224 



THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



The Salesroom of a Well Appointed Store Photographed at Easter. 



jumps off the wagon, throws the flat and 

 its contents on the ground by the shed 

 wall, and then asks for another job. The 

 next man that wants a flat in a hurry 

 throws out the plants and runs off on his 

 errand. A pot or two are broken, or the 

 plants are run over, all because the 

 driver did not take a minute s time to 

 dump the useless plant and put the others 

 in the shed where they would be attended 

 to. All that may be a trifle, but a lot 

 of such performances create great con 

 fusion. You can do your work quicker, 

 better and feel more comfortable and 

 happy all around when things are in 

 order. And, depend upon it, orderly 

 places are the prosperous ones. 



In the greenhouse among the plants 

 there is still more need of system -and 

 order. The old-fashioned way of years 

 ago of having a bench all mixed up with 

 fifty species of plants, like a fourth-class 

 botanic garden, is played out. We knew 

 greenhouses, some not so long ago, that 

 always looked alike the year round. A 

 cactus and sanchezia and Begonia Rex 

 and Hoya carnosa were beautifully (?) 

 arranged. A show hpuse is all right, 

 where a few of the brightest and best of 

 all you have should be shown off, and 

 that should be changed as often as pos 

 sible. Let your show house undergo a 

 transformation pcene very frequently, as 

 your store window does daily. 



Tn other houses everything should be 

 in blocks. They are better cared for in 



every way and look better ; it is the only 

 way. Stand over your plants frequently, 

 small, fast growing plants especially, and 

 it is much easier to throw your leaves 

 and rubbish into a bushel basket than it 

 is to throw them on the path and then 

 have to sweep them up. 



We frequently have hot words in the 

 spring with the men when picking out 

 plants or filling orders. If a hundred 

 geraniums are wanted of one kind take 

 them as they come. If two or three 

 are not quite good enough or not in 

 flower don t leave them standing out 

 alone to dry out ; bunch them up with 

 the lot. Your precious time will not be 

 missed, for it will only take a second and 

 will be better for the plants, better in 

 appearance, and much better for the man 

 who waters. And so with all your plants. 



Stand all rows of plants straight 

 across the bench, and never crowd for 

 want of room, nor spread them out for 

 Appearance s sake. There is a right dis 

 tance for the plants and they should 

 have it, .neither more nor less. 



I cannot mention all the details of 

 running a greenhouse, but do let it be 

 clean, neat, and orderly, and it will 

 cover many other deficiencies. Never 

 scruple or sigh at having to throw away 

 any plants that you see there is no sale 

 for. If you made a mistake the quickest 

 way to recover is to out with them. The 

 ability to discard useless stock is only 

 second to the ability to grow good plants. 



Having everything in at the right time 

 it is wanted is one of the greatest ac 

 complishments of a good florist, and next 

 is having your stoc-k well balanced, not 

 propagating or growing twice as much of 

 any article as you can dispose of. You 

 have your past experience to guide you 

 und should know the probable demand 

 for the next season. You can t grow 

 everything and what you don t succeed 

 with, buy if you must have it. The man 

 who tries to grow everything he is asked 

 for will never succeed. 



You must never be bothered with the 

 best meaning people who bring you seeds 

 or plants for you to grow because they 

 are curiosities; (ion. Candbeef sent the 

 seeds to her from Cuba, or Lieut. Floater 

 brought them from Manila. The plants 

 of the whole world are pretty well known 

 now and they will be nothing desirable 

 for you. Tell the kind persons that you 

 are afraid they would not get attention 

 among your men. who only have a knowl 

 edge of common commercial plants, but 

 you are sure Mr. Private Gardener, your 

 neighbor, or the Hotanie Gardens would 

 be delighted with them. 



Division of labor is a great thing. The 

 operations in a greenhouse are very di 

 verse. Put men at what they can do well 

 and quickly. And there is no labor, 

 either in potting, watering, tying or set 

 ting over plants, but what should be 

 done quickly and with a rush. When 

 men get accustomed to work quickly at 



