184 



H RT I C U L T U K E 



December 6, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



Established by William J. Stewart In 1D04 



VOL. XXX 



DECEMBER 6, 1919 



NO. 23 



PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY 



HORTICULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

 78 Devonshire Street, Boston, Mass. 



EDWARD I. FARRINGTON, Editor. 



Telephone Fort Hill S6S4 



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Entered as second-class matter December 8. W04, at the Post Office 

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Whenever flower growers or pro- 

 is ambition dead? fessioual gardeners get together in 

 these days one is pretty certain to 

 liear remarks about the indifference shown by the young 

 men in their employ to the advancement of the trade or 

 profession in which they are engaged. Complaint is 

 made that these young men lack ambition, except as it 

 relates to the accumulation of money. They seldom 

 open one of the trade papere, and spend no time in 

 reading books relating to their line of work. All this 

 is pointed out as being in sharp contrast to conditions 

 which prevailed when the present business heads or 

 estate superintendents were beginners. In those days, 

 apparently, every young man was keen to learn all that 

 he could about the business and found his greatest de- 

 light in the handling of flowers and plants. Unfortu- 

 nately there is reason to believe that many of these stric- 

 I ures are founded on fact. One is tempted to believe at 

 times that ambition is truly dead. 



The question comes, though, whether it isn't possible 

 to bring about a different situation. Just how it is to 

 lie done is a matter for careful consideration. Possibly 

 it would be worth while for an employer to give a year's 

 subscription to one or more of the trade or horticultural 

 papers to each of his men. It is conceivable that occa- 



itniiil staff meetings might be held at which some of the 

 . rt ieles in these papers might be taken up and discussed, 

 iinl possibly criticized by those who are most familiar 

 with the subject treated. It might pay to have a small 

 working library at hand, and when a question comes up 

 to have the books consulted. The writer knows of one 



state which has a special room for the employees which 

 is kept warm and where a large number of reference 

 liooks are at hand for consultation. Many times it be- 

 comes possible for a retailer or more particularly a 

 grower to bring up some point for discussion, doing it 

 in such an indirect maner that he would have his men 

 debating it without suspecting that it was introduced 

 deliberately. 



We notice that there is a growing tendency ammu 



florists' associations to open their membership to em- 

 ployees. This would seem to be a step in the right direc- 

 tion, although it is obvious that it might at the same 

 time limit the range of discussion and perhaps interfere 

 with the full value of the association. Nevertheless, 

 much good comes from getting the men together and 

 showing them that sociability and business discussions 

 can go hand in hand. Certainly employees should he en- 

 couraged to join horticultural societies and gardeners' 

 clubs such as exist in most cities. There are scores of 

 young men in every section who have no such affiliations. 

 If they had, it would be better for them and better for 

 all concerned. Certainly it is not enough that em- 

 ployers should simply criticize the rising generation be- 

 cause it does not show the same spirit as was found years 

 ago. Conditions have changed all along the line. The 

 right way is to meet the situation as it exists and try 

 to finfl a remedy. 



It seems as though there might be an ex- 

 Living cellent opportunity for florists to sell a 



Christmas large number of spruces from one to two 

 trees f ee t high this year, advertising them as 

 live Christmas trees. Last year the Amer- 

 ican Forestry Co. made a special advertising campaign 

 and sold many trees of this kind, delivering them by 

 parcel post within five hundred miles of Boston. This 

 was a good plan, but after all it is through the florists 

 that this line of work should be exploited. No doubt 

 florists could sell many trees of this kind by a little 

 advertising on their own part. In the advertising men- 

 tioned some of the points brought out were that the 

 trees could be kept in pots indoors during Christmas and 

 planted outdoors later. That they were excellent for 

 shut-ins and that they would please older people as well 

 as children. The advantages of baby Christmas trees in 

 the home, schools and churches were dwelt upon and the 

 fact brought out that they also might be used to advan- 

 tage in hotels and stores, where of course they are very 

 decorative. It was very good advertising except for the 

 fact that the word Xmas was used constantly instead of 

 Christmas. We think that this was a mistake from sev- 

 eral points of view. We believe that Xmas has no legit- 

 imate place in our holiday language and that the word 

 Christmas should be employed invariably in the adver- 

 tising of florists. 



The readiness with which the public will take up with 

 a suggestion of this kind is shown by a recent edition of 

 the New York Evening Post, which contained a long 

 article in the Home Makers Department under the title 

 "Why Not a Living Tree This Year?" The writer went 

 on to deprecate the cutting of balsams and firs for 

 Christmas use and advocated living trees in tubs or pots 

 as a substitute. It was pointed out that a good sized 

 tree can be shipped by express, planted in a tub, used 

 as a family Christmas tree and then after suitable care 

 during the winter set out permanently to continue its 

 beneficent work. 



There is no doubt that other articles of this kind 

 would be used in the papers of other cities if the in- 

 formation were given the editors, and in this way a de- 

 mand might be created at practically no expense, 

 although it would be' a courtesy to present the editor or 

 writer with one of the trees so that he might see for 

 himself its beauty and its ornamental value. It is 

 reaching out after trade in this manner which will help 

 to build up the florists' business and to increase the 

 range of the plants handled. 



