I ■>*•- ,rtV- 



September 29, 1904. 



The Weekly Florists' Review^ 



899 



GLOffiE DE LORRAINE. 



I have quite a lot of Begonia Gloire 

 de Lorraine which are affected with 

 mealy bug. How is the best way to 

 destroy them without injuring the 

 plants? Would you also tell me through 

 the Review what plants are the most 

 easily injured by fumigating with to- 

 bacco? Boston. 



We haven't been troubled with mealy 

 bug on this beautiful plant. Kerosene 

 emulsion is one of the best remedies for 

 this pest, but at this time of year this 

 begonia is growing fast, the leaves are 

 soft and I would advise trying it only 

 on a few plants to see how it works. 

 The following formula is that of W. N. 

 Craig, who is posted on all fungicides 

 and insecticides: 



Dissolve one-half pound of hard soap 

 in one gallon of boiling water. Add 

 two gallons of kerosene and churn well 

 with a pump for a few minutes. Use 

 a wooden or earthen vessel. Dilute fif- 

 teen times before applying. That means 

 dilute in fifteen times as much water, 

 but for the begonias you had better 

 dilute thirty times. 



I would, however, prefer to use just 

 plain water, finely but sharply applied 

 with syringe or hose. You cannot do 

 this by syringing the plants on the 

 bench, but they are worth taking one 

 by one and laying on their sides and 

 simply knock off the bugs. 



The ordinary greenhouse commercial 

 plants that are injured by tobacco 

 smoke are not very numerous and 1 

 have often thought and expressed my 

 belief that plants, like ourselves, get 

 inured to tobacco. All florists know 

 that a heavy fumigation will injure 

 many things, while a mild fumigation 

 three successive nights will do no harm 

 to the great majority of plants. 



Heavy smoking will injure azaleas. 

 It turns the foliage brown. A mild 

 fumigation will often bum the foliage 

 of the heliotrope and Astilbe Japoniea. 

 None of the more delicate ferns, par- 

 ticularly Adiantum cuneatum, should 

 be subjected to smoke at any time. 

 That's about all the plants we cover 

 up if in a house where smoking must 

 be done. 



Smoking will also make the petals of 

 some flowers drop, especially the single 

 pelargoniums, both the show and zonal 

 varieties. In conclusion, smoke often 

 and mildly. Although I have mentioned 

 but a few that show you plainly how 

 much they are injured, may there not 

 be many more that are stunted and 

 hurt by a heavy fumigation, although 

 their injury is less apparent? W. S. 



THE PROBLEM OF HELP. 



To the judicious selection of help can 

 be ascribed the success of many of our 

 larger establishments and the executive 

 who makes this branch a particular 

 study is sure of his reward. 



The ability to fill the position can 

 only be judged by the character of 

 previous work and we have in a great 

 measure to rely on evidence furnished 

 by previous employers. The duty of giv- 

 ing a departing employe a certificate is 

 a very onerous one and to be truthful, 

 honest and conscientious to both him 

 and his prospective employer calls for 

 the exercise of great tact and care so 

 that neither may be injured. 



Floral Urn, made by Joseph M. Smely, Aurora, IlL 



It happens too frequently that when 

 a really good man wishes, for reasons 

 satisfactory to himself, to make a 

 change and notifies his employer of his 

 intention, that, instead of taking the 

 notice as a business proposition, the 

 employer makes of it a personal issue 

 and, allowing his feelings to sway him, 

 can and often does injure the pros- 

 pects of a deserving man and also incurs 

 the risk of making a life-long enemy. 



On the other hand there are em- 

 ployers who are so charitable and good 

 natured that they have not the vim to 

 call a spade a spade but give each and 

 everyone of their hands a good card 

 on their departure, when in many cases 

 they are thankful to see them depart. 

 This of course is very unfair to the 

 trade and leads to serious results when 

 such men, on the face of their cer- 

 tificates, are given positions of trust. 



Every employer who has the interests 

 of the craft at heart should exercise 

 the greatest care and eliminate all 

 personal feelings and considerations 

 when recommending employes, so that 

 the really good men may derive some 

 benefit from former service and good 

 conduct and that the incompetent, care- 

 less or drinking workman may be un- 

 able to foist his services on an unsus- 

 pecting employer to the detriment of his 

 stock and the reputation of his place. 



The proper management of help re- 

 quires sound judgment, impartiality and 

 the elimination of all personal feelings, 

 treating each man according to his 

 merits, discriminating in favor of those 

 who by their energy and care show 

 that they have the interests of the 

 place at heart and have a pride in 



their profession and are not merely 

 putting in so many hours per day to 

 enable them to draw their pay. 



EJraployers can greatly add to the ef- 

 ficiency of their help by taking an in- 

 terest in their welfare, studying their 

 wants, aspirations and ambitions and 

 directing them in their studies. See 

 that they are decently and comfortably 

 accommodated in regard to rooms and 

 board and, above all, be prepared to pay 

 on pay day. Show them that you are 

 interested in them, inspire a spirit of 

 good-fellowship and this will call forth 

 the best of service. 



Discourage all tale-bearing or favor- 

 seekers and if any of the help by rea- 

 son of bad habits or objectionable tem- 

 perament makes himself distigreeable 

 to the others, make no scruple about 

 dismissing him, as discipline cannot be 

 maintained under such conditions and 

 where friction exists some of the duties 

 are certain to be neglected or performed 

 in a very perfunctory manner. 



A systematic apportionment of the 

 work so that each one, from the sec- 

 tion foreman to the errand boy knows 

 his duty, and a careful supervisor who 

 knows neither fear nor favor and who, 

 like Caesar's wife, should himself be 

 above suspicion, are essential to the well 

 being of every establishment and will 

 without doubt gain for it a good name 

 and attract enterprising men to its 

 service. The result will be financial 

 sviccess. RiBES. 



Oberlin, O. — A. R. Congdon has taken 

 Charles A. Sackett, of South Amherst, 

 ill partnership. The firm will hereafter 

 be Congdon & Sackett. 



