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SsrrsMBBB 28, 1905. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



1037 



length and stiffness of etem, the 1904 

 set gives promise of complete satisfac- 

 tion. 



Dainty is true to its name. When Hob- 

 bies sent it out they said they thought 

 it their best introduction for many 

 yfiETE. It is very distinct in coloring 

 and combines shades in a manner hither- 

 to unknown. The ground color is lemon 

 yellow, more intense, approaching canary 

 yellow at the base of the petals. Half 

 way from the base there is a shading of 

 rose pink. The tips of the petals are 

 golden.- The form of the bloom is ex- 

 cellent, the stem long and strong, the 

 height of the plant a little above three 

 feet. This variety was figured in a color, 

 plate by one of the English gardening 

 publications last season. It has an award 

 of merit from the Royal Horticultural 

 Society and half a dozen other societies 

 have given it. first-class certificates. 



Sweet Nell was also given an award of 

 merit by the Eoyal Horticultural So- 

 ciety and has many certificates to its 

 credit. This variety marks quite a break 

 (ji color, the ground color being a moet 

 intense pink. In their catalogue descrip- 

 jiion of it Hobbies said that it "ap- 

 proaches the delightful coloring in the 

 laew American rambler rose, Dorothy 

 jerkins. ' ' The center florets are lighted 

 Ijip with paler pink, sometimes by almost 

 ^hite petals. This promises to be a most 

 ^6eful cut flower variety, the color being 

 (me which combines well with the green 

 of aspairagus and lends itself well to 

 ouch ures as table centerpieces, baskets, 

 fitc. The flower is of good form and the 

 ^a^t of good growth. 



A VORD FROM AN EMPLOYEE. 



Dear Editor: Would you consider 

 a few words from an humble employee 

 worthy of space in your valuable paper? 

 I; am not a literary aspirant, nor do I 

 hope to be, for I have no such talent, 

 but I do Aot think that I have ever seen 

 an article written by an employee, and 

 surely there must be as many who are 

 reading your paper as there are employ- 

 ers. Is there no one on our side who 

 might say a few words occasionally! 

 Must we keep silent? It does seem that 

 way. 



We always read about some great 

 man who has made a grand success in 

 floriculture, but never a word about the 

 men who probably made him a success. 

 Now undoubtedly the employer who may 

 chance to read this will at once say that 

 here is a "chronic kicker," but hold onl 

 There never was a more optimistic fel- 

 low than I am, although these words may 

 sound pessimistic. 



Some time ago there appeared in the 

 Eeview an article by one of our dis- 

 tinguished writers, entitled "Is Our 

 Trade Not Attractive!" This writer, 

 being an employer, of course, explains 

 that it is attractive and sure enough it 

 is in one sense of the word. He, how- 

 ever, brings out only two points to sub- 

 stantiate his claims; viz., the love of na- 

 ture and flowers and the young man's 

 hope of some time being in business for 

 himrelf. 



Now that writer is well aware of the 

 fact that this trade has more disagree- 

 able features, compared with the wages, 

 than almost any other trade, and that 

 is very probably the reason that 

 prompted him to write on that subject 

 with a view of distracting the em- 

 ployee's thoughts from all that is ob- 



Cactus Dahlia Dainty. 



jectionable and thereby score one more 

 point for the employer. 



Certainly, anyone who has no liking 

 for flowers has no business to be a florist 

 but that alone will not support a man. 

 The young man who hopes to some time 

 be in business for himself must certainly 

 be very, very frugal unle«s he is so for- 

 tunate as to marry his employer's 

 daughter. 



"Well," flays some old man, "I 

 started with a few dollars." Yes, so 

 you did some thirty or forty years ago, 

 when competition was not so keen, but, 

 alas, it is different now. 



What encouragement does a young 

 man get who spends his best years in a 

 stuffy greenhouse, away, one might say, 

 from all civilization! Some people get 

 paid for working with their hands, others 

 for working with their brains. A florist 

 must work with both, and long hours at 

 that, or get out, and what is his pay! 

 Ask a sewer digger. 



I had occasion to talk this matter over 

 with the superintendent of one of our 

 large greenhouse establishments. During 

 the conversation I noticed his little boy. 

 f asked the man if his boy would learn 

 the trade. "No, no," said he, "not if 

 [ can help it." Why should a man of 

 his rank speak thus! I know a score of 

 young men who, after spending the best 

 part of their lives in this business, left it 

 because of blasted hopes of ever getting 

 the wages that would enable them to 

 start for themselves. 



How often do we see an advertisement 

 for help, like this: "A first-class 

 grower of roses, carnations and bedding 



stock; don't answer unless you can fur- 

 nish Al references as to character and 

 ability; state age and wages wanted." 

 I know of at least one profession 

 that would pay at least $50 a week if 

 what is required in this advertisement 

 were required. Think how many years 

 you work for $8, $9, possibly $10 a week 

 to learn this trade so that you may now 

 meet these requirements. You must 

 furnish Al references, too, mind 

 you, and you answer the advertisement. 

 You state that you should have at. least 

 $12 a week; yes, that is about right. 

 Some get a little more but the majority 

 get less. , You also inclose a stamp for 

 reply, and do you hear from him! Well, 

 if that man feels that he might open 

 his heart $12 worth you may hear from 

 him; otherwise nine times out of ten he 

 will not reply. 



Suppose you get the job at $12 a 

 week. Go to the city and you find the 

 hod-carrier is getting it. He may never 

 have carried a hod before today. His 

 work is no harder than wheeling soil 

 under glass in August and he does not" 

 work Sundays or nights, and further- 

 more he has no responsibility. 



Ah! Mr. Employer, if you wish to re- 

 tain the young American as your assiet- 

 ant, your head man, you must offer en- 

 couragement, inducements or at once 

 prepare yourself to depend entirely on 

 foreign help. Thfere are far better op- 

 portunities for the young American and 

 he is too ambitious to stop'. for the in- 

 ducements the employment in this busi- 

 ness offers, with all its objectionable 

 features. .; 



