozen blooms to exhibit. It is far more 

 creditable to be able to say when the shows are over, "I 

 also ran," than to have to confess that you did not try 

 at all. 



There is nothing on earth today that will heal the jeal- 

 ousy and hatred that is permeating it, as will the love of 

 flowers, for he who loves flowers, must love God, and he 

 who truly loves God, cannot long hate his fellow men. 

 So fellow gardeners, yours is a great mission through the 

 ministry of flowers. Interest your employers in it. Ap- 

 proach them as friends, for if you have your employers' 

 confidence, you will surely find that thev are your friends 

 and that they will give their co-operation and support to 

 any good motive you may present to them. It is through 

 better gardens and more flower shows that this gospel 

 of the flowers can be spread. 



The Golden Rule, correctly called also "The Rule of 

 Christ,'' is, "All things whatsoever ye would that men 

 should do to you, do ye even so to them." This is the ab- 

 solutely perfect rule : therefore, nothing can surpass, equal, 

 or eclipse it. If the human race would reduce to practice 

 the Golden Rule for half a century, the brotherhood of 

 man would be a living, breathing, blissful reality. — The 

 Herald. Washington, D. C. 



