20 



The Florists' Review 



Jdnb 7, 1917. 



that it is essential that the work l)e con- 

 tinued, for should it be dropped at this 

 point, tlie work already done will 

 amount to little. L. M. Massev. 



BALTIMORE ' S PIONEER. 



Samuel Feast Started in 1832, 



This week I am going to write about 

 the first florists' business our city ever 

 knew. It was far back in 1832 when a 

 young Englishman, after serving his 

 time in Edinburgh, Scotland, not only as 

 a florist but also as a nurseryman, came 

 to Baltimore. Samuel Feast considered 

 Baltimore a promising field for his en- 

 terprise, so on what is now the site of 

 Harlem park he started the first florists' 

 and nursery business of our city and laid 

 the foundation of what now for three 

 generations has been the business of 

 Samuel Feast & Sons. For eighty-five 

 years this concern lias enjoyed the con- 

 fidence and patronage of Baltimore's 

 best people. The business has grown up 

 with the city. 



Starting in a small way, the founder, 

 whose undeviating policy was fair deal- 

 ing and good merchandise, gradually 

 built up a business that about 185.5 

 was ready to admit his two sons, Samuel, 

 Jr., and John Edward Feast. Besides 

 the nurseries and gardens they had a 

 store, in the same block in which they 

 are now situated, at the northeast corner 

 of Charles and Saratoga streets. With 

 young blood the business continued to 

 grow and expand, and in 1878, when the 

 establishment demanded more help, a 

 young lady was engaged. That lady, 

 now Mrs. F. D. Hill, after thirty-nine 

 years of experience, is still one of the 

 important units of the store of Feast & 

 Sons. 



In those days the city was growing 

 toward the west, much as today it is 

 going toward the north. The green- 

 houses and nursery had to give way be- 

 fore the steady growth, and a new loca- 

 tion was secured on Frederick road and 

 Beechfield avenue. After getting this 

 place established, the only survivor of 

 the trio, John Edward Feast, died, in 

 January, 1888, leaving the two sons who 

 compose the firm as it is today. 



The reasts of Today. 



William, who had received his educa- 

 tion at Mount St. Joseph, which, by 

 the way, almost adjoins the Feast coun- 

 try place, was at the time of his father's 

 death with the brokerage firm of White 

 '& Co., and it was with this concern that 

 he received a thorough business train- 

 ing. He had been trained to figure 

 profits in fractions of a cent and, while 

 he had no experience in the business of 

 his parent, with the aid of some of those 

 who were a part of the business he took 

 hold where his father left oflE and made 

 a splendid success of it. In 1891, 

 Charles, the present treasurer of the 

 firm, finished his education and was 

 taken into the business, so that once 

 again two young men, direct descend- 

 ants of the founder, were at the head of 

 the business. 



As I got off the car at Beechfield 

 avenue the first thing that met my gaze 

 was an attractive home, surrounded by 

 the copper-foliaged trees from which it 

 takes its name. There are well-kept 

 lawns and an occasional cluster of the 

 brightly colored Japanese maples. At 

 the back of the house there are some fine 

 specimens of maples, and under these is 



WilKam Feast. 



the first hint that the place belongs to 

 florists. There, plunged in ashes, are 

 the palms that have served at some of 

 the finest social functions of the city 

 this winter. The palms for a time are 

 taking the rest cure. As a floral deco- 

 rator I was able to fully appreciate the 

 setting. The home is brought out by the 

 trees, shrubs and well carpeted lawn. 

 Everything that would offend the eye 

 is covered by Nature 's handiwork, 

 and the thought struck me that here is 

 done in a permanent manner what three 

 generations of the family have been 

 doing for the public of Baltimore. It 

 is no wonder that Feast & Sons are 

 counted among the best decorators of 

 the city. 



Tour of the Range. 



But our mission was to see what the 

 range of nineteen houses produces. In 

 the absence of Mr. Feast I was taken 

 in charge by the foreman, L. H. Up- 

 man. Again I heard a story of long 

 service and devotion to the business, 

 and when I asked Charles Feast how 

 it was that they were able to keep 

 their employees so long, his reply was: 

 "They are all so efficient that we could 

 not find better." 



The first house contains fine Aspara- 

 gus plumosus, and as I had heard so 

 much about the scarcity of greens I was 

 surprised to see them so plentiful and 

 good. Next come two houses of palms, 

 for decorating, and they are as fine and 

 as clean plants as one could wish to see. 

 I asked Mr. Upman how he managed to 

 keep them so fresh looking and his re- 

 j)ly was, "Eternal vigilance is the price 

 we have to pay." The rose range — the 



first house — is devoted to Kjllarney 

 roses, with the one next to it contain- 

 ing Richmond. Mr. Upman tells me that 

 Richmond is to be discarded for Hoosier 

 Beauty. Then come Ophelia, Sun- 

 burst and My Maryland, in the order 

 named. Next is an orchid house, then a 

 house of sweet peas and several houses 

 of miscellaneous stock. As one goes 

 through this large range of well grown 

 stock the thought strikes one that if the 

 head of the firm knew nothing of the 

 business when he started, he has by this 

 time learned it well. It requires twenty- 

 five employees to maintain the system 

 that keeps this business running 

 smoothly. The concern was a pioneer 

 in the idea of using the telegraph in de- 

 livering flowers in other cities. Ever 

 since the writer can remember, it has 

 been associated with some organization 

 of the kind, and as I spoke to Charles 

 about this feature of the business ho 

 told me that the F. T. D. was the best 

 the firm had ever been connected with, 

 that the advertising the business got 

 through this connection was wonderful. 

 On a busy day it is quite a sight to see 

 the Feast motor equipment ready for 

 work. This consists of three delivery 

 trucks, two plant vans and two pleasure 

 cars. There is no safer way to get at 

 the amount of business a firm is doing 

 than by watching its automobiles. The 

 Feast cars are expensive, and the con- 

 cern is going to get along with as few 

 as possible. Tate. 



Bowling Green, O. — The H. J. Heinz 

 Co. has acquired the greenhouses of 

 W. W. Milnor, who will give possession 

 this fall. 



