20 The Florists^ Review ^^^^^^^ ^s. ms. 



ODEN LETTEl^v^-" READERS 



motto to advertising is the old story: 

 "Cast thy bread upon the waters and 

 it shall be returned to you after many 

 days," and as times have changed a 

 little since this was said, you may add, 

 • anent advertising, that your bread will 

 be returned shortly — and buttered. Read 

 your trade papers, advertise in them, 

 and see the advantage to your busi- 

 ness it brings. Ralph M. Ward. 



MOSQUITOES IN WATEE TANKS. 



In a recent issue of The Review a 

 correspondent inquired the best means 

 of exterminating mosquitoes in water 

 tanks. If he will examine the water 

 in the tanks, he will find myriads of 

 larva;, or "wiggle-tails." These, on 

 emerging from the water, are full 

 grown mosquitoes. Here in Georgia 

 we have mosquitoes all the year around 

 outdoors. During the hot months we 

 put a mixture of kerosene and gas 

 tar on the surface of the water. This 

 forms an oily surface, through whicli 

 the larvae cannot pass. I have also 

 found muriate of potash effective, but I 

 would not advise your correspondent to 

 try either of these remedies, as the 

 quantities needed would mean death to 

 all plant life. If he can have a stream 

 of running water in his tanks, he will 

 not be troubled with mosquitoes, as 

 they only breed in stagnant water. I 

 have found it so by experience here. 

 J. C. Armstrong. 



FLOWERS AT FUNERALS. 



In the attached clipping, from t!ie 

 Pittsburgh Chronicle-Telegraph of Jan- 

 uary 18, you will note that in dis- 

 cussing "The Funeral Services," be- 

 fore the weekly session of the United 

 Presbyterian ministers of the couuty 

 January 18, the Rev. Clarence J. Wii- 

 liamson, pastor of the First United 

 Presbyterian Church of New Brighton, 

 denounced the present manner of con- 

 ducting funerals by some ministers. 

 He said "there should not be flowers 

 in profusion," and closed by stating 

 "that many funerals were simply carni- 

 vals for florists and liverymen." 



I think, in behalf of the florists of 

 the United States, we have a right to 

 come back at a man that will make 

 such statements and degrade a busi- 

 ness as has the Rev. C. J. Williamson. 

 And if there is a florist in New Brigh- 

 ton, I hope he will have the backbone 

 to call the reverend's attention to this 

 one thing, that he has not the right to 

 judge the things that God creates. The 

 flowers are the smiles of God's beauty; 

 they are not the creation of man. 



If the friends of the dead wish to 

 buy flowers created by God and cared 

 for by his servant, man, to show their 

 respect and to ease the sorrow of the be- 

 reaved, no minister of the gospel cnn 

 find between the lids of the Holy Bible 

 the law given by God to call the flo- 

 rists' business a carnival and belittle 

 the honest men in this business. This 

 gentleman should look up the ten com- 

 mandments and see where it eavs, 

 "Thou Shalt not covet." 



I have been in the florists' business 

 five years, and I grow just as nice flow- 

 ers as my wisdom permits. I have 

 4,000 square feet of glass; I build 300 

 different designs; I do an honest busi- 

 ness. It netted me $1,014.84 last year. 

 I work eight hours each day for the 

 Pennsylvania Railroad Co., as tel.?- 

 graph operator, at a salary of $8(*4 

 per ye^r. I have honestly increased 



my salary. I sell flowers for funerals 

 and any occasion for which the public 

 demands them, and it is just as honest 

 a living as preaching. In behalf of our 

 business, I think we are entitled to 

 come back at such statements. 



J. G. Gamble. 



LINCOLN AND WARD. 



Abe Lincoln read everything he 

 could get his hands on that was worth 

 reading, and some on the side that 

 was not. He did so to benefit himself. 

 If florists were a little more like Lin- 

 coln they might pay similar dividends. 

 I am sorry to say that many florists 

 do not interest themselves in their 

 trade papers as much as the good of 

 their business requires. This paper 

 circulates to 12,000 establishments and 

 is no doubt read by three times as 

 many people. After you read this just 

 think how nice your ad would look if 

 it occupied the same space. Not alone 

 that, but a great many florists wouh' 

 know of you and whatever you have 

 for sale. All that is vital in the flo- 

 rists' business is contained in these 

 journals. If they were suppressed for 

 a year, the loss to florists would be 

 enormous; and you would see some tall 

 scrambling for business material, you 

 can bet your sweet life. 



It is better to be bathed in intelli- 

 gence than to go dirty in the igndrance 

 called bliss. The most appropriate 



IRIS SUITABLE FOR SOUTHWEST. 



There are thousands of homes scat- 

 tered all over the dry farming regions 

 of the great west and there is a great 

 demand for flowers, but it is hard to 

 find any that will live there. After 

 years of testing, however, we have 

 found what is needed. The resplendent 

 iris fills the bill. We have had im- 

 mense quantities go through the driest 

 seasons known without losing a plant. 

 Arizona has the most trying climate 

 for flowers, yet Prof. J. J. Thorn - 

 ber, of the University of Arizona, 

 writes that he has known these plants 

 to grow on the dry mesas in that 

 scorching sun, where the rainfall is 

 exceedingly scant. In the heavy red 

 day soil in the cemetery of one of the 

 larger Arizona mining towns, irises are 

 much planted and succeed beyond ex- 

 pectation. When established there, 

 they grow and blossom year after year 

 with little care. They have come to 

 be known to the children there as 

 Easter lilies. I know of no other 

 flower that would thrive -so well under 

 the same trying conditions. 



Mrs. Jennie Dean, of the Dean Iris 

 Gardens, of Monita, Cal., is probably 

 the best informed person on the iris in 

 America, and she is demonstrating the 

 fact that this flower is wonderfully 

 adapted to California. It can be so 

 nourished by winter rains that with 

 good cultivation it will go in triumph 



John F. Cowell. 



(Chairman Rooeptlon Cominltt<>o for Buffalo Carnation Convention.) 



