HORTICULTURE 



Vol. XXIX 



MAY 31, 1919 



No. 22 



THE GENTLE ART OF BEING ON THE JOB 



Ol'llil- 



A successful business man is the one who can keep 

 aboul one lap ahead of the public in its likes and dislikes. 

 Tin's is perhaps just another way of saying that a good 

 business man is the one who keeps his finger on the pub- 

 lic pulse. It applies to the florist perhaps more directly 

 than to men in many other lines of business. It means 

 being alert to every tendency and quietly coaxing it 

 along or giving it a gentle push in the right direction. 

 • lust as a ease in point may he cited Henry Peon's 

 -Memorial Day appeal to the relatives and friends of the 

 boys who served in the great war across the sea. Of 

 course Mr. Penn had plenty of wreaths and other 

 memorial emblems, but not satisfied with these he de- 

 vised a special floral tribute particularly adapted to this 

 year when the great war is just coming to a close and all 

 the American people are hoping for a permanent peace. 



The design was 36 inches tall and 30 inches wide. It 

 took the form of a letter V, and bore the word "Peace." 

 It was made of prepared leaves and water proof 

 mental flowers arranged in an 

 artistic way, the flowers not 

 being put on so lavishly as to 

 produce a garish effect. The 

 design sold for $12 up and 

 naturally there was a big 

 demand. 



This is given simply as an 

 example of the way in which 

 enterprising, progressive flor- 

 ists meet special occasions. 

 Of course it is only one of 

 many such examples. The 

 florist who is constantly on 

 the job makes a point of 

 thinking out something spe- 

 cial for all unusual occasions. 

 One of the good plans is to 

 get out a well designed folder 

 which can be distributed to a 

 select list of customers. The 

 writer remembers of one such 

 folder issued by a Kansas 

 City firm on Thanksgiving 

 Day in which the beauties of 



chrysanthemums on the Thanksgiving day table were 

 illustrated by colored pictures with appropriate descrip- 

 tive text. 



On such Folders it is possible to recommend various 

 combinations of (lowers as gifts, at Christmas, New 

 Years, Easter or on birthdays. Every good salesman 

 knows how easy it is oftentimes to interest a customer 

 in some plant or axrangemenl of plants which he had not 

 thought of buying, but which appealed to him or her. as 

 the ease mighi lie. when brought before the eve. What 

 can be done in a personal way in the stores can also he 

 done to a large extent by properly gotten up folders, the 

 illustrations being of the greatest importance. A pic- 

 ture will often do much more than text alone. 



Many a florist has increased his business to a Bur- 

 prising extent by his attention to window displays, not 



only on holidays but on occasions of local importance. 

 Several florists, For example, had windows which were 

 heartily appreciated at the time the boys were coming 

 back from France. The suggestion of flowers under 

 such circumstances brought customers who would not 

 otherwise have thought of buying. 



There is no room here, of course, for a treatise on 

 this general subject of getting and holding business. But 

 there is no dovrbt of the fact that in these days of keen 

 competition the florist who wins out is the one who is 

 learning under the stimulus of new conditions the gentle 

 art of always being on the job. 



A Long Lilac Season 



Beginning with the Chinese Syringa pubescens, and 

 ending with that other Chinese species, Syringa villosa, 

 or perhaps with the tree lilacs which come later still, the 

 display may be carried over many weeks. S. villosa is 



fairly well distributed. It 

 makes a fine round-topped 

 bush, and its late flowering 

 habit adds much to its value. 

 It should never be planted for 

 its fragrance, though, for 

 truth to tell, the odor is far 

 from agreeable. 



It is quite contrary with S. 

 pubescens, this being one of 

 the sweetest of all known 

 lilacs. It is a tall shrub with 

 small leaves, and short broad 

 clusters of pale, lilac colored 

 flowers. While not striking- 

 ly handsome, it is very highly 

 valued for its early flowering 

 habit as well as its pungent 

 and delightful fragrance. Un- 

 fortunately it is not readily 

 propagated, for it. never pro- 

 duces seeds here and cut- 

 tings do not strikes as easily 

 as those from most other 

 lilacs. 

 Among the other excellent lines which would seem well 

 worth a place in gardens are S. Luteee, red violet; 

 S. Wolfii, violet purple; S. Waldeck Eousseau, pink: S. 

 Toussaint Louverture, red purple; S. Maurice de Vil- 

 morin, lilac colored; Congo, dark red purple; Macros- 

 taehya. pale pink; Marliensis pallida, pale pink: Justi, 

 pale blue; Ludwig Spath, red purple. 



The Arboretum experts consider that the last named, 

 with Philemon, which it much resembles, are the hand- 

 somest lilacs with dark red purple flowers. Marie Le- 

 graye still holds first rank as the best of the single white 

 flowered lilacs. Some French white flowered lilacs have 

 been introduced in recent years, but have not been grown 

 in this country long enough for their value as garden 

 plants to be determined. 



