Jui-v 21. 1004. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



3S3 



Field of Dahlias of Rowelil & Granz, Hicksville, L. L 



a light shading. The best temperature 

 for asparagus during the winter is 

 65° at night. As the season is progress- 

 ing rapidly, the sooner the asparagus 

 is planted the better. W. H. Taplin. 



GREENHOUSES AND HELP. 



[.\ |>iii>er by J. W. Dnnford. rend bofore the 

 St. I>.iil« Florists' Club, July 14, 1904.] 



Having been assigned to lead a discus- 

 sion on greenhouse building at this meet- 

 ing, with the privilege oif choosing my 

 own subject if I wish, it now develops 

 that I am expected to write an essay. 



Treating the topic of greenhouse build- 

 ing in a general way, I will say that the 

 higli price of labor and material, I think, 

 has put a temporary check on the croc- 

 tion of liouses in some sections. Perhaps 

 it is just as well, for there is certainly 

 a limit to the consumption of all luxuries, 

 including flowers. The tendency in build- 

 ing is ever to improve on existing types, 

 and this is as it should be, for tiiere is 

 room for much improvement and the sit- 

 uation merits more thought than it gen- 

 erally gets. Take the ventilating ma- 

 chinery and sash alone, while a thousand 

 times better than the types aeen twenty- 

 five years ago, yet who can say that 

 there is at present anything like a per- 

 fect system? 



Men who build, construction men and 

 greenhouse men alike, cony too much. A 

 has built a new range, and like all other 

 I'ew houses, it is capable of growing 

 good stuff, and, A being a ^ood grower, 

 takes advantage of his opportunities. B 

 «ees the range, likes the style and falls in 

 love with the kind of stock that can l)e 

 grown in it, goes home and builds in 

 .just the .same way, onlv to regret it in a 

 few years, perhaps. 



Houses for cut flowers built connecte<l 

 lengthwise, that is, with no open space 

 between, seem to be returning to favor. 

 Tor pood reasons, too, as the tempera- 

 ture is more ea«y to regulate in them. 

 They are also more economical to heat 

 and build. The tendency seems to be to 

 keep the gutters high. This is also 

 good for many reasons, the chief being 

 the saving of valuable space, besides giv- 

 ing a better circulation of air. Just 

 ■«vhy houses of this type are better built 

 narrow, we could never see. except that 

 this brings the ridge lower, but the extra 

 time m taking care of the air, besides 

 extra cost in building, more than offsets 

 this. 



In regard to iron versus wooden gut- 

 ters, while the former of coarse are the 

 better of the two in point of durability, 

 in building a range where cheapness is 

 any consideration I would not use iron. 

 With us we find necessity for an extra 

 galvanized drip gutter uud.?r the iron 

 gutter, which is never needed under a 

 good wooden gutter. 



The most popular bench, and we think 

 the best is one made on the ground with 

 plenty of good drainage, either tile or 

 cinders. This is the most durable bed 

 and need not cost neariy as much as a 

 wooden one. 



Now about help. The nature and qual- 

 ification of our helpers is largely gov- 

 erned by the class of work they are 

 wanted for. The small man, who is 

 grower and retailer alike, must needs 

 have men of experience about him. This 

 is also true of wholesaler and retailer, 

 pure and simple. The large grower must 

 have a few good experienced men, but 

 'can depend on inexperienced help for 

 much of the routine work. 



To be successful in handling men a 

 man must be diplomati>'. Give in all 

 you consistently can, but make it known 

 that there is a limit and never go be- 

 yond the limitations. When a man thinks 

 he is worth more to you than you do, 

 don't coax him to stay, l)ut rather en- 

 courage him to find a ])lace with more 

 money in it. 



Never use or permit bad language. 

 When a man is inclined that way, talk 

 to him sensibly and let him know that 

 you don't like it. If he jicrsists after he 

 has been told to wash )iis mouth out a 

 few times, let him go. 



Treat all men with kindness and con- 

 sideration. Never ask a man to do what 

 you would not be willing to do yourself. 

 Encourage your help to think for them- 

 selves, and if they can improve on your 

 methods, let them. In the case of ex- 

 perienced help, if you know your way is 

 best, stick to it and see that it is done 

 that way. Never mind what your man 

 used to do at Mr. So and So's with great 

 success. Pay the best wages to the best 

 men. One good man is better than three 

 poor ones. 



FiNDLuiY, O. — K. J. Foster has sold 

 a one-third interest in his greenhouses 

 and business and the firm will hereafter 

 be Foster & Fellabaum. The plan is to 

 considerably enlarge the plant. 



NEW YORK. 



Tlie Market. 



The market is still quiescent. The 

 weather is wilting. Chicago is not the 

 only city where the ' * breath of the si- 

 moon ' ' is felt. Here, with the tempering 

 ocean breezes, Monday gave us nearly 

 100 degrees of heat and about 1,000 de- 

 grees of humidity, an infliction which 

 your inland cities cannot appreciate. The 

 wholesale men close early these days, 

 and the retailers ought to. 



Stock is not quite so plentiful, and 

 consequently the market began to ' ' sit 

 up and take notice" on Saturday. But 

 it had the usual relapse Monday and 

 there are no signs of immediate recovery. 

 Asters have asserted themselves once 

 more and are of fine quality. Sweet 

 j>eas are less abundant and prices slightly 

 advanced from the valueless quotations 

 of the month. Plenty of lilies, still, of 

 every kind. Carnations and roses suf- 

 fiiient for any possible demand. Society 

 is at Newport and shipments to that 

 center from New York are abundant. 



Various Notes. 



The "traveler" representing the F, R. 

 Pierson Co. was fortunite in securing 

 from the billionaire oil merchant lately, 

 an order for 10,000 evergreens to add 

 to the beauty of the great estate at 

 Pocantico Hills, which .lohn I). Rocke- 

 feller intends to make, when complete, 

 tiie grandest horticultural paradise this 

 side of the "Everlasting Hills." 



The pre.sident of the New York Cut 

 Flower Exchange. Wm. Amos, Sr., of 

 Woodside, L. I., has retired in favor ot 

 his son, Wm. Amos, .Jr., after thirty- 

 five years of business experience as a 

 grower, and with the universal respect 

 and good will of his confreres. 



N. Lecakes & Co. have purchased the 

 stock and fixtures of (i. E. Bradshaw 

 and moved from 45 West Twenty-ninth 

 street to their new quarters in Saturdav. 

 They will hereafter make 53 West Twen- 

 ty-ninth stre<>t their headquarters, hav- 

 ing assumed the lease of Ihe preaiises. 

 Mr. Bradshaw made an assignment to 

 ,Tohn Foley, of 213 East Forty-fifth 

 street. He asserts that the book ac- 

 counts will about meet the liabilities. 



Philip .1. Kessler has been appointed 

 general manager of the Cut Flower Ex- 

 change. The right man for the place 

 and always faithful to its interests. 



